Mohonk Mountain House

We went with our cousins for a two day getaway. Our every possible expectation was met and exceeded. I'm a swimmer and the pool facility is divine. The hiking is wonderful, with magnificent vistas and trails. Great for mountain biking. The food was delicious and plentiful. Great service from all the staff. We hope to return soon.

Good- Scenery, Hiking Trails, Afternoon Hot Apple Cider Bad- Accommodations-- We paid extra for a room with a fireplace and a balcony. we made a small fire in the fireplace, the first night, and smoke from the fire filled our room. (BTW--we know how to use a fireplace...we have one in our home.) We called the front desk and they had to send security to our room to extinguish the fire and spray the room to get rid of the smoky smell. The security person told us the fireplaces were really meant to be coal-burning, so why do they bring you firewood? Anyway, that was a huge waste of money. So, for the rest of our stay, we didn't use the fireplace... Despite all of that, the hotel people still came every day to bring more firewood and fire starter. We were never offered the chance to change our room, after this happened., and we never received an apology from hotel management. Food and Service in the main dining room--For a hotel that forces you to be on their meal plan and boasts about the quality of their food, this was the biggest disappointment. The dining room is like a mess hall--it's very big and very loud, with tables very close together. The lunch is advertised as a buffet, but it's more like cafeteria style. There's a "sushi station", but there's one restaurant worker making "hand rolls", and its a slow process, so there's a 10-15 minute wait with a long line of customers waiting to be served. The food is mediocre at best. There's a choice of two soups at lunch, that are served by the wait staff, but the soup came out of the kitchen luke warm, every day. We even sent it back one day, and it was still luke warm when it was brought out the second time. The dinners were marginally better. They are sit down, not buffet, but the first night, we had a 7:30 reservation, but we weren't seated until 7:50. The service is slow, and the food is what you'd expect at a chain restaurant, like Olive Garden or Red Lobster, in quality. I spoke to the hotel manager about the long wait to be seated, but he seemed uninterested, and although he promised he'd look into it, I never received a response from him. Gym and Spa--The gym is ok. Equipment is pretty standard and well maintained. Nothing special. They ask you to wipe down your equipment after use, but in a place that charges $1000++ a night, they should have a gym attendant who takes care of that. This isn't Planet Fitness, after all. We were excited to get spa treatments, but when we saw the prices charged for their services, we decided not to. I know they include a tip in their prices, but the prices are out of line with what other 4 and 5 star hotels charge, and tipping should be based on the level of service you receive as a hotel guest. It shouldn't be a mandatory percentage based on what the hotel decides is an appropriate amount. All in all, we had a nice time at Mohonk, but we wouldn't recommend it to our friends and family. They promote their hotel, food, and services in a way that justifies their very expensive daily room rates, but they fall way short on their delivery. We've stayed at other "All-Inclusive" properties, and Mohonk is the leader in nickel and diming their guests. Alcohol isn't included, and neither is espresso and cappuccino with meals--That's $10 extra. Also, room service isn't included, so if you miss out on lunch, for example, which is only served from 12-2 pm, you're out of luck...

We have visited Mohonk MH several times over the course of 25 years. Unfortunately the high price tag no longer matches the low level of service. Most of my disappointment comes with the very low level of service in the dining room. Tables jammed in so close together, we couldn’t have a decent conversation. Waiting 20 mins to have our plates cleared. Instead having a civilized breakfast and leisurely lunch, it’s now a buffet. If you charge 1500 a night, the excuse “we are short staffed” should never be spoken. There was no pre dinner cocktails available on the Sunset Porch even though it was listed in the Day’s Events. The Tea and Cookies at 4;00 pm had long lines. The grounds are beautiful even though I felt there were too many day trippers allowed on the property. The lemon squeeze was crowded and backed up. We will probably return but not on a busy weekend. It simply is not a good value or enjoyable.

I know this may come as a surprise based on the high number of 5 star reviews, but I am giving this review in 100% honesty and from a couples perspective. My wife took me here for 2 nights as an early Bday present, we travel twice a year and usually stay in what is typically considered 5-star based on reviews. Ok, first the building itself is really beautiful from the outside and the surrounding property (lake, trails,etc) are also exceptional. The inside of hotel is full of craftsmanship-predominantly wood and at firs for $4.00t glance gives the feeling that it was an old school. Service at the front desk and pretty much throughout the resort was 5-star. The rooms are a little dated and could use some refurbishing and I understand they are looking to maintain the old charm feel. Meals are included in the price and alcohol is not. The majority of drinks range from $18-$23 in the Lounge and food is not included in the lounge and is a good source if you miss a meal, depending on when you arrive. The main dining room is by reservation as to time and can be backed up depending upon the number of people arriving at the same time. The wait is not too long, however, there is no bar area to get a cocktail while you wait and people tend to hang around by the front door and there are only four seats to use while waiting. I know the food is said to be exceptional, however, I would say it depends on which meal. We found breakfast to be exceptional and dinners to be average at best. The first night, the menu had fried oysters as an appetizer selection and we had reservations for 7:30, they were out. Not a good start. The main menu was again OK, nothing I would consider 5 star. What really rubbed me the wrong way is when we asked for a cappuccino and expresso, we were advised they are not included. So to order, the charge was $8 for an expresso and $10 for a cappuccino. Really? At the prices they charge, these items should be included. No one likes to pay $800 a night and pay for a cappuccino. However, what made it worse is we left the restaurant and went into their snack/ice cream shop and there on the menu was -- you guessed it expresso and cappuccino for $4.00. That's not smart. The indoor amenities are limited and showing considerable wear. The pool table cues have no felt on the tips and many of the balls are cracked and falling apart. I get the old vibe feel, however, you can refurbish certain items without losing the charm and old world feel. We went to Mohonk during the baseball playoffs and after dinner figuring since both NY teams were in contention, we would be able to see the game somewhere, bar, TV room or own room. That would be a definite NO. We ran into several guests who couldn't believe we couldn't watch the game. So why go here? The views are spectacular,, trails are wonderful, activities such as archery and ax throwing were fun, and just sitting on the porch overlooking lake and people out in canoes, exceptional. Again, the people are awesome, work hard and do look to accommodate where possible. I think if you go there not expecting a 5-star resort as it relates to food or knowing ahead of time about nickel and dime charges, it may feel better. If your a couple that doesn't go to sleep at 9pm, you will find there isn't really much to do and even if you go back to your room and want to watch Netflix , you can't. They don't have Smart TVs. Look, I wish I would have seen a review like this before I left. Knowing ahead of time, mitigates some level of disappointment when expecting A and getting more like a B. Last thing, take the bike tour with Iz, she's awesome. Good Luck and Safe Travels...

A hugely disappointing experience, an even bigger waste of money & time. The spot is scenic. Really lovely. That's the only positive about this 'resort.' The accommodations are sad, straight out of a Stephen King novel. The place needs a major overhaul. Food is mediocre to poor at best; dining ambience awful unless you relish eating in an army/navy mess hall. The one activity I participated in, which required prior sign-up and waiver, was sophomoric, what I'd expect at a kids' day camp. Instructor didn't give thorough safety briefing at first session. 2nd session instructor refused to allow me to participate at my level. We bailed after less than a day.