Hudson Valley - 2-Bedroom Retreat on 120-Acre Farm

We rented the Schoolhouse for a girls weekend and were overly impressed. Everything about this cottage was wonderful, it is very warm and inviting. Tom stopped by to introduce himself our first night there and was more than helpful and friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will certainly be back.

This is a fantastic choice for those visiting the New Paltz/Minnewaska/Monhonk area. Here's why:

1. The cottage could not be more comfortable and is really pretty. While the structure dates from the 1840's, it has recently been completely gut renovated. It therefore has excellent central air heating, which kept us toasty warm in every room, including the bathroom, on our January visit. While photo shows a low-slung building, in fact the living room has a cathedral ceiling with skylights, through which you see the tree tops and the sky. In fact, the whole interior is sunny, with windows framing pretty views to the outdoors in every room. The kitchen is small but wonderfully designed and has everything. Last but not least, we all loved the subtle but stylish interior decoration! During the renovation, every detail of the decoration was carefully considered, with lovely art work, comfortable and beautiful bedding, soft throws, and appealing rugs everywhere. A lot of thought must have been put into choosing the colors and making sure all the elements in each room would work harmoniously together. Just lovely...

2. The Farm. Again, the photos do not do this justice, and the farm came as quite a surprise. I wouldn't call this an average farm. All the 19th century farm buildings have been impeccably restored, with sobriety and elegance. As for the barn where one can ride, it is a beautiful, brand-new structure, and spotlessly clean, decorated with all the ribbons and trophies won by the champion horses that are bred here on the farm. While riding is not my field, I would think this would be a great place for serious, professional riders, or people competing at the national level. The facilities seem to be state of the art. However, the owners are very modest and seek above all to communicate to others their love of horses and other animals, and the last thing they would seem to want would be for people to be intimidated by the superb riding facilities!

3. Nature. Last but not least, this is one of the best places I have found to enjoy the Shawangunk Mountains and the beautiful countryside around New Platz. Here you are but minutes away from town, but also in the middle of nature, basically at the foot of the ridge, with a very short drive to Minnewaska state park, and maybe 15-20 mn at most to Mohonk and all its trails. The farm itself is spectacular, with breathtaking views of the Gunks, and wildlife.

Had a wonderful time staying here with my girlfriend for a winter wine trail tour! Most all major places were approximately a 10 min drive away: Mohonk, wine trail, New Paltz, State Park, list goes on and on...

Clean, warm, character, quiet, all things one could want!

My husband, 11 year old daughter and I so enjoyed our 3-night stay at Schoolhouse Cottage. It was a pleasure to walk on the property and see the animals. We made great use of the cottage's kitchen making our own breakfast one morning. We even made a batch of Christmas cookies on our last night! The beds were so comfortable. The interior is very charming. The master bedroom is very spacious and the kids room is perfectly sweet. We look forward to staying here again next time we're in New Paltz!

I would heartily recommend this property. It is thoughtfully stocked, making it easy to assimilate into the space and quickly move on to your vacation activities. The property was very clean, well-maintained, and conveniently located to many sites to visit. My sister and I also enjoyed the opportunity to feed the friendly donkeys and horses on the farm. Tom was quickly responsive to questions and requests. We are hoping to return again next year.