A Fall Escape to New York’s Hudson Valley

What sleepy getaway? New York’s Hudson Valley has become a center for real estate, art and farm-to-table restaurants. Silo Ridge Field Club in Amenia is at the forefront of the high-end residential landscape. The 850-acre community is a Discovery Land Company property, a brand founded by Mike Meldman, a cofounder of Casamigos tequila with Rande Gerber and George Clooney.

Home prices start well into the seven figures, and in typical Discovery style the amenities rival and even surpass the offerings at the world’s top resorts. The renowned golf architect Tom Fazio designed the 18-hole course, notable for its backdrop of the picturesque Taconic Mountains and two comfort stations filled with food and drinks, such as tacos, sandwiches, ice cream, a candy bar, wine, a Casamigos margarita machine and Bloody Marys.

Homeowners can also enjoy the numerous restaurants, large gym and Outdoor Pursuits program, featuring expert-led activities such as archery, skeet shooting, hiking, paintball, fly-fishing, ice-skating on an Olympic-size rink, and bird-watching. Water lovers can paddleboard and kayak on the community’s lakes or lounge on the man-made white-sand beach, a popular gathering spot for residents on warm afternoons. More highlights include a 700-acre equestrian center, on-site medical care and a farm where residents can carve out an area to grow their own produce with the help of the property’s farmers.

Great Porch at Wildflower Farms, Gardiner, New York / Photo: Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection

On the hotel front, The Ranch Hudson Valley created a big buzz as the latest outpost of the famed Malibu wellness retreat. Wildflower Farms from Auberge Resorts was another splashy debut that had the cognoscenti talking. Situated on 140 acres of pristine land, the property features 65 freestanding cottages decorated with warm tones and wood furniture and an airy restaurant showcasing elevated seasonal dishes with international touches. The chic crowd comes to hike the surrounding trails, partake in cooking classes and naturalist walks, play pickleball and tennis and spend the day at the destination spa, Thistle, complete with an indoor swimming pool.

Troutbeck, in Amenia, has played host to the likes of Emerson and Thoreau. Located atop a hill between a river and a creek, it has guest rooms spread across five cottages and houses, each with a distinctive design.

The outdoors is the headliner here, with diversions such as hiking, skiing, biking and exploring the nearby storybook villages such as Millbrook, Kent and Pine Plains. At the property itself, guests can entertain themselves with tennis, swimming and wellness barns equipped with workout studios and spa treatment rooms.

The Artist guest room at The Maker, Hudson, New York / Photo: Courtesy of Francine Zaslow

From beauty to hospitality: Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, who cofounded the beauty brand Fresh, have another hit on their hands with The Maker in Hudson. The property has quickly become the town’s heartbeat: It offers an Italian restaurant set in a glass conservatory, a café with excellent pastries and coffee, and an evocative lounge with a fireplace that serves handcrafted cocktails, local beers and small bites.

Guest rooms—11 in all, situated in three historic buildings—feature unique designs combining several different time periods. Beyond the hotel, Hudson’s main thoroughfare is lined with homegrown boutiques, specialty food stores and lively watering holes and restaurants.

Soho House is a boldfaced name coming to the Hudson Valley in its first U.S. countryside foray with Grasmere House. Located in Rhinebeck in a collection of 19th-century buildings and a grand manor house, the estate will feature a design that takes its inspiration from the surrounding nature. Amenities include a spa, multiple restaurants, hiking and biking trails and a wellness facility.