Skytop Lodge

Overall this place is super nice. nice rooms.nice bathrooms… lots of activities… the only downsides are that they don’t really have a place where you can buy snacks or personal items if needed late at night… the vending machines need updating and assortment… and DO NOT EAT at the Tea Room… a group of 8 of us went there for lunch… I personally couldn’t stomach the smell of the place so I didn’t eat but the other 7 individuals did and 4 out of the 7 ended up sick for the rest of the day.

Went horseback riding at Skytop over the weekend. Great experience! Carl was so friendly and informative. Great time!

3 stars and a half, good hotel for a weekend getaway or more. We stayed at one of the outside cabins. Nice rooms (3 stars and a half), clean, TV channels lookup is a little wacky, they use a Roku box. No other complains about the room. The breakfast buffet was very good too. They offer during the day free coffee, tea, apple cider and cookies. They have also free daily activities, mostly for kids, including nice hiking trips. The lobby is very nicely decorated, we went before Christmas and they had a party with live band and dancing.

My family and I went here for Christmas Eve dinner expecting a beautiful dinner with great food & drinks considering that’s what we were told was in store for us by many friends. We called and asked if the menu will be the original and were told that it would be. We also were told we would have a table in the main lounge. We traveled an hour and a half to the lodge & were sat in the back of the dining area, away from the decorations. We were also sat directly next to a table with three kids. Normally that wouldn’t matter, but they were running around and knocking stuff over. Our Christmas Eve dinner wasn’t relaxing to say the least. Next, the menu was limited when we were told it would be a full. We started with a fruit and cheese dish. The fruit was bad. The grapes were mostly stems. Out of the eight choices for dinner, my father and I chose the «beef duo,» my mother chose the chicken and my brother got the linguini and clams. The filets were full of fat and flavorless. The linguini was actually missing sauce… which they had to bring out separately. Disappointing and unsatisfying. The only thing that made the dinner better was our server who gave us free dessert and apologized profusely, stating many other people were complaining. I’m not sure if this is how the dining at the lodge usually operates since it was our first time, but I wouldn’t recommend it for holiday meals.

While this is a lovely setting, we were continuously disappointed by the service and food. The first night we found out that out inn king room, which by the way, was more than a regular king room, has no front door service like at the main lodge. A guy sat behind the desk when we checked in and no one was there to help with our bags. Small detail but shouldn’t this building receive the same service.
Also the night we arrived the main lodge was swarming with kids because of Santa coming, so after a cocktail in the tap room (still swarming with kids) we decided to back over to the inn and try that restaurant (that didn’t require reservations. Upon arriving back over there via shuttle at 5:00 pm they told us they needed a reservation and couldn’t take us until after 9:00. THE PLACE WAS NEARLY EMPTY!
Ok so I guess we can go order room service. There wasn’t a menu for that in our room so we asked the young man at the front for one. He gives us the wrong menu. We finally get someone from the other building to actually bring us a menu (because the fax machine was broken) and finally about 7:30 we were delivered dinner. Which was mediocre at best for $ 100 for two entrees and a super small appetizer, which I would not have called an appetizer. We then asked the bartender at the inn for a corkscrew for our bottle since we could get in the restaurant. She refused to lend us a corkscrew or open our bottle. Great for us my husband is resourceful:)
Day two went ok. Brunch was so so, average buffet brunch. Glad I did get an omelette made because most of everything else was cold.
Service was slow.
Oh did I mention the attach an 18% service charge to every meal. So don’t over tip and give an additional 20% like we did the first day.
We had one server actually tell us about this the last night. Other than that it wasn’t mentioned at all.
We are business owners our selves and if the management actually reads these reviews, please know we are two that don’t complain a lot because frankly you learn to not expect a lot. But from a resort of this price range there are a few things I would expect and great customer service and attention to detail is just those things that are expected. Please also know our room service tray from Friday night was still sitting out side the door Sunday morning.
Not acceptable at all. Just no!
Come on, a beautiful historic building and beautiful grounds just don’t make you want to come back.
We travel through this way every year on our way to visit family, but we will not be staying here again that is for sure.
Next time I will look for another alternative.
Oh yea. And Monday morning when we got up, there has been coffee every morning in the lobby and there was not. We called and had to ask for it.
Bonus, the zip line instructor was very nice and informative.

The Skytop Lodge is very cozy & nostalgic, amenity-​friendly & accommodating, warming & welcoming, and luxurious. The staff are helpful with check-​ins and the dining hall is filled with cheerful guests and delicious dinners. Games for the kids are a plus and complimentary Earl Grey tea in the lobby is refreshing.

I have to give one star, but I would anyway because the grounds are very beautiful. I am giving an additional star out of respect for the original proprietors of the lodge who obviously had a beautiful vision. Sadly, that vision has passed into hands of neglectful laziness.
The lodge was obviously built to be beautiful, comfortable, and grand. Some of this has been maintained. The grounds are also well kept.
Why the one star review then? It’s all about the (lack of) service and professionalism. And that is absolutely the responsibility of the management, which in my ten minute encounter was blissfully ignorant.
To her credit, Maryann, whose business card says «Hotel Manager,» was polite. However, she was not focused or efficient in the way a hotel manager should be. I will explain my issue so you can make your own judgment. Because of the method by which my room was booked, checkout was the first time I had seen a $ 25 + tax nightly «service charge» on my bill. I inquired about it and the front desk staff told me that this was a «gratuity» for the waitstaff, housekeepers, bellhops and valets. I explained that I already paid the 18% INCLUDED gratuity each of the times I ate at the hotel because I had no choice and that I did this without complaint even though the service was terrible. The front desk staff then changed the explanation to exclude the waitstaff. I then explained that while I had not used the valet or bellhop, I noticed that everyone tips them at the time they use them. I also pointed out that my room was filthy to the point that I had taken photos of the glasses and toilet (enjoy!), and that I refused to tip the housekeepers. The front desk staff looked dazed and confused, so I asked for a manager. Five awkward minutes later, Maryann appears.
Maryann, who confirmed she is the manager, said she was powerless to remove the charges, she would have to ask the account department, and that I should have brought these concerns to her more quickly. I explained I could not do that since I was unaware of them literally until the moment I was checking out. Even the early warning of a bill slipped under my door in the night had eluded the staff at Skytop. Back and forth we went, with THE HOTEL MANAGER telling me she didn’t have the authority to remove a charge. She also changed the story to the item listed as a «service fee» that was explained to me as a «gratuity» is really a «resort fee» and that she was just shocked I didn’t see that coming. Well, I don’t play golf and the beach was closed. Every activity you can sign up for incurs an additional fee added to your bill. So what part of the resort is my fee for? No real answer ever came. In the end, I managed to get Maryann to magically find the authority in her title as manager to remove one of the charges. She then gave us a free brunch buffet. Here’s the reality: the removal of one of the fees and the brunches totaled 150% of what I originally wanted removed. Hooray! So, while I left «ahead» in a sense, and even though that free buffet had a delicious bread pudding, the horrible service and hassle left a bad taste in my mouth that lasted right down the mountain.
Additionally, my room was missing a coffee pot. I mention this because at one point I was told the «service charge» covered the tea and cookies put out for a short period each afternoon. I said that I had missed that each day and when I previously asked where to get a coffee I was told I would have to go to the Tap Room to buy a cup. Maryann asked why I didn’t use the coffee maker in my room. I had to inform her there wasn’t one. Another failure.
I had also not been informed that the hotel had construction going on. However, even during the weekend, I was awakened by hammering and construction noise in the building. Another failure.
Skytop wants to boast itself as a full service luxury resort, yet they don’t even offer room service. Most chain hotels at least have hot tea and coffee 24 hours in the lobby. I am very disappointed because Skytop has the potential to be an amazing resort. However, I do not see any chance of that without a change in management and a complete staff re-​training. May I suggest a brainstorming session with guests who don’t want to come back? Some little things would have made a huge difference in my stay. Letting me get a cup of coffee? Letting me choose whether my server deserves a tip?
Maybe take a look at your beginnings… look at the old photos on the walls… think of the standard of service guests used to expect and hold yourselves to that standard even when it is not expected. Start having historical tours to get guests excited about where they are, and don’t charge for them!

We had an incredible weekend at the Skytop Lodge ! The facilities were lovely, the staff caring and professional and the meals were fabulous ! I could not believe it when I read that the lodge owns over 5000 acres of land including a magnificent lake, golf course and mikes of trails, waterfalls etc!
I Loved the huge indoor pool. The lifeguard was always on duty and the water was a perfect temperature !
We were there for a friend’s wedding and I’d love to
Book the hotel for our next family event!

The grounds and the lobby at the main lodge are beautiful.

I went here for a company meeting. The place was beautiful. The scenery, the hotel, the grounds, etc.
The food was good for lunch and dinner. The breakfast was just bagels and fruit. I was looking forward to pancakes or French toast.
The team building event was called The Amazing Race. It was a fun way to work together, get to know one another and enjoy the hotel and surrounding area. Great place to hold company event!

Limited food options here. So far two meals in The Tap Room. This is their «pub» but nothing really like a pub. Short menu, few choices. Tasted like food you get on the golf course not in the golf club.
They auto tip you here which I really don’t like on many levels. But it’s convenient, open late and not horrible.

Had an amazing time inthe Adventure center. Dan our instructor was amazing. I highly recommend this place. Thumbs up.

Amazing time! Challenging courses but well worth it! Dan, our guide, was terrific! Funny, supportive, incredibly knowledgeable and just over all awesome! If there’s an opportunity to try the BLACK COURSE, I highly recommend it! You’ll come out feeling stronger, accomplished, and have a can do attitude! Thanks Sky Top!

Loved this place during the late winter time (March). It felt like traveling back in time, wholesome, the world still in perfect order. And I am not an old fashioned person by far… but his place… so incredibly charming.
I took a chance with a living social voucher, I’m so glad I did! For skiing we would usually hit closer mountains like Camelback, but there are just no nice hotels around. Living Social was a great way of trying out a new location and new (better) hotel, even though further away.
We stayed at a Cottage, a 5 minute walk from the hotel itself-​just perfect, since the hotel can probably get pretty loud with a lot of children around. Big room, big bed, huge TV, fridge, big bathroom, nice porch with a beautiful view.
Wonderful breakfast buffet. Strange traditions that make it even more lovable, a Grande March at night, with people dressed up? Who does that? Grandparents and parents dancing with their children to live music in the foyer made me miss my dad. Very Norman Rockwell like.
Not sure what this place did to me, but I even liked the arcade/​playroom in the basement — and I cant stand arcades! I think what I most liked about it was that people played ping-​pong and other things no matter if 5 or 100 years old.
Nature! Oh my goodness. Cross country skiing over the frozen lake AND seeing a bald eagle stealing a fish from ice fishers in front of us… I mean really? Just awesome. We also did downhill skiing at the adventure center, probably a tad boring for the professional skier, but excellent for me. Super nice staff there. Hot chocolate! Nature walks organized by the hotel… so much fun. You can’t say that a bird ate from your mouth every day, can’t you (see pic).
The only thing we didn’t like was the dress code for either of the restaurants. I get the hotel dress code in the Windsor Dining Room, but to have a similar dress code at the Lakeview Restaurant is a bit overkill. We wound up eating outside the resort in a fabulous Italian place.
I can’t wait to go back to see this place in the summer and especially fall, I’m sure it will be gorgeous up there.

Hotel is a historic hotel built in 1925! For an older hotel it’s charming and has character. I didn’t expect a lot but it’s s nice getaway. Indoor pool, outdoor pool, beach, lawn games, activities center for zip lining, shooting, and about ten hiking trails. A great family place. The food in tap room isn’t so bad – pub food. The trails are labelled nicely but the entrance wasn’t so obvious so I passed by a few. 5500 acres of land. There’s a Cvs 10 min away if you forgot stuff. Also the tea room has some stuff if you forgot stuff.

The potential is huge the execution was severely lacking. It started 3 days prior to the start of our stay. The cabin we booked was not finished as it was under construction. They put us in the Inn which sounded promising but we were grossly misled. The Inn was under construction as well. The biggest issue was security. The Inn had no night staff, was unlocked ²⁴⁄₇ and workers were coming and going at all hours of the day and night. These workers had full access with no oversight. From a security perspective this is a major problem.
The list of service issues was very large.
We tried to have an ATV experience however because of the awful maintenance 2 broke down during our trip and 4 others prior from what our guide told us. The guide stated they have more golf cart maintenance people than ATV… one.
The food options were severely lacking. The restaurant we were told was open in our building was not because of a health code violation. The other options were excessively overpriced, extremely slow and lacked any flavor.
The golf course was what I describe as manicured weeds.
There were some bright spots. Rick the reptile and hike tour guide was amazing. He is great with kids and adults and is and wealth of knowledge. He is a true survivalist.
Chris was also as accommodating as he could be given the hand he was dealt.
The issues of the Skytop come down to one simple problem; management it was non existent.

We just returned from our 3^rd visit to Skytop. The lodge is beautiful and looks much like you would expect an old fashioned mountain lodge to look like. Its rustic and old fashioned with an enormous great room with a grand fireplace and lots of oriental rugs and comfy furniture. Its surrounded by forest, lake, and mountains and is probably beautiful in the Summer, although we have only visited in the Winter so far. The décor is a little dated, but that only adds to its old fashioned charm.
The biggest draw of this lodge for us is that its very family friendly. There are lots of activities geared toward kids. Among the things we did on this last trip were: snow tubing, ice skating, swimming, snow shoeing, and crafts. There are many more options in the Summer including hiking and lake swimming. The cost of the stay includes meals and they have a large formal dining room. The food is good, but not great and it does have a bit of an institutional feeling. The dining room has a dated drop ceiling, clearly used to hide the retro fitted sprinkler system. It does take away from the ambiance of this place.
The lodge is sold out Summer months but has very limited occupancy in the Winter months. During weekdays in the Winter its a bit like the Shining, but does pick up Friday through Sunday. The low occupancy rates in the off season provides an opportunity for great travel values. Last weekend we booked a sale price of $ 249 per night which included 3 meals for a family of 5. You can expect prices to double or triple in the peak season. Keep in mind also, that many activities are at an additional charge.
On the down side, this resort does not have the finesse or refinement one might hope to find at a destination resort. The spa is small, dated, and has a stale feeling. While some spas make you feel like you’re in heaven, this spa had old worn carpeting with a smell to match. On our first night there I ordered lamb shank, while this is normally my favorite dish, the entrée came out tough, chewy, and dry. This was clearly from a prior night’s service. All the other meals were very good. The heated indoor pool was uncomfortably cold. There is a hot tub, but kids are not allowed. The murder mystery activities for the weekend were abruptly cancelled with no explanation.
Overall, this resort is definitely worth a visit. While it doesn’t compare to a place like Mohonk, it is charming, reasonable, close, and fun. The wait staff have all been there for years and recognize us as old friends. My daughters loved our waiter, Fernando and the service at dining went above and beyond our expectations.

Old school lodge.
Built in the 30s last renovation 60’s…Very 60’s 70’s décor. Many times I though Fonzie, Laverne and Shirley would pop out around the corner.
Though the food and service is decent during busy times, not so great at slow times.
PS breakfast 7:30 — 9:00, lunch 12 – 1 You snooze you loose!
Not NY high expectations.
The place is ok.
Beer fest was great, on a frozen lake, really unique.
Close to many skiing locals and serves it’s purpose.

Our family of 4 took advantage of Living Social and came back up for a 3 day 2 night stay before Christmas holidays.
1. The decoration around the whole place is gregous. Sort of Rockefeller without all the crowd. We took plenty of pictures.
2. There is an actual life size gingerbread room. It smells so good. It was very hard not to be like Hansel & «Greedy» and grab a piece off the wall.
3. The weather did not cooperate — so all the winter sports things we think we can do sort of bagged. But we did have a snow dusting and of course, the grounds are like storybook like.
4. The game room had not changed at all. This time around, we spent a lot of time on ping pong.
5. The pub food downstairs was fine for us as we did not have to get off the grounds to look for food. We wanted to go to Basso, but they were closed on Mondays & Tuesdays. The eats around town is a little more scarce as this area is seasonal.
6. This time, Tim the resort manager greeted us as there are as many guests around. Our prior waiter came to serve us again. He was very cheerful this time and gave a mad load of whipcream to my little one for his waffle. I asked him if he would babysit afterwards when he is all sugared up.
7. Pool is open! Bring your bathing suits.
8. Small gym — but will do. Need a little more space of 10×10 for stretching and free weights. Oh, and the 3 pound weights are missing.
9. HMMM YUMMM 4PM cookie time. On weekends, they make a huge gingerbread man cookie.
10. We had dinner at the big dining room this time. The a la carte was priced right. We were able to keep our bill at $ 110 for us. We don’t drink liquor or eat desserts. The main dishes are big enough portion. But then, we are not the typical Americans with 3000k dinners! The steak is a MUST.
Cons:
1. Room — My husband and I have trouble with the key to our cabin. It gets pretty stuck! So glad we have HULK strength and the dexterity of STRETCH — I was so certain I was going to snap my key. I think a little WD40 is in order.
Our room was not cleaned during our stay. I was too lazy to even buzz the Housekeeper.
2. We did not get the updated cabins this time — so no fire place. :(Would had been nice.
*** This place is expensive. And it is «dated» décor. But we like it that way. If you want European Chic, this is not the place.

Yes the grounds are quite beautiful! BUT this place rooks you a little bit!
I am not sure it is worth the price!
I stayed there with my boyfriend this week for a night. Here is the thing. I originally thought I was getting a room for $ 179… turns out the cost come to about $ 223 when you get there by adding tax AND A resort facility fee. I would not have minded that fee if it was the only fee to pay to use the resort facilities! Fact is the only thing you do there for FREE is go to the beach and maybe play the outdoor bowling. Every activity there involves additional fees which was really frustrated. With the amount you already pay to stay there they can at least offer free kayaking or something like that.
Another huge misconception is the ‘continental breakfast’! DO NOT BE MISTAKEN… this is not a a real continental breakfast. This is coffee, tea, and maybe a pastry or something early in the morning… on a small try outside the banquet hall where the rich people were dinning. Let me repeat, this was NOT a continental breakfast, and I was very frustrated that they advertised it as such. The only other place to get breakfast around there was somewhere in the town, or in the fancy banquet hall which was too expensive for this young couple. I got really frustrated with the way they advertised that. DO NOT BE FOOLED!
The room was clean, but in noway nicely updated for the price. Be careful because there are tons of animals and skunks around the property at night, which limited amount of lighting to walk around. We were walking to our room in the dark and someone next to us got skunked… there was a ton of skunks!