The summer of 2021 is all about the great outdoors, with millions of Americans road tripping and glamping across the country, packing national parks, and exploring wide-open spaces.
But if summer-travel traffic jams and gas prices have you longing for the simpler days of summer camp, a new resort in New York's Hudson Valley may be just what you're looking for.
Hutton Brickyards in Upstate New York Credit: Jane Beiles
Hutton Brickyards is an incredible 73-acre adult playground on the banks of the Hudson River, set on the now-spruced-up grounds of an actual foundry, about a two-hour drive from New York City. And while there are plenty of amazing places to stay in the region, a recent visit to Hutton Brickyards showed why it's a cut above the competition.
It starts with nature: The hotel sits on a massive parcel of waterfront, backed by hills and forest that give the resort a sense of rural remove, though it's less than 10 minutes by car from downtown Kingston, New York. (The town itself offers plenty to enjoy, but that's another story.) And though Hutton Brickyards has plenty of industrial vibes — including a massive gantry crane and some tumble-down relics of its brick-forging kiln — there's plenty of in-the-country tranquility across the grounds.
Hutton Brickyards in Upstate New York Credit: Jane Beiles
The chilled out vibe is helped along by the bungalow colony aesthetic of the 31-suite resort, which has a variety of custom-built one-bedrooms and Escape RV tiny homes to choose from. (One larger option, The Cottage, can sleep up to four in a private bedroom and a loft.) Most have tremendous views of the river.
Each of the guest "rooms" offers plenty of indoor space, as well as at least one outdoor porch for lounging. Each is also thoughtfully stocked with a Crosley record player (with a Bluetooth connection and killer vinyl), cool reads (like "How to Stay Alive in the Woods," the Bradford Angier classic, and "Wilderness Essays," the John Muir collection), an electric lantern for after-dark walks, a mini-fridge (should you pick up some Kingston Standard Sour IPA during your trip), and Malin + Goetz bath products (in super-size, less-waste bottles). One cute flourish: a flag marked "Thirsty" to hang outside your door at happy hour, when a golf cart stocked with canned wine and cocktails makes the rounds.
Hutton Brickyards in Upstate New York Credit: Jane Beiles
Not that you'll be waiting all afternoon for something to happen. Hutton Brickyards is stocked with all kinds of activities so throwback, they're fun again. Staff can arrange archery lessons or falconry demonstrations, set up a croquet tourney or lay out the ladder golf, coordinate a s'mores buffet at one of many fire pits scattered around, or orchestrate a kayaking expedition on nearby Rondout Creek. (If your version of summer camp is a bit more chill, the wine-barrel saunas or outdoor yoga classes are two good options.)
Thankfully, the food at Hutton Brickyards is better than summer camp sandwiches. Chef Dan Silverman leads the River Pavillion, where many of the elegantly done staples are cooked with live fire, like the standout roast chicken with salsa verde and red cress. Other dishes include roasted apricots with burrata, grilled snap peas with pecorino, and shishito peppers with bottarga. There's a full bar if you missed that drink cart.
Hutton Brickyards in Upstate New York Credit: Jane Beiles
The hotel is the latest project from Salt Hotels, which also operates Eben House and Salt House Inn, two vacation escapes in Provincetown, Mass. The company is at work on another property in Miami Beach, Hotel Greystone.
Rates at Hutton Brickyards start at $375.