In winter, the brook that snakes through the 250 acre Troutbeck property in Amenia NY glistens serenely in the setting sun.
Inside the grand stone English-style manor house, it’s cozy and warm. Inside and out, Troutbeck is the optimum safe harbor for the city-weary, who have discovered this luxuriously renovated compound a short drive from home.
As soon as I walked through the front door, I felt at peace. I soon realized why. History-wise, I was in good company. For over 250 years, Troutbeck has been a retreat for literary giants, environmentalists, Civil Rights activists, and political leaders.
So it’s no wonder that plenty of journalists, screenwriters, novelists, and save-the-world folks of all kinds find their way here.
Troutbeck is so romantic, it made it onto our 20 Best Romantic Hotels Northeast USA 2021 list.
Find Troutbeck on Getaway Mavens 15 Top Romantic Hideaways Northeast US 2022
(Discover more nearby activities and attractions on this Getaway Mavens Northern Dutchess County post).
History of Troutbeck
First established in 1765, with what is now the whitewashed “Century House,” Troutbeck was home to poet-naturalist, Myron Benton, who welcomed Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and other celebrity poets and writers of the day.
In 1919, Joel Spingarn, co-founder of publishing company, Harcourt, Brace, and Co., built the resort’s defining stone mansion as his family’s country house. Spingarn was one of the first Jewish Professors at Columbia University and active in what was then the progressive Republican Party. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt was a frequent Troutbeck visitor.
Given his background, it’s no surprise that Joel and his wife, Amy were leaders in the Civil Rights movement: they considered the first Black Supreme Court Judge, Thurgood Marshall, a lifelong friend. Spingarn was so involved in the rights of minorities and social justice, he was an early supporter of the NAACP, and served as its Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1913-1919.
Troutbeck became a conference center in the late 1970’s and then lay dormant, abandoned, and, by the early 2000’s, left to rot. As luck would have it, in 2017, hotel designers and developers, Anthony and Charlie Champalimaud, took one look at this glum but fantastically historic property and decided to buy it, with the intention to restore it to its former understated glory.
Not only have they reinvigorated this storied place, they’ve upgraded rooms and restaurant to the highest standards, built additional venues, and created a Shangri-La in the woods of Hudson Valley.
Grounds
A bright red footbridge spans the stream that snakes around the grounds. The bridge, stream, and adjacent gazebo offer a captivating setting for weddings. But, it’s also perfect for picnics. Order lunch from your Adirondack chair by the water, and waitstaff will bring it to you.
Garden House
In Spring – the landscape bursts into bloom: doubly so inside the walled garden, where you’ll find the 4-room Garden House, perfect for private family reunions.
The Barns
Follow the path up to two adjacent barns. The Tall Barn, with soaring cathedral ceiling, bustles with scheduled events: yoga, Pilates, dance, and more.
The abutting Long Barn features state of the art TechnoGym machines (during Covid, make rsvp for 45-minute private sessions), both infrared and traditional saunas, and professional body treatments that include acupuncture, facials, and massage.
Troutbeck also offers a host of other programs, including forest-bathing, astrology, fly-fishing, cycling, meditative sound baths, and farm tours.
Troutbeck Common Areas
Gift/Book Shop
Troutbeck’s environmentalist/naturalist/literary/civil rights history comes into play in its small gift shop. The hotel collaborates with a bookstore across the border in Kent CT to stock shelves with books that relate to the retreat’s progressive ethic.
Sunroom
This sundrenched space serves for the moment as both a billiards room and dining room.
Living Room and Library
Snuggle with a book. Play chess with your partner. Stare at the leaping flames in the fireplace. Feel the ghosts of Hemmingway, Sinclair Lewis, and other literary figures who came to this bucolic retreat.
Both the living room and library offer lots of cushy seating and antique books to thumb through. Recreate your own Queens Gambit at the chess board set up for two.
Rooms
After the renovation of “tired” quarters, guest rooms are now dressed in that sweet spot between minimalist and fruufruo. Not ultra modern, not too cutesy, but a eye-pleasing balance of color and form. Plus, books, of course, on built-in shelves.
My suite, No. 8, right upstairs from Reception in the Manor House, is configured as a bedroom and sitting room separated by a small, gleaming white bathroom. Walls and furniture in shades of moss and rust, modern canopy bed, Art Deco furniture: it was a snug and lovely sanctuary for the night.
When booking, you have several options. There are 17 rooms in the main manor house, split between the 1919 original stone home and the more recently added West Wing of the Manor House (accessed through an enclosed breezeway).
Other renovated accommodations are spread out between the 250 year old Century House and Anex, and the Garden House.
All guest rooms are tastefully decked out in style – a far cry from the fading conference center rooms that past guests remember from years ago.
Dining
Troutbeck’s restaurant, aglow in the light of a fireplace and votive candles, is an enticing, romantic space. Menu items, representing the best of Hudson Valley NY cuisine, change seasonally. Find the best meats and produce sourced from local farms and fisheries. You won’t have to leave the premises for an excellent meal.
