Deep in the rolling farmlands of the lower-Hudson Valley sits a magnificent 150-acre estate crowned with a spectacular hilltop mansion known as Glenmere Mansion in Chester New York, not far from Croton-on-the-Hudson, which has an Amtrak stop if zipping up from New York City without a car, though the drive is glorious.
The Gilded Age retreat of the Goelet family, Glenmere was one of America’s finest country homes, once host to royalty, aristocracy, and leading artists. Now it is reborn as a premier luxury hotel. It boasts 18 guest accommodations, two superb restaurants, and recreational facilities on site and nearby. It is surrounded by lush meadows and formal gardens and inside, it has sweeping marble staircases, grand cortile, and gracious terraces.
Glenmere was originally fashioned as a 35-room Tuscan villa with a central open cortile and majestic interior details, including marble-columned porticoes and sweeping interior and exterior staircases. Original architectural details have been preserved throughout, and the landscape once more offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills and tranquil Glenmere Lake.
We drove there from New York City for a meeting and it was less than 50 miles from Manhattan. There are meeting rooms, traditional sitting rooms that will bring you back to old Europe, an outside restaurant which was perfect for a late July afternoon. The lunch was delicious and the service top notch.
They also have suites, luxurious accommodations and an upscale spa.
The Spa at Glenmere Mansion reflects the luxury and opulence of the Gilded Age. Services are performed in beautifully appointed suites featuring a private restroom, changing and vanity area, steam shower, soaking tub and treatment area. Their duet suite boasts a fireplace, side-by-side soaking tubs and treatment tables. Each of their rituals include pre-or-post-treatment tapas and a selection of organic teas, juices or water infusions in something they refer to as a Relaxation Library.
The foundation of The Spa at Glenmere Mansion is their stunning Carrara marble Bath House and Hammam, so yes, they offer a Hammam experience also which is not so common in most American spas. See previous write-ups of a Hammam experience at New York’s Trump Hotel and at Winnipeg’s Ten Spa.
Glenmere’s spa offers water therapies from around the world including an Herbal Steam Room, Dry Heat Sauna, Stimulating Swiss Shower, Cool Mist Room, Aqua Massage Vitality Pool and Warm Marble Bellystone.
Nearly 1,250 square feet perched atop the mansion, with commanding views in every direction. Private elevator access leads guests to a two-bedroom/two-bath suite with three fireplaces (including one in the master bath), a large formal living room, dining area, butler’s bar, and expansive private terrace.
Inside, there’s artistic grandeur and decadence throughout. This was the hallway we walked through to get to the meeting rooms – there’s a bar / lounge area just up to the left and of course, the outside seating area if you choose to sit outside during warmer months.
Additionally worth noting are their gardens, which were originally designed by Beatrix Farrand, America’s first female landscape architect.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
