Skytop Lodge Review – The Hotel and Dining

This was our first trip to Skytop Lodge, and to say that we were impressed would be an understatement. From the hotel itself to the food and entertainment, everything was top-notch and exceeded our expectations. We will focus on the hotel, and some of the entertainment that can be found in the hotel itself as well as the food and overall dining experience. We were lucky enough to bring our two boys, 6 and 8 years old, to experience Skytop Lodge with us, and tried to pack in as many activities as we could for the family. Our focus is how would a family feel about the Skytop Experience. Please continue reading Skytop Lodge Review – Outside Entertainment where we cover the outside entertainment, where we talk about all the things to do outside at the lodge during the summer.

We arrived at the lodge about the middle of the day on a Friday and were checked in immediately by some of the staff. I loved the fact that they use actual room keys, as it keeps the charm and class of the old-time lodge. In our packet we were given a schedule for the next few days of activities and a map of the grounds, that highlighted each of the areas as well as the trails. We knew immediately that we were only going to be able to get in a sample of all the things that Skytop had to offer in our day and a half trip.

I was lucky enough at this point to get a tour of the hotel and outlying activities with the Director of Sales and Marketing. He took us around the Skytop Lodge and all the surrounding activities, which was informative and also helpful for our planning for the next day. We learned about the legend of the name of the lodge, which is a tribute to another one of our favorite lodges Mohonk Mountain House, as well as learning that the staff can exceed 400 members during the busy times of the year.

We were then led to the Observation Deck where we were shown one of the most spectacular views as well as learning that Skytop encompasses over 5500 acres of land, 30 miles of trails, and a 75 acre man enhanced lake. We were also able to see the Skytop Inn which houses 20 rooms and the cottages, which combine with the main lodge for 193 rooms. The Skytop Inn was suggested as a nice place for couples without kids, or kids that are older and have left the nest. The golfer might also find the Skytop Inn a nice place with the Pro Shop in the same building. We booked out time for dinner as we moved around the lodge on our tour.

We were then shown the indoor pool where a water exercise class was being given and we poked our head into some of the nicest men’s locker room we have seen in a while. The thing about Skytop is that everything is kept in tip-top shape, which makes for a rewarding experience for the guest.

We stayed in a king mini-suite, which was clean and spacious. It consisted of a king sized bed and a pull out couch. The boys slept on the couch and my wife and myself were treated to the king bed which is always a treat for us as we have a queen sized bed at home. The size of the room was sizable and the boys decided to play a bit in the walk in closet as boys are known to do from time to time. The bathroom was also very nice sized, actually bigger than our bathroom at home.

Before you even step foot out of the lodge you have tons of things to do. We enjoyed the indoor mini golf when we first arrived and followed that up with some Ping-Pong in the game room downstairs. There is also a great classic ice cream shop at the activities desk on the ground floor. They also have some very cool glass enclosures that show you wildlife (think snakes and such) from the acres of land that Skytop Lodge sits on. There is also a time during the day where the Naturalist feeds the snakes, frogs and turtle, so make sure to stop by with the kids. The boys thought that was very cool. You also have the gift shop as well as the flower shop which not only smells amazing but has some wonderful looking flowers. What I also enjoyed was the fact that Skytop has multiple “Card Rooms” which they use for board games or card playing. I just wish I was with my grandparents considering how much they would LOVE playing cards in rooms like this. Again another nice touch for entertainment within the lodge proper.

The dining experience was a great compliment of food and service. Dinner is a throw back where the gentlemen must wear jackets and even the kids must be in their “good” clothes. It makes for a very classy dining experience, and the nice part is that we were offered many great choices for dinner, and the boys had their own menus or they could choose from the buffet. Our server was also training a new server and they were both very friendly and attentive without being too much so. Our one boy choose something he did not have a taste for and the staff was very friendly in allowing him to try another dish or go the buffet. I thought that is wonderful, especially with the children as they can change their mind or just not like the way a dish is prepared. Very accommodating all around.

My wife had some very wonderful seafood; a treat for her since she does not get the chance to prepare it at home as she is the only one that enjoys it. I had a pork flavored with hoisin sauce that was cooked to perfection. The stand out item was something I choose based on the servers recommendation which was a strawberry vanilla soy based cold soup. Calling it anything other than perfect would be an understatement in my opinion. The dessert menu was also stacked with all sorts of favorites, with the boys enjoying the chocolate chip pie for dinner. When it was not on the menu for lunch the next day and my son really wanted it, again the staff was very accommodating and found him a piece. Again, staff members going above and beyond for our dining experience.

Skytop Lodge is a class gem that makes you think about the classic lodge experience of the early 1900s with all the amenities of our time. The staff goes far beyond what i have witnessed during other vacations, and the shear anormous amount of things to do could keep you busy for well more time that you have vacation time.

Helpful Hints:

Even though the guarantee on the rooms being ready is 4pm, we went up much early as there are many activities to do when you arrive. Also the late check out of 1pm allows you to get up and get out of the room without rushing, and then stay to enjoy some more activities.

Make sure to get a copy of Skylites which lists all the activities for the week. We used this to plan out our days as there is so much to do at Skytop Lodge.

Also remember the dress code and pack accordingly for dinner, as well as remembering to make your dinner reservations when you arrive.

Note: Our stay at Skytop Lodge was discounted in conjunction with this review.