During the winter, the amenities of an Airbnb become particularly important. The cold, combined with the lack of light and the lack of activities outside the home, means that ensuring a really comfortable sofa, a working fireplace and Wi-Fi are essential. fast. Access to the alpine ski or snowshoe slopes is of course no harm, nor are the saunas or the bay windows with a view of the pine forest. It takes work to find a home with this type of attention to detail. So we combed through hundreds of listings and read exhaustively the reviews of people who have stayed there over the past two years, in order to find the best winter cabins to rent within three hours of New York. York. Our finds include a Nordic-style two-bedroom with a dry sauna and a spot adjacent to Belleayre Mountain where the host provides s’more ingredients (and face masks).
Note: By their very nature, many of these cabins are secluded and require travel on winding – and potentially icy – dirt and gravel roads. All-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicles are often recommended, so read each rental’s requirements carefully and pay attention to the weather forecast.
Photo: Airbnb
Four adults can squeeze into this Nordic-style two-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage on the Swinging Bridge Reservoir, which features a cool concrete table and a massive record collection. The rental gets high marks for its cleanliness and well-equipped kitchen. (There is “everything you need to cook,” one guest says, “including EVOO, salt and pepper, pots and pans, large knives, and a coffee maker.”) But the best attribute of this’ intimate ‘place is a dry sauna with’ slippers, towels and a bucket of water with a wooden spoon to pour water on the rocks. A fireplace and “woodland views” make it a great place to “spend a few days socially removed from the city,” says a guest, but be aware that the steep driveway to the secluded house can get icy cold and there is no room for it. has no cell service so it can “be a bit scary” if you arrive at night.
Photo: Airbnb
With room to sleep 13, this three-bedroom home about 15 minutes from Cold Spring has a long list of rave reviews for its ‘sparkling clean’ eight-person hot tub that uses UV light to sanitize so you don’t smell chlorine when you go out. Reviewers praise the plentiful towels and comfy bedding, and several guests say the “two-stove kitchen is larger than it looks in photos” and comes with non-stick pans and spices. . Four-wheel drive is recommended in winter, and large groups should pay attention to house rules (including telling the host, Linda, exactly how many people are staying each night). Other perks include an outdoor fireplace and easy access to cross-country skiing at Fahnestock Winter Park (about ten minutes away).
Photo: Airbnb
Located on 15 acres about 12 minutes from the ski slopes of the Plattekill and Belleayre mountains, this 1,200 square foot pet-friendly Catskills cabin sleeps six. If you can handle the long, snowy dirt road and rugged driveway (four-wheel drive and daytime driving recommended), the rental has lush plants, a fireplace with “enough firewood for three solid days” and a swing. outdoor where a guest loved having their coffee every morning. The Wi-Fi is fast enough to keep up with work or, as one reviewer put it, “stream the weird YouTube video about the latest leavening technique.” And hosts Meg and Dee get high marks for their quick responses (as quick as five minutes) and for providing s’more kits, Korean beauty masks, and a bottle of wine in every room. Tip: If you have six people at a time, be sure to stagger the shower hours so you don’t run out of hot water.
Photo: Airbnb
This modern three-bedroom cabin, set on 19 acres with a creek-fed pond, features thoughtful touches like chargers by the beds and flashlights by the bedroom doors for night runs in the bathroom. . The property also has pleasantly rocky hiking trails and fun ‘tree trunk bridges’, but if it gets too cold there’s a fire pit, Sonos sound system, and projector with Roku (plus internet connection). fast in particular). Be on the lookout for deer, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, and owls, and note that the third bedroom has a single bunk bed that is best suited for children under 12.
Photo: Airbnb
This 1,500 square foot lakefront cabin is, to be fair, a great summer rental – it features an outdoor shower and 250 feet of water frontage on Whiting Hollow Lake. But in the winter, guests say they enjoy ‘looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows’ at the snow and the view of the frozen lake, and the property is also within 30 minutes of four ski areas (Plattekill, Windham, Hunter and Belleayre). An outdoor fireplace by the lake will work if the weather permits, but if not, an indoor pellet stove provides a cozy fire and, according to one guest, “turns up the heat to warm the house up quickly.” Add the comfy corner sofa, large TV, plush blankets and pillows and, in one opinion, “this was the most comfortable and relaxing Airbnb I have ever booked.” (Note that the house is on a long gravel road which can be difficult in the winter, but a guest said they were fine in an old two-wheel drive car, even with a little snow.)
Photo: Airbnb
Listen, a 180 square foot glass-enclosed vacation rental isn’t for everyone. Located on a private farm about 20 minutes from Beacon Metro-North Station (a car is always recommended for getting around), this little off-grid home is powered by solar panels, uses a propane HVAC system for heating and cooling. air conditioning, and has a Laveo flush toilet (don’t worry, guests say it’s ‘super easy to use’). If none of this scares you, you are in for a treat: a comfortable Casper bed sleeps two, the kitchen has a surprisingly spacious area for cooking, and the small shower is hot with high water pressure. But the best perk is the “breathtaking view of a large opening” from the wrap-around windows which look especially inviting “during a beautiful winter storm” and “immerse you completely in nature,” guests say. “The night sky made quite a spectacle” during one stay, “including views of bright planets and shooting stars.” And the remote location means you don’t even have to close the blinds as it feels so private – just bring slippers (shoes aren’t allowed in the house) and some firewood for the fireplace outside.
Photo: Airbnb
Guests report that this century-old home just above the town of Palenville is easy to get to, and it has an “adventure feel, on a winding road through the woods along a stream”. A porch with thick stone walls and mosquito nets spans the entire rear of the lodge, and one reviewer said they “couldn’t help but spend time on the patio” even on a cold day. . The house also scores big for its wooded location, which “makes for a fun winter retreat to play games in the snow” and easy access to hiking and snowshoe trails just steps away. Back inside, guests appreciate the super fast high-speed internet for streaming movies, the house’s high ceilings and comfortable cotton linens, and a fireplace for warming up.
Photo: Airbnb
Despite a bumpy five to ten minute drive on a long gravel road, this two-person cabin next to a main house, says one reviewer, “it’s like staying in a five-star hotel hidden in the woods.” Customers love the radiant bathroom concrete floors, voice-activated lights, freestanding cast iron propane fireplace controlled by a Nest thermostat, and “perfect surfaces for puzzles.” While there are nearby hikes year-round in Minnewaska State Park, most guests advise crouching down to take in the treetop views from the private patio (don’t miss it. not at sunrise).
Photo: Airbnb
If you’re looking to get off the grid, this minimalist cabin in the Catskills not far from the New York-Pennsylvania border leans on a 100-acre farm and two waterfalls that sink even in February. Dog owners appreciate the fenced-in backyard and the reasonable $ 30 pet fee, though one reviewer claims the house is so clean it “doesn’t look like a dog spot, if you see. what I mean”. A covered back patio seats four, so you can still enjoy your coffee in the rain, but in bad weather critics have come inside to take advantage of the wood-burning stove (watch the video provided on how to use the stove to heat the entire cabin), heated floors and spa-like bathroom with skylight, whirlpool tub and towel warmer. A Verizon user reported little to no cell service in the cabin, but host Jenna provides reliable and fast Wi-Fi.
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