Snow-covered forests, crackling fireplaces and mineral-rich spas make upstate New York an ideal setting for winter retreats. Escaping the city for a weekend getaway of quiet is nothing new, but the options for doing so have never been more refined. You could opt to fly out of LaGuardia Airport to Rochester and rent a car for that last one. Hotels across the Hudson Valley, the Catskills and Finger Lakes have embraced wellness in different ways.
Some focus on nutrition and movement, while others draw from hydrotherapy and ancient healing practices. Many lean into the natural surroundings, using the landscape itself as part of the restorative process.
Each property presents its own version of winter renewal. Some wellness resorts invite guests to reset through guided meditation, thermal baths and locally sourced meals. Others emphasize outdoor immersion, with snowshoeing trails, forest bathing and cold plunges. Across upstate New York, there is a shared focus on slowing down, restoring balance and rethinking what it means to unwind. Not all wellness experiences look the same, and not every hotel fits a single mold. Some retreats are intimate and minimalist, designed for solitude.
Others are grand estates with every modern amenity. The choices are wide-ranging, but the common thread is offering a setting to pause, recharge and experience the season in a different way. Located in Chester, New York, Glenmere Mansion's spa features a Carrara marble bath house and hammam, including an herbal steam room, dry sauna and aqua massage vitality pool.
Guests can experience the Turkish soap ritual, which involves a warm marble belly stone and a traditional Kessa mitt exfoliation. The Moroccan purification ritual combines fragrant steam, exfoliation and a detoxifying clay application. Private suites are availableβeach equipped with a steam shower and soaking tubβand the duet suite allows for side-by-side treatments. Winter at this secluded Hudson Valley retreat is one of the best times to be here.
