In 2024, the MICHELIN Guide introduced its new hotel award — the Michelin Key — recognizing stays that stand out for design, service, and a true sense of place. Across Upstate New York, ten hotels earned this distinction, from classic Adirondack lodges to modern Hudson Valley retreats.

Below, find the quick version, a snapshot of 2025’s Upstate honorees. For more robust weekend planning, Escape Club members can unlock our insider guide that includes things like nearby dining, shopping, and hiking recommendations — plus genuine local insight from the ex-NYC creatives who now call the Catskills and Hudson Valley home.

Located in the Delaware River Valley, Seminary Hill was among the first Upstate hotels to earn a Michelin Key in 2024. Photo: Upland Creative

Set on a hillside above the Delaware River, Seminary Hill combines a cidery, orchard, restaurant, and 17-room boarding house into a single design-forward retreat in Callicoon. The timber-built cidery, built to Passive House standards, offers panoramic views and a menu focused on heirloom apple ciders and farm-grown ingredients. Just down the hill, The Boarding House blends Scandinavian-inspired simplicity with Catskills coziness, featuring suites and apartments with kitchenettes and pet-friendly options.

Callicoon’s Main Street is a short walk away, lined with galleries and small shops. Highlights include vintage finds at Callicoon Vintage and the seasonal Farmers’ Market, both featured in the Escape Brooklyn Guide to Seminary Hill.

A view from the Pine Suite at Eastwind Hotel & Bar, overlooking the surrounding Catskill Mountains, and Windham Mountain. Photo: c/o Eastwind Hotel + Bar.

Nestled in the Northern Catskills, Eastwind Hotel & Bar blends minimalist Scandi design with the laid-back rhythm of mountain life. Originally a 1920s bunkhouse for hunters and fly fishermen, the property now offers cozy rooms and freestanding cabins, with interiors featuring mid-century warmth, Pendleton blankets, Frette linens, and curated vintage finds. Social spaces include a cocktail bar, fire pits, and a wood-fired sauna, while seasonal programming like yoga and foraging walks connects guests to the landscape.

Windham Mountain anchors the area’s winter recreation, and Matilda in nearby Hensonville is a standout spot for elevated dining. For more ways to explore Windham and the region, see the Escape Brooklyn Guides to Windham, Hunter, and Tannersville.

Morning fog drifts across the grounds of INNESS, where rolling hills meet the Shawangunk Ridge. Photo: Adrian Gaut

Set on 220 acres between the Shawangunk Ridge and the Catskills, INNESS feels like a design-forward countryside club where city sensibilities meet open fields. Guest cabins and farmhouse rooms are understated, with raw wood, limewash, and stone accented by thoughtful details and sweeping mountain views. The main lodge serves as the social hub, while outdoor amenities include a nine-hole golf course, spa with saltwater pools, tennis courts, trails through meadows, and fire pits under big-sky sunsets.

Accord’s quiet roads lead to Minnewaska State Park and local favorites like Arrowood Farms and Westwind Orchard. For more recommendations, check out the Escape Brooklyn Guides to Accord and Kerhonkson, including our Upstate Wellness + Spa Getaways feature, where INNESS ranks among the top.

The Thistle Spa at Wildflower Farms, where wood beams and garden views frame a modern retreat. Photo: c/o Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts.

A cozy nook in one of Six Bells’ hand-painted guest rooms, inspired by English countryside inns. Photo: Kate S. Jordan.

A whimsical 11-room inn inspired by the English countryside, The Six Bells feels like stepping into a pastoral daydream. Each room has its own character, with floral wallpapers, clawfoot tubs, and antique furnishings sourced across the Hudson Valley. Feathers Tavern glows with lamplight and hearth warmth, serving seasonal fare and cocktails, while the surrounding acreage unfolds into meadows, creekside paths, and quiet corners perfect for reading or picnics.

Set in Rosendale, the inn sits in a creative stretch of the Hudson Valley. Local highlights within walking distance include Well Nice Wine Bar and shops like Clubhouse Vintage and Postmark Books on Main Street. For more ideas farther afield, see the Escape Brooklyn Guides to Kingston and New Paltz.

The stone manor at Troutbeck, surrounded by meadows and woodland in Amenia, NY. Photo: Escape Brooklyn

Founded in 1765 as a private estate, Troutbeck has long drawn writers and activists, including John Burroughs, Sinclair Lewis, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Langston Hughes. Restored in 2017 by Champalimaud Design, it retains its historic soul while feeling modern and inviting, with heirloom antiques, warm textures, and thoughtful details throughout. The Dining Room serves farm-driven menus featuring Hudson Valley producers, while 250 acres of gardens, meadows, trails, a pool, and tennis courts offer room to wander.

Set in Amenia in the Harlem Valley, Troutbeck sits near farmland, forest, and small towns like Millerton and Wassaic. Nearby highlights include hiking the Stissing Mountain Trail and dining at Canoe Hill in Millbrook. For more ways to explore the area, see the Escape Brooklyn Guide to Amenia.

The Artist Suite at The Maker Hotel layers vintage art, rich textiles, and moody light for cinematic effect. Photo: Francine Zaslow

Spread across three restored 19th-century buildings — a Georgian mansion, carriage house, and glass-roofed conservatory — The Maker channels an atmosphere of cinematic romance. Each of its 11 rooms and suites is uniquely styled around creative archetypes like Artist, Architect, and Writer, layered with vintage textiles, curated art, and clawfoot tubs. Common spaces include a cocktail lounge, an all-day cafe, and a restaurant showcasing Hudson Valley produce.

Set on Hudson’s Warren Street, The Maker is near Red Chair, a French antiques shop, and Spotty Dog, a bookstore-bar with cozy couches and curated shelves. Sunset views stretch across the river at Olana State Historic Site, and more ways to explore can be found in the Escape Brooklyn Guide to Hudson.

A private balcony at The Whiteface Lodge opens onto a panorama of Adirondack peaks and evergreens. Photo: c/o The Whiteface Lodge.

Built from hand-peeled logs and stone in the tradition of early 1900s Great Camps, The Whiteface Lodge combines the charm of a grand mountain lodge with the comfort of an all-suite resort. Suites feature kitchens and fireplaces, while on-site amenities include a spa, heated indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a private movie theater, bowling alley, and an ice-cream parlor, creating a self-contained mountain village feel.

Just minutes from Lake Placid’s Main Street and the High Peaks trailheads, with easy access to Whiteface Mountain and the Olympic Center sites, the lodge offers both adventure and convenience. For our favorite family-friendly escapes and ski-side stays, see our full guide to the region.

Built from hand-peeled logs and stone in the tradition of early 1900s Great Camps, The Whiteface Lodge combines the charm of a grand mountain lodge with the comfort of an all-suite resort. Suites feature kitchens and fireplaces, while on-site amenities include a spa, heated indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a private movie theater, bowling alley, and an ice-cream parlor.

Just minutes from Lake Placid’s Main Street and the High Peaks trailheads, the lodge also offers easy access to skiing at Whiteface Mountain. For more ways to explore the region, see the Escape Brooklyn Guide to the Whiteface Region in the Adirondack Mountains.

The Spa at the Inns of Aurora overlooks Cayuga Lake, combining hydrotherapy pools, saunas, and sweeping Finger Lakes views. Photo: c/o The Inns of Aurora.

Set along the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, The Inns of Aurora is a resort village of restored 19th-century homes overseen by Pleasant T. Rowland. Interiors mix antiques, custom upholstery, and playful MacKenzie-Childs touches, while the 15,000-square-foot lakeside spa offers hydrotherapy circuits, steam rooms, and saunas. On-site dining at 1833 Kitchen & Bar highlights Finger Lakes ingredients, and programming like lake activities, yoga, and chef-led culinary sessions connects guests to the landscape.

The Inns of Aurora sits along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, surrounded by rolling vineyards and gorges. Nearby, Taughannock Falls State Park offers dramatic cliffside hikes, and about an hour southwest, Watkins Glen State Park is known for its fairytale-like gorge trail.

Mirror Lake Inn reflected on its namesake lake, surrounded by Adirondack forest and mountain views. Photo: Joseph Rector

A fixture on Mirror Lake since the 1930s, the family-owned Mirror Lake Inn exudes classic Adirondack warmth with knotty-pine interiors, fieldstone fireplaces, and balconies overlooking the water. Guests can swim or paddle from the private beach, unwind in the full-service spa, or dine lakeside at The View, while The Cottage offers casual comfort food and cocktails with High Peaks views at sunset.

Set in the heart of Lake Placid, the inn is within walking distance of Main Street shops and cafés, with easy day trips to the Olympic Center and scenic drives along the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway.

The Adelphi Hotel’s ornate façade glows at dusk in downtown Saratoga Springs, a Victorian icon reborn. Photo: Greg Ceo

A Victorian landmark reborn, The Adelphi Hotel pairs ornate 19th-century architecture with modern interiors. Guest rooms balance bold wallpaper and marble baths with high ceilings and tall windows overlooking Broadway, while public spaces — a glass-roofed conservatory, marble-tiled lobby, and elegant lounge — preserve the grand-hotel spirit. On-site dining at Morrissey’s Lounge serves cocktails and local seafood in art-deco surroundings.

Saratoga Springs is known for its mineral springs, Victorian architecture, and lively arts scene. Highlights include craft cocktails at Hamlet & Ghost and curated vintage finds at The Vintage Shop, all within walking distance of The Adelphi Hotel.

These ten hotels offer some of the region’s most refined escapes, whether tucked into mountain ridges or riverfront towns.

For more robust weekend planning, Escape Club members can unlock our insider guide that includes things like nearby dining, shopping, and hiking recommendations — plus genuine local insight from the ex-NYC creatives who now call the Catskills and Hudson Valley home.