Habitas-on-Hudson luxury glamping hotel opens in Rhinebeck

In 2017, the property was purchased by hotelier André Balazs, who owns the nearby event space Locusts-on-Hudson. He undertook a variety of renovations to prepare for opening it as a boutique hotel. When the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled his plans, Balazs sold the property to Ripley, his friend.

The manor house at Habitas-on-Hudson has six guest rooms, with 16 additional rooms in satellite buildings the Lodge and the Stone House; the latter has the largest rooms. With their blond narrow-plank floors, midcentury furniture, nubby textiles, and uncluttered aesthetic, the spaces have a casual, millennial-meets–West Elm appeal.

Each room has a copy of the diametrically opposed classics “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” and most have soothing views of the woods surrounding the property. None have TVs or phones, and room service isn’t offered. This is meant to encourage guests to have drinks at the moody bar or meals in the dining room, where tables are set close together to facilitate conversation. A variety of common areas, including two game rooms and an outdoor fire pit lit from 9 a.m. to midnight, are also meant to promote gathering.
 
A welcoming ceremony invites guests to disconnect from the outside world and immerse themselves in Habitas-on-Hudson. On a recent visit, Mario Velazquez, corporate pre-opening general manager for Habitas, demonstrated the ceremony, which drew on Native American and Indigenous Mexican cultures.

First, guests were asked to choose an “animal totem.” Then Velazquez lit a piece of charcoal and sprinkled it with copal — a resin derived primarily from a tree endemic to Central and South America. As the smoke spiraled up toward the ceiling, guests were instructed to set their intention for their visit.

Habitas-on-Hudson General Manager Michele Alfonso said the welcoming ambiance extends to the 32 staff members. “A lot of companies say they’re a family, but this is rarely true. Habitas is made up of a true community of people who are focused on providing an amazing experience for guests,” Alfonso said, pointing to daily staff lunches in the on-premise restaurant, Social, as an example of the inclusive philosophy.

Social is billed as a locally sourced farm-to-table restaurant. Addressing the region’s notoriously short growing season, Ripley said, “Our menu is adapted to use seasonal ingredients that are sourced from local providers and neighboring farms.”
 
The current menu features ingredients such as squash, root vegetables and beef, with eclectic, non-local additions like epazote and lemongrass. It has plant-based, gluten-free, and nut-free options. The restaurant is open to the public every day.

In the coming months, the guest experience will expand into yoga, mountain biking, hiking, breath work, cooking classes and bonfires with storytelling and s’mores. A wellness center, planned for spring 2023, will offer massages, facials and other spa services.

The menu at Social, the on-premise restaurant, focuses on local ingredients. The restaurant and pub are open to the public seven days per week. (Left: Robin Catalano / Right: Pepe Molina)
The menu at Social, the on-premise restaurant, focuses on local ingredients. The restaurant and pub are open to the public seven days per week. (Top: Robin Catalano / Middle and Bottom: Pepe Molina)

One of the pillars of the Habitas brand is a “sustainability ethos” predicated on being “as minimally invasive as possible,” according to Ripley. But the company offered few specifics about what that means at its new Hudson Valley location. Because the property had already been renovated, Habitas focused on giving the mansion’s dark spaces a bright facelift, such as the Aegean-blue columns on the front porch, and adding soft landscaping using native species.

Several renovation and construction projects at the property are planned for 2023, including glamping sites, creating a “beach” around the property’s pond, and renovating the carriage house and a small building on the water.

Ripley declined to answer questions about sustainable construction methods and whether the property had filed an Environmental Impact Statement with the town. Michael Dupree, chair of the Hyde Park Planning Board, said in an email that the last approval for construction projects on the site was “a few years back,” when Balazs was still the owner. The hotel’s other sustainability initiatives, Ripley wrote, involve prohibiting single-use plastics and reusing toiletry bottles.

Habitas-on-Hudson, which is about 8 miles from the Metro-North station in Rhinecliff and an 18-minute drive to the MTA station in Poughkeepsie, wants to appeal to guests beyond its existing fan base of international travelers, including New York City weekenders and local residents looking for an immersive getaway. 

“Habitas guests have a unique opportunity not just to disconnect but to reconnect,” Ripley said. “Our programming fosters experiences where individuals are able to learn about themselves, others, and the surrounding culture rather than just hearing about it.”