Until the late 1950s, the scenic Catskills in Upstate New York was a popular holiday destination for well-to-do Jewish families from New York City, but as the appeal of air travel, and as such, far away destinations grew, the many resorts were abandoned. Fast forward to the recent global pandemic and the Catskills once again became a coveted destination for fleeing city dwellers, reinstating much of the region’s lost allure. Banking on the new momentum is the newly opened Camptown, a 1930s hotel situated in Leeds, at the foot of the mountain range, and a mere two-and-a-half-hour car drive north of the Big Apple. Featuring an original motor lodge with 24 guest rooms and an additional 26 cozy log cabins of which many come with functioning kitchens or wood-burning stoves. The interior design, created by Ray Pirkle and Kim Bucci, owners of the Rivertown Lodge in nearby Hudson and founders of the newly launched Ramshackle Studio, captures the holiday vibe of bygone days in great style. Needless to say, the carefully preserved aesthetic comes with the modern comfort that today’s savvy traveller requires.
The comfy beds have organic mattresses and are made with luxurious Frette linens. Mind you, down alternative pillows are also available. Also, bathrooms have heated flooring and feature organic products by 2 Note, and if you’d ever wish to escape this idyllic bubble, there’s a Samsung TV and free Wifi. Cavorting around the soothing bucolic surrounds makes one really peckish, and Camptown accommodates guests and visitors with Casa Susanna, a welcoming and homey eatery helmed by chef Efrén Hernández. Originally from Los Angeles, he serves a seasonal Mexican-inspired menu focused on fresh local produce. Through its Masa programme, the establishment makes all of its tortillas in-house. The dishes are paired with a natural wine programme led by local wine connoisseur Byron Bates, in addition to a selection of cocktails and fermented drinks by award-winning cocktail curator Natasha David. Additionally, the property features include an honour pantry, communal fire pit, grilling area, picnic tables, swim club and pool bar, sauna (expected coming Fall), and last but not least, access to various outdoor recreational activities, including swimming, hiking, fishing and skiing.
Camptown
800 County Road 23B
Leeds, NY 12451
Telephone: +1 518 7190097
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
