Overall, we had a pleasant stay in this vintage home in the Hudson Valley in Gardiner, outside of New Paltz. The location was convenient to several places of interest, including the FDR Library, Museum, and home (30 minutes), Minnewaska State Park Preserve (15 minutes -- beautiful lake and hiking trails!), Rhinebeck (45 minutes) and Hudson (50 minutes -- art and antiques), and the Walk over the Hudson (15 minutes -- highly recommended walk over the river via a Rails-to-Trails bridge). Restaurants and groceries are 10-15 minutes away.
Pros: Good location; quiet residential neighborhood with lots of trees; owners live next door and are quite responsive to any needs; bedrooms and bathrooms are well-appointed and comfortable; generously-sized swimming pool with slide, towels, and poolside furniture (we enjoyed swimming and eating outside) are a bonus; house contains some interesting antiques. Owners and rental agent were very helpful in advising about sights nearby and places to eat and shop. New Paltz is a lively, college town.
Cons: The house was clean, but had a faint musty smell upon arrival, as house had been closed up prior to our arrival (we were told that we were the first renters). The smell decreased greatly (but did not entirely disappear in every room) after the first day of our 3-night stay as air conditioning kicked in. Owners were responsive in trying to address this problem. Because this is an older home, furniture is somewhat dated. Pond was not accessible because a path had not yet been mowed.