Troutbeck: A Historic Retreat Offering Modern Luxury in Hudson Valley
On a 250-acre Hudson Valley estate, just two hours from New York City, sits Troutbeck, a legacy of hospitality. Dating to 1765, the inn has hosted many literary and political luminaries over the years, make that centuries! Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Ernest Hemingway, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall and Theodore Roosevelt have all found respite, inspiration and community in the bucolic setting. But the storied guesthouse is not one to rest on its laurels. Today, it offers modern luxury while staying true to its pastoral and convivial past.
Three distinct properties—Manor House, Benton House and Garden House—can accommodate up to 86 guests across 37 individually designed rooms and suites. The current incarnation dates to 2017 when the acclaimed firm Champalimaud Design conducted an extensive renovation resulting in well-appointed, unpretentious indulgence. Comfort is king as guests step on heated bathrooms floors and swaddle themselves in Frette linens while being offered services like breakfast in bed. The food is second to none at a farm-to-table restaurant which offers a fresh take on New American cuisine. There, guests and locals alike mingle for al fresco dining on the patio during summer months and in winter time, retreat indoors for fireside cocktails. Refreshments can also be had in an elegant barn, a popular wedding location complete with a softly-lit bar reclaimed from a New York pub. “Everyone looks good in this bar,” says the venue’s description.
Outside, guests can stroll through a century-old walled garden and take advantage of two tennis courts and a heated mid-century outdoor swimming pool that would look at home in a Slim Aarons photograph. There are complimentary bicycles and, along a babbling brook, visitors can seek refuge in numerous private hammock spots, many with firepits.
A native wildflower meadow surrounds The Barns, a wellness studio that is the latest addition to Troutbeck. Clad in timber reclaimed from the decommissioned Tappan Zee Bridge, which once spanned the Hudson River, the Barns proffers daily movement classes including yoga and Pilates. On offer are also acupuncture and massage sessions. An infrared and traditional sauna along with Technogym equipment round out the menu of amenities.
Further afield, there is no shortage of cultural and physical pursuits. Hiking, fishing, skiing and horseback riding are just a few available outdoor activities while galleries, museums, music venues and historic tours provide enlightenment.
But, for all there is to see and do in and around Troutbeck, perhaps the estate’s most notable feature, particularly in this age of fractured discourse, is the continued history of bringing together interesting people, according to its award-winning designer, Alexandra Champalimaud. As such, public spaces were configured to be especially inviting. “We designed it to feel like a personal home,” reveals Champalimaud in an interview for Vogue.
The fireplaces, for example, are fitted with padded fenders. “It’s something you don’t often see in the States, but you see all the time in the great country estates in England. It’s basically an upholstered seat so you can sit directly next to the fire. And there isn’t a Friday or Saturday night that goes by where a group of us doesn’t end up sitting by the fire with a nightcap.” Oh, so very civilized, indeed.
