The Chatwal Lodge
Daily price line
Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
Set on the private Chapin Estate overlooking the Toronto Reservoir in Sullivan County's southwestern Catskills, The Chatwal Lodge is a ten-room retreat channelling the Gilded Age Great Camps of the Adirondacks. The aesthetic is rusticity turned up to maximum: wood panelling, stone fireplaces, taxidermy, twigs woven into the architecture, and carved wooden gnome creatures tucked around every corner. Rooms come with full kitchens, electric fireplaces, and Japanese washlets. The Rustic Grill leans on regional farms for polished country cooking, there's a countrified Catskills high tea, and a 24-hour rec center anchors the social life. Service is warm and genuinely attentive.
Who's it for
Best for:
Couples escaping New York City for a quiet weekend in the woods, and extended or multigenerational families who can take over one of the larger configured structures like Longview at Toronto Reservoir. Travellers who want seclusion, guided outdoor activities (archery, fly fishing, stargazing, snowshoeing, canoeing), and a fully committed design fantasy will find their match.
Should look elsewhere:
Design minimalists will struggle with the maximalist log-cabin styling; if branches, gnomes, and taxidermy aren't your thing, the aesthetic is inescapable. Anyone wanting a polished Hudson Valley town scene or walkable village will find this corner of Sullivan County sleepy and remote.
Bottom line
What sets this property apart is the combination of genuine seclusion on a private 18,000-acre estate, only ten rooms, and a service team that feels natural rather than performative. Book the Elk Lodge for a couple's stay with reservoir views, or the full Longview structure for a family group. Shoulder season still delivers a full activities programme with fewer guests around.