The drive in does a lot of the work. Past the field, past the treeline, and the lodge comes into view at the top of the lawn — arched windows two stories tall, a covered porch running the length of the front, and the ground falling away behind it toward water. There's no neighbor in the sightline and nothing to hear but the property itself. Just lawn, lake, and a very large house that was clearly built for people who intended to have company. Inside, the scale holds. Ceilings run high enough that the main room reads as a lodge rather than a living room, timber beams cross overhead, and a staircase splits and climbs from the center of the hall beneath a wall of glass. The millwork is the real thing — deep-grained wood on the ceilings, built-in shelving, arched openings between rooms — and stone fireplaces give the big spaces a center of gravity. There are enough deep sofas that a group of twenty can spread out without anyone hovering. Food is where The Lake Ellis Lodge earns its keep. The chef's kitchen is built around a long stone island with the counter space, storage, and capacity to feed a full house — cooking for a group here is genuinely easy rather than theoretically possible. The dining room seats eight under the windows for a formal night. The sunroom off the back seats far more, with standard and bar-height tables under a glass roof and views straight out across the grounds — coffee in there in the morning is the reason people get up early. The rest of the house is unusually well set up for a group with an agenda. A dedicated conference room seats up to 28 around a long table, which makes an off-site or a company retreat straightforward instead of improvised. A private library with floor-to-ceiling shelves sits nearby for the quiet breakout conversations, and there's a separate office for anyone who needs a door to close. The full-size pool table handles the part of the day when the agenda is over. Outside, the property gives you options. The heated pool sits in open lawn with loungers along the edge and countryside rolling out past it. A fire pit ringed with eight Adirondack chairs takes over once it gets dark. A private tennis court, a pickleball court, and a basketball hoop cover the competitive hours, a hammock and seating are tucked along the wrap-around porch, and a path leads down to the water where a private beach, a dock, and a gazebo look out over the lake. Rowboats, kayaks, and paddle boards are there for anyone who wants to be out on the water before the rest of the house is awake. Twelve bedrooms, each named for a tree, each with its own private full bathroom — which is the detail that actually makes a group this size work. Nine hold kings and three hold queens, split across two floors, so families, couples, and colleagues can all be housed without negotiation, and two half baths on the first floor keep the main level running smoothly when the whole group is downstairs. The setting is the Harlem Valley, the quiet eastern edge of the Hudson Valley up against the Connecticut line, where the farms are still farms and the towns are small on purpose. Kent is about fifteen minutes east for its galleries and Main Street, with the covered bridge at Bulls Bridge just before it and the cascades at Kent Falls State Park a little further on. The Appalachian Trail crosses just south of here, the Dover Stone Church trail and its waterfall cave is a short drive north, and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail runs paved and flat for miles. Macedonia Brook and the Litchfield Hills are close for hiking, Thunder Ridge handles winter, and farm stands and antique shops fill the fall. Metro-North's Harlem Line stops in Wingdale about ten minutes away, and New York City is roughly ninety minutes by car — far enough that nobody's checking their phone, close enough that everyone actually shows up. AvantStay provides a personalized hospitality experience to elevate your stay. With our Concierge Service, guests have access to our tech-enabled services like fridge stocking, private chefs, massages, transportation, special occasion celebrations, baby gear rentals, ski gear, beach gear, and more. For anything you need, we’re at your fingertips! Comprised of quaint towns, each with their own charming main street, upstate New York’s Hudson Valley is famed for its natural beauty and seasonal produce. After all, it was here that inspired an entire artistic movement of Romantic painters who captured the area’s rolling hills, colorful foliage, and pastoral setting. View the landscapes in person by hiking the Catskill Mountains. Then, visit local farms where there’s a lot to pick: apples in the fall, strawberries in the summer, and vegetables in between. Local Attraction: Hunter Mountain Ski Resort, Windham Ski Mountain and Resort, Hunter Mountain Ski Resort, Rip Van Winkle Lake Park (just a 1–2 minute walk and literally around the corner from the home), Windham Path, Windham High Peak, North Lake/South Lake hiking and kayaking area, Kaaterskill Falls, Hensonville’s farm-to-table market, Maplecrest trailheads, and the nearby towns of Windham, Tannersville, Hudson, and Catskill. Home Truths: - This home allows up to 2 pets for a fee; undisclosed pets brought without AvantStay’s approval may result in a $500 fine per pet. - Please note our occupancy includes an additional two beyond bed count. Two twin-size rollaway cots and additional linens can be provided upon request. - Guests do not have direct/independent access to a washing machine and clothes dryer; however, laundry service is available for an additional fee and is contracted directly with the property owner. - For groups needing more room to spread out, The Lake Ellis Lodge is part of a 5-property collection (all within a 10-minute drive of each other) — book the entire collection to house your full guest list, wedding party, or team under one roof (well, five). - Pool heating is available for an additional fee of $150/day. Guests must contact AvantStay to add this to their reservation. The property's operations team (separate from AvantStay) maintains control of the pool heat settings, so guests must contact them to request adjustments. - Please note: AvantStay serves as the booking and accommodations agent for this property only. While The Lake Ellis Lodge is well-suited to host events such as weddings and business conferences, all event planning, packages, vendor coordination, and payment for those services are arranged directly with the property owner and are not managed or facilitated by AvantStay. - Please note there is no guest-accessible washer or dryer at the home. Laundry service is available for an additional fee, arranged directly through the property operations team (separate from AvantStay). Please reach out to them to coordinate this service. - *Complimentary Refreshments:* Bottled water is provided for your stay, and a Keurig coffee machine is available in the sitting room — perfect for a quick cup of coffee whenever you need it. Parking Details: - Spacious driveway and parking lot with ample parking for 12+ vehicles. This is a smoke-free property. Violation of the no-smoking policy will result in forfeiture of the security deposit, a $300 smoking fee, and liability for any fire or property damage costs. As part of our commitment to being good neighbors, occupancy limits and quiet hours (9pm-8am) are strictly enforced. No speakers or sound systems will be provided for use in our properties. Violation of any noise ordinances will be subject to fines that can reach up to $10,000 per violation. Events or parties are not allowed without prior written approval and an additional fee. Any unauthorized parties or events will be shut down and a fine will be assessed. Please inquire for more information about our event policies and fees. There is nothing more important to us at AvantStay than the health, safety, and experience of our guests & staff. We've enhanced our cleaning and sanitation protocols and are taking extra care to disinfect all surfaces between reservations with hospital-grade disinfecting solutions. As a reminder, we do work with 3rd party vendors to maintain the property, and although we adhere to the strictest CDC guidelines and advise all contractors to wear PPE equipment, we can not always enforce. We strongly advise guests to please deny access if any vendors fail to meet and adhere to these standards. IDs will be requested for verification after booking. All bookings over 28 days require a security deposit. We report and prosecute all Credit Card Fraud.