How 2 Sisters Turned a Historic Summer Camp Into the No. 1 Hotel in New York State

Travel + Leisure

11-05-2025

Cedar Lakes Estate is located roughly 90 minutes from NYC, in the picturesque Hudson Valley.
The property encourages play inside and out, from snowshoeing, sledding, and ice skating to pie-making sessions with cider pairings, movie nights in the barn, and whiskey tastings.
Rooms range from cozy two-person cottages to generous four-bedroom homes with idyllic lake views; amenities include wood-burning fireplaces, heated floors, and spa-like bathrooms.
Guests can enjoy multicourse meals in the Pavilion for a convivial, candlelit evening or in a private igloo on the lakeside deck under twinkling lights.
It was sometime between the still, early morning hours of 7 and 8 a.m., my ears attuned to the snap, crackle, pop of a campfire, that my emotional muscle memory kicked in. My summer-camp years were behind me, a distant past that lived only in stories that began with 'remember when,' but in that moment, the ineffable comfort of nostalgia crept in. I was suddenly back in a time and place when free-flowing conversation around glowing embers was a familiar combination.
My husband and I had arrived at Cedar Lakes Estate, a 500-acre woodsy retreat in the Hudson Valley, the night before. Less than two hours from New York City, the transition from tall buildings to tall trees happened quickly. As we neared the property, the road deviated into a path of twinkling lights, cozy cottages, and a tranquil lake that signaled play, even in winter. 'Picture the most beautiful bucolic summer camp. Now, imagine it went to culinary school, got a master's degree, and the property and cottages [on the grounds] were polished up just enough to be luxurious and elegant, without losing their nostalgic spirit,' said Lisa Karvellas, who owns the property—named the best hotel in New York state in Travel + Leisure 's 2024 World's Best Awards—with her sister, Stephanie.
Cedar Lakes Estate has summer camp in its DNA: The property served as a youth camp in the 1920s, and then later as the Team USA Sports Camp, hosting Olympic athletes for nearly 15 years. Today, it's first and foremost an idyllic wedding venue in the spring, summer, and fall, counting Zosia Mamet and Josh Radnor as celebs who have tied the knot here. For those without a coveted wedding invite, however, Cedar Lakes Estate opens as a hotel in the winter (generally, December until late April). 'We realized our guests only had the opportunity to experience Cedar Lakes Estate if they happen to be invited to a wedding,' said Lisa. 'We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to come enjoy our wonderful property, cottages, culinary program, and service.' Lucky me.
'We hope guests leave feeling a strong sense of comfort, home, warmth, and belonging,' she continues. 'We hope they leave knowing they can come back and be treated like family. And when they do return, we hope they feel that happy nostalgia that comes with a treasured memory.'
On our final morning, as we began our drive home, I couldn't help but start scrolling through photos of our weekend at Cedar Lakes Estate. I'd do the same a few months later, on a mundane commute to work, and again when the weather turned chilly the following winter. Each time, I felt a pull to return to camp—this time the kind that serves cocktails in a clear igloo atop a mountain. Views of Hudson Valley from one of the domed igloos.
Alisha Prakash/Travel + Leisure
Cedar Lakes Estate's cluster of cabins and cottages—36 total—has summer camp written all over it, but step inside and you'll be reminded you're a grown-up with grown-up tastes. After a day in the cold, I came to appreciate the wood-burning fireplace, spacious bathroom with Italian marble, and plush bed I melted into every night in my Poolside Cottage. Accommodations range from the two-person Sleepy Pine Cottages to the two-story, four-bedroom Farmhouse Main House with floor-to-ceiling windows peering over the misty lake. The Field House has lofted queen-size beds plus a separate bedroom; and the Bluebird Cottage comes with a fireside soaking tub and heated stone floors. A cozy fireplace lights the interior of a living room.
Bia Sampaio/Cedar Lakes Estate
I was decades removed from any summer-camp stint, but that same eager, first-day feeling set in as we checked in—though 'orientation' here was decidedly adult, commencing with a welcome glass of prosecco and a rundown of the grounds from a staffer with the enthusiastic energy of a camp counselor.
The rest of our stay here felt equal parts sentimental and sophisticated—pie-making sessions came with hard cider tastings; a spirited host recited dad jokes alongside chocolate and whiskey pairings; and movie nights in the barn were fueled by vintage candy and cocktails. But this is camp after all, and that meant getting outdoors, despite the chilly temps. Activities include snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating, curling, snowmobiling, and even ice fishing (weather permitting), some for an added 'layer-on' fee. My husband and I joined a guided hike through the woods to learn how to build a campfire using nothing but flint and steel. Though it was only a 30-minute jaunt through the frost-covered leaves, it felt good to be in nature, searching for the ideal rock, waiting with childlike wonder as we took turns striking it against the steel, and cheering upon seeing the first spark—pure, uncomplicated fun. Guests relaxing and playing one of the available vintage video games.
Edward Winter/Cedar Lakes Estate
When we weren't outside, days unfurled like one long playdate. We explored every inch of this utopia as if we were kids, playing old-school Nintendo games and filling up on complimentary '90s-themed snacks in the Treehouse Lounge, and sitting by the communal outdoor firepits long enough for the smell of smoke to linger in our hair. Over a game of Scrabble in the Treehouse Lounge, we struck up a conversation with one couple, who told us this was their third year visiting. They had found Cedar Lakes Estate in 2021, a refuge during the height of COVID-19, and decided a winter visit would become an annual tradition. The food and drinks available inside the domes.
Alisha Prakash/Travel + Leisure
We knew this, just like camp, was transient. We would eventually have to return home and resume our grown-up lives. But for now, the evening called for summiting (OK, by golf cart) a mountain, where a fairy-tale igloo filled with make-your-own cocktails, blankets, and a platter of fresh vegetables and dips were to keep us company as we watched the sun dip below the mountains. As we stepped into our cozy cocoon, my husband first tinkered with the iPad to adjust the playlist, then beelined to the bar cart to peruse the variety of gins, olives, and other accoutrements left out for concocting his ideal martini. The staff had also prepared a build-your-own hot chocolate kit, complete with a blowtorch for toasting the pillowy marshmallows—proof the Karvellas sisters have thought of everything.
Outdoor yoga sessions, polar plunges in the lake, guided tours to learn about the local wildlife, and a St. Moritz-inspired après bash with caviar bumps and DJs have all been on the itinerary in the past, though winter activities do rotate to keep things fresh. The exterior of the general store and a fire lit dining room.
Meals here are a special affair, too. This is where the property's main persona as a wedding venue really shines: Candlelit dinners in the Pavilion—rustic yet romantic with an oversized fireplace as its centerpiece—feel choreographed, in that tables are served course after course at roughly the same time. The menu leans local and changes with the seasons—my winter visit brought a velvety potato and leek soup with smoked trout and crème fraîche; braised beef short rib tucked alongside mascarpone polenta and baby carrots; and a dark chocolate brownie sundae drizzled with bourbon caramel and candied pecans. The whole evening felt like a celebration, even concluding with a DJ spinning tunes and encouraging guests to get off their seats and hit the dance floor.
Still, my favorite meal was the private dinner held in the clear-domed, heated igloo on the lakeside deck beneath twinkling lights. Overlooking the snow-globe of a landscape outside, my husband and I tucked into a deeply comforting five-course extravaganza: roasted rainbow beets with toasted festa and puffed quinoa; smoked ricotta ravioli with truffle cream and oyster mushrooms; pan seared salmon with crispy potatoes and a caper chimichurri; orange Campari sorbet; and a pear cranberry upside-down cake with whipped mascarpone.
Mornings are equally indulgent, with a to-die-for cinnamon bun or a basket of warm pastries and coffee delivered to your door, though lighter options—eggs, yogurt with homemade granola, fresh-pressed juices—are available at the Pavilion for a sit-down breakfast. Interior of the cozy Bluebird Cottage.
Bia Sampaio/Cedar Lakes Estate A deep soaking tub in the Poolside Cottages bathroom.
Cedar Lakes estate bills itself as 'an hour and a half and a world away.' Indeed, the canvas of Shawangunk Mountains, still lakes, and serene forests is quick to make you forget this upstate gem, in the heart of New York's Hudson Valley in Port Jervis, is just 70 miles, or roughly 90 minutes by car, from the big-city noise. You can drive or take the Metro-North or New Jersey Transit from NYC's Penn Station to Port Jervis Station, a 15-minute Uber ride from the hotel. Those with their own car will find it easier to explore the surrounding area, which includes nearby High Point State Park, home to beautiful hiking trails, and Storm King Art Center. Though, with so much on offer at the estate, you'll have little reason (or desire) to leave.
Although I only saw couples during my winter stay at Cedar Lakes Estate, there are plenty of reasons to bring the whole family along. Not only are the accommodations—some multibedroom with large living spaces and full kitchens—ideal for multigenerational groups, but the activities, both indoor (drive-in movies, game nights, picnic lunches in the Pavilion) and outdoor (ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling) will get the whole brood bonding without any digital distractions.
And again, while the property changes up its offerings each season, previous years have brought a Little Campers' Corner, with space for kids to craft, plus themed, kid-friendly 'kits,' with all the items needed for a plotting a scavenger hunt, decorating cookies, building snowmen, and stringing friendship bracelets. Also on the agenda: a Snow Paint Party, where little ones use eco-friendly paints to create a colorful masterpiece on the snow.
'Sustainability at the heart of everything we do at Cedar Lakes Estate,' says Lisa. That includes providing refillable water bottles for guests, with water stations throughout the grounds; reducing energy consumption by using geothermal technology in some buildings; growing seasonal produce in the garden and sourcing the rest from nearby farms and purveyors to ensure meals are as fresh and local as possible; and composting on-site to limit waste. Plus, by the end of 2025, about 65 percent of the property's energy needs will be fueled by solar power, according to Lisa.
Considering Cedar Lakes Estate was originally built in the 1920s, it's important to note some, but not all, areas are equipped for wheelchairs. There's a wheelchair-accessible entrance and path, plus handicap parking on-site for all guests. There are also five ADA-friendly accommodations, and all public and shared spaces, including the restored barn, are wheelchair accessible. Guests taking one of the on property cooking class.
Edward Winter/Cedar Lakes Estate
Cedar Lakes Estate is not an all-inclusive, but all meals, including breakfast, dinner, and afternoon snacks, are included in the rate, as are many activities, with some layer-on options for an added fee; private igloo dinners are an additional cost as well. As a hotel only in the winter months, Cedar Lakes Estate is not part of any loyalty programs. Cottages start at $375/night; cabins start at $225/night.
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