Mohonk Mountain House

There are few pieces as magical as the Mohonk Mountain House. My husband and I have gone for years in December and this was the first time we took my daughter, son-in-law, and 7-year-old granddaughter. They were as entranced as we have always been by the beauty and history of the Mountain House, the lake, the trails, and the surrounding mountains. The evening activities were wonderful, one for each of our three night stay - a magician, big band, and a performance of the Nutcracker. The meals were delicious and offered a wide range so anyone with dietary constraints - gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerance - could enjoy plenty of options. And the staff! The wonderful staff is such a key part of the experience...friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We so looked forward to seeing our various servers at every meal - Rudy, Malcolm, Antonios, and Andjela, as well as Kidane at the desk. Our thanks to them! I recommend a visit to the barn museum for all visitors as well as a hike with naturalist. Michsel Ridolfo.

Beautiful area and fun outdoor activities in a family friendly atmosphere. However, you will be nickel and dimed to death! Not sure why this is the case, they see to be plenty busy all year round. The only down side is being charged for every little thing unless you are an overnight guest but overall a fun time. Not budget friendly

Service: First off, there was an hour long wait in the car for valet/baggage drop off. Then room wasn’t ready at promised time for us (and many other disgruntled families in the lobby). There was no record of the dinner reservations I made in advance so they had to scramble to give us a table. Room: Second, the walls are paper thin in the rooms. You can hear every cough, sneeze, conversation, footstep of your neighbors above and below. No blackouts curtains. So good luck getting a good nights sleep with noise and light. Food: barely a step above a sodexho dining hall. It’s the quality of a cafeteria. For 2k a night, you can stay at the ritz in the Caribbean. Mohonk is not even a step above a holiday inn. The guest services could care less. It’s a factory here. Not an apology for hour long wait to get to the front door, no apology for room not being ready. The manager said “check in starts at 4 but we don’t guarantee 4pm.” Bizarre. Especially since I called in advance and they told me check in was at 4. Also, pool is quite chilly. All of the families with little kids were complaining about it.

There is no better place for a magical winter getaway! We arrived the day after a snow storm and took full advantage of the perfectly groomed cross-country trails. The views from Sky Top are breathtaking. Afterwards, we enjoyed the beautiful pool and spa. Our room was clean and quiet, the staff warm and welcoming. Our meals in the main dining room and Carriage lounge were delicious. Added bonus: coffee is served from 7 am on - perfect for early risers like us. We can’t wait to return…

I have written only one negative review in my life. However, as someone with over 20 years of experience in high-end, international hospitality consulting—and as someone who has previously visited and enjoyed these grounds—I feel obligated to document this experience clearly and publicly. I have been on the Mohonk Mountain House property before during warmer months and genuinely appreciated the trails and natural beauty. This visit was intended to share that experience with a guest visiting from abroad, to showcase what is marketed as a world-class destination. Instead, I was left embarrassed for having recommended it. Mohonk Mountain House positions itself as a premium property. What we encountered instead was poor operational transparency, aggressive upselling, and a pricing structure that reflects a profound disconnect between cost and value. Trail access is priced at $35 per person year-round, with no seasonal adjustment despite many trails being closed in winter. More concerning is the lack of clear, upfront disclosure that microspikes are mandatory in winter conditions. Guests who arrive unaware are effectively cornered into limited options: forgo hiking entirely, leave the property to source equipment elsewhere, or be redirected into a paid “upgrade” simply to access the grounds—while still being required to pay an additional $22 per pair to rent microspikes on-site. This does not feel accidental; it feels designed to extract additional revenue once guests arrive. Because we did not have microspikes and did not want to spend hours driving back and forth for rentals, we were steered toward brunch, which was presented as a high-end, special experience. At $145 per person, expectations were not just reasonable—they were implied. What followed was one of the weakest food offerings I have encountered in any hospitality environment, at any tier. The buffet was sparse, unimaginative, largely tasteless, and executed without refinement or intention. Professionally speaking, it was a failure. There was no culinary point of view, no sense of occasion, and no justification for the price. It felt like a glorified cafeteria rather than a $145 brunch experience. I understand that this brunch may primarily be designed for overnight hotel guests, and I am not certain whether it is included in their stay. That distinction is irrelevant. If management chooses to sell this experience to outside guests at a $145 price point, then the quality, transparency, and execution must stand on their own. They do not. The experience deteriorated further with undisclosed add-on charges. A tonic water—a basic soft drink—was priced at $11. Coffee was offered after the meal; only after the espressos were delivered were we informed they would be charged separately—$22 for two. Charging extra for basic coffee after a $145-per-person meal is not premium hospitality. It is unapologetic nickel-and-diming and signals an operation that prioritizes revenue over guest care. I have no issue paying premium prices. In fact, I actively seek out and gladly pay for exceptional experiences and outstanding food. This was neither. Based on food quality alone, this brunch aligns more closely with a $45 experience—perhaps $60 at most when factoring in the setting and views. Instead, we left stunned by the confidence with which such a substandard product was sold at a luxury price. This was not hospitality. It was transactional, extractive, and cynical. It relied entirely on reputation and scenery while delivering subpar quality and aggressively monetizing every possible interaction. Management should be deeply concerned—not only about guest satisfaction, but about the long-term erosion of trust and credibility. The gap between what is promised and what is delivered here is significant, and it warrants serious internal scrutiny.