The Catskills Is Getting a Trendy New Boutique Hotel — and It Looks Just Like an Upscale Summer Camp

One of the Catskills' favorite historic getaways is getting a serious modern-day upgrade. The Thompson House Resort, established in 1880, was acquired last summer by adventure hospitality brand Wylder Hotels — known for its properties in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay and California's High Sierras. This summer, Thompson House will, after a significant renovation, debut as the Wylder Windham.

The brand will retain all the charms of the resort, which was family-owned and operated for more than 140 years, but unveil a complete renovation, led by design firm Post Company, local architect Jason Anderson, and craftsmen from Baxter Built.

As part of its first phase, select guest rooms, the lobby, and the lounge will all debut in June. Also opening in June: the resort's long-time favorite Babblers restaurant, known for delicious comfort food, as well Babblers Bakery, beloved for its strawberry rhubarb pie and homemade croissants. The complete transformation for the rest of the resort will be finished in August, which will include new suites, rooms, and cottages, as well as event spaces.

Perhaps the most unique component of the property is that its 110 guest rooms and suites — ranging from king-and-queen bedrooms to three-room suites — are housed in seven historic Victorian buildings: The Pines Inn, The Tamarack Lodge, The Manor, The Spruce Cottage, The Evergreen Lodge, The Main Lodge, and The Farmhouse. The rooms have oak floors and custom furniture, and 82 of them also feature balconies with views of the surrounding mountains and river. While the room rates vary by season, they start at $340 a night — plus an additional $55 per night for dogs at the canine-friendly property.

Located a 2.5-hour drive north of New York City, Wylder Windham is on 20 acres of gorgeous Catskills land right along the Batavia Kill River. The outdoors are the true highlight here, with plenty of ways to soak in the atmosphere year-round, whether it's enjoying electric bikes, hammocks, tubing, tree swings, and lawn games or kicking back around the fire pit or in the wood-fire sauna, hot tub, or in-ground heated pool, complete with a pool bar.

The resort will also provide transportation — in a restored vintage Land Rover Defender 110 Shuttle — to nearby Windham Mountain for skiing, Windham Country Club for 18 holes of golfing, and charming downtown Windham with a historic Main Street lined with boutiques and restaurants.