Where to Embark on a Winter Wellness Getaway in Upstate New York
From minimalist escapes to grand estates.
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Snow-covered forests, crackling fireplaces and mineral-rich spas make upstate New York an ideal setting for winter retreats. As the temperatures drop, the region’s most discerning hotels offer a respite from the cold, blending restorative treatments with seasonal comforts. Wellness here is not a trend but a tradition, rooted in the area’s long history of healing waters and fresh mountain air.
Escaping the city for a weekend getaway of quiet is nothing new, but the options for doing so have never been more refined. Driving times may vary, based on both distance and traffic: on average, it’s just under two hours between Manhattan and Hudson Valley (depending on your exact departure and arrival points), two and a half hours to the Catskills and over five hours driving to the Finger Lakes. (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.
Where to Embark on a Winter Wellness Getaway in Upstate New York
Glenmere Mansion
- 634 Pine Hill Road, Chester, NY 10918
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 available—each equipped with a steam shower and soaking tub—and the duet suite allows for side-by-side treatments.

Mohonk Mountain House
- 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561
Winter at this secluded Hudson Valley retreat is one of the best times to be here. Mohonk Mountain House, a historic resort in New Paltz, features a comprehensive Winter Wellbeing Collection designed to bolster immunity during the colder months. The award-winning spa features treatments such as an herbal wrap that uses rosemary, eucalyptus and black pepper to release impurities and soothe tense muscles. Another offering is a special winter wellness massage, combining Swedish techniques with warm basalt stones and eucalyptus inhalation therapy to enhance respiratory function. The retreat also boasts unique mindfulness sessions, led by the resort’s Director of Mindfulness Programming, that teach techniques to reduce stress and promote overall well-being, and treatments like lakeside immersion spa therapy, for a cold plunge within nature.

Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa
- 220 North Road, Milton, NY 12547
Situated on a 75-acre Hudson River estate, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa provides a range of treatments suitable for winter wellness. The spa, currently operating from a temporary location overlooking the Hudson River due to renovations, provides a range of services. A standout is the Buttermilk signature massage, which combines various techniques to relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation. Body therapy offerings include the detoxifying wrap, designed to eliminate toxins and re-mineralize the body. Facial treatments, like the Buttermilk signature facial, aim to rejuvenate the skin using organic products. The spa emphasizes eco-friendly practices, utilizing solar and geothermal energy for its facilities. While the main spa amenities, including the swimming pool, are temporarily unavailable, all spa services, including massages, facials and treatments continue to be offered by appointment.

Hasbrouck House
- 3805 Main Street, Stone Ridge, NY 12484
Guests can book private massages, including deep tissue, Swedish and prenatal options, conducted by top professionals from the Hudson Valley. Hasbrouck House’s spa facilities include a new barrel sauna and therapeutic cold plunge pool, providing a Scandinavian-inspired experience to promote relaxation and circulation. Complimentary access to Whole Sky Yoga Studio allows guests to experience in-person yoga sessions at a nearby airy studio. Private or group outdoor yoga class instruction is also available on-site, accommodating various preferences. Additionally, guests receive complimentary hiking trail passes to the scenic Mohonk Preserve, encouraging outdoor activity during the winter months.
Piaule Catskill
- 333 Mossy Hill Road, Catskill, NY 12414
Piaule Catskill, a landscape hotel designed to blend seamlessly into its natural surroundings, offers a spa experience that emphasizes connection with nature and sustainability. A short hike from the main accommodations leads to the spa, where visitors can begin their self-care wellness journey with a hot pool and mineral pool plunge. The facility includes a sauna and steam room aimed at purification and improved circulation. A yoga, meditation and exercise studio provides space for movement and relaxation, with both group and private classes available. Additional treatments, such as healing massages and immersive sound baths, can be scheduled by appointment. Access to the spa is exclusive to overnight guests, ensuring privacy and supporting the property’s sustainability efforts by limiting resource use and preserving the landscape.

The Lake House on Canandaigua
- 770 S Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424
With its private garden access and cozy relaxation lounge, the Willowbrook Spa at the Lake House on Canandaigua is an environment conducive to rest, enhanced by pristine views of the tranquil waters of Canandaigua Lake. The spa's comprehensive menu includes hot stone and prenatal massages, a clarifying back facial and a manuka honey body drench. Guests can also experience the Lake House Massage Method, a customized session incorporating infused herbal oil blends. The spa features creekside barrel saunas—literally and figuratively so hot right now at boutique hotels—for a contemporary twist on traditional purification practices.
The Finger Lakes spa also offers a selection of express services designed for guests seeking efficient yet effective treatments. The goal is to accommodate guests with limited availability without sacrificing attention to detail or therapeutic benefits. The menu includes a 30-minute tension-relief massage targeting specific areas of stress, a rapid refresh facial focused on hydration and a condensed version of the signature reflexology treatment. Express treatments are available by appointment and can be scheduled individually or as add-ons to longer services.

The Ranch Hudson Valley
- 150 Sister Servants Lane, Sloatsburg, NY 10974
The Ranch Hudson Valley, which opened in 2024 to much fanfare after developing a cult following at its location in Malibu, Calif., is in the midst of its first winter session, which runs through March 30, 2025. This program offers three- or four-night structured health retreats designed to rejuvenate both body and mind. The program aims to transform the winter season into an opportunity for personal growth and connection with nature.
Daily activities include two- or four-hour hikes through uncrowded trails around Ringwood State Park, with snowshoeing available when conditions permit. Afternoon sessions feature fireside fitness classes encompassing strength training, yoga, pilates and meditation. The estate's 5,000-square-foot solarium provides a heated indoor pool for water-based fitness classes, including the signature Ranch Water Polo, ensuring continuity of exercise during inclement weather. Culinary workshops, breathwork and manifestation sessions and guided journaling are available to promote mindfulness and mental clarity.

Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection
- 2702 Main Street, Gardiner, NY 12525
Situated across 140 acres in New York's Hudson Valley, Wildflower Farms emphasizes nature's restorative qualities in its wellness programs. Thistle, the on-site spa with six treatment rooms, provides a seasonal treatment menu utilizing locally sourced, hand-blended products. Guests can participate in the Prana & Ice Plunge, a guided experience with a certified Wim Hof Method instructor that combines breathwork and cold immersion to boost immunity, reduce inflammation and improve circulation. Sound healing sessions incorporate Reiki-infused techniques, Tibetan bowls and deep gongs to promote relaxation. Private Reiki appointments are available, including an option for animal Reiki, where canine companions receive hands-on energy work from a certified practitioner. Evolutionary astrology readings provide guests with insight into their birth charts and guidance on personal growth. Daily wellness programming includes complimentary morning movement classes, access to an indoor saltwater pool, outdoor hot tubs and a 3,000-square-foot fitness and movement studio.

Woodcliff Hotel and Spa
- 199 Woodcliff Drive, Fairport, NY 14450
The Winter Stay Well Spa package at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa includes overnight accommodations, spa treatments (such as massages and facials) and special amenities like champagne and homemade spiced millionaire's shortbread upon arrival. The spa's facial and body treatments feature the Emerge facial, an 80-minute session utilizing Eminence products tailored to individual skin needs, and the GM Collin Transformative facial, combining peptides with retinol for visible anti-aging effects. Body treatments include the Turkish body scrub, which uses eucalyptus and mineral-rich sea salts for exfoliation, and the Renew body wrap, for exfoliation and moisturizing to alleviate dry skin.
YO1 Longevity and Health Resorts
- 420 Anawana Lake Road, Monticello, NY 12701
Located in the Catskill Mountains, YO1 Longevity and Health Resorts offers wellness retreats and activities year-round, including detox, anxiety and general wellness packages, with a winter wellness retreat designed to rejuvenate guests during the colder months. The program includes one therapy per night, with options such as aroma massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, acupuncture or mud therapy. Guests can participate in daily yoga and meditation sessions to enhance mental and physical well-being. Access to an Olympic-sized swimming pool, infrared sauna, a 24-hour fitness center and walking and biking trails are just a few of the additional amenities. The retreat is available for stays through March 15, 2025.