In the mid-20th century, the Sullivan Catskills welcomed throngs of visitors from downstate to breathe fresh air, eat great food, and relax — with a side of star-studded entertainment — an era celebrated in popular movies like Dirty Dancing and Sweet Lorraine. That era is history, but the region remains one of the most beautiful spots on Planet Earth, and it’s completely possible that visitors now head back home more refreshed than ever before, thanks in part to the efforts of Foster Supply Hospitality, the brainchild of a Catskills man and a Hudson Valley woman whose hospitality chops are bringing the region a fresh wave of success.
Guests at their newest wellness retreat, the Hemlock Neversink, are asked to fill out a simple questionnaire about their personal preferences, which hospitality staff use to design a custom itinerary of activities and options. Choices include hiking on over five miles of trails, arts and crafts with expert guidance, yoga and aerobics, spa sessions, and stargazing from a purpose-built platform — and if you’d rather just chill, that’s very much on the menu. Welcome to the summer camp for grownups that slathers the sweet peace of the analog age in cutting-edge comforts.
“I think we all get exhausted living in a hyper-digital society,” says Kirsten Harlow Foster, half of the ownership team. “I think one of the things guests find restorative and rejuvenating here is that we’re intentionally analog. You can’t jump on your iPad; there are no TVs in the rooms. The idea is to build real, face-to-face bonds with real people, to sit around a campfire that’s burning real wood and not gas.”
Foster Supply Hospitality is the brainchild of a Catskills man and a Hudson Valley woman whose hospitality chops are bringing the region a fresh wave of success.
Photos this page by Sasithon Photography.
The focus is on wellness, but you’ll find a subtly different approach here. “I’m not saying we’ve found some magical prescription that fits for everyone,” says Kirsten, “but I do think we’ve created a place where people can come and find their own path, whether they’re here for the night or the week. People react very differently; some are constantly active, others just wander around and relax and nap. But everyone seems to respond to the place. We hear, ‘This feels very special, it’s allowing me to refuel my tank and get some perspective on life,’ and that’s exactly what we hoped to do.”
The focus at Hemlock Neversink is on wellness.
The 230-acre property, the seventh Sullivan County spot reimagined by FSH, was purchased in fall 2020, “a time when we really weren’t sure whether we’d be able to continue to exist or not, so we figured if we were going to go down, let’s do it with a big swing,” says Kirsten’s husband, Sims Foster. “A real estate friend told me he was about to get the listing, and we realized that the size and the history — it was a wellness spot for decades — made it worth taking a hard look at. So we jumped in the truck and, well, we got excited right away to do what we’ve been doing — take an older place and give it a new chapter.”
Photo by Upland Creative
Photos by Clay Banks.
Photo by Upland Creative, Lawrence Braun
“I think one of the things guests find restorative and rejuvenating here is that we’re intentionally analog....The idea is to build real, face-to-face bonds with real people.” - Kirsten Harlow Foster
Hemlock Neversink’s opening attracted a good bit of media buzz, including a mention on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Most Exciting Fall Hotel Openings of 2023” and write-ups in WWD and Travel and Leisure. “It’s humbling,” says Sims. “I grew up here, in Livingston Manor, listening to my grandparents and my father’s stories about this bustling economy almost in disbelief. You mean all that was here? Really? I got my first dishwashing job at 13 — I lied and said I was 14 — and studied music, and then I ended up in hospitality in New York City, in management roles, on a path that led through nightclubs and restaurants in the city and eventually all over the country and the world. But both sets of great-grandparents on my father’s side moved to the Beaverkill Valley in about 1913, so this is home — I’m rooted here.” “We’re really proud that our two little kids are fifth-generation Sullivan Catskills,” says Kirsten. “I grew up across the river, down in Westchester, but my dad grew up Jewish in the Bronx and, as one did, came up to Sullivan County. So I grew up hearing great stories. Then my brother brought me up here to go fly fishing. It was Halloween weekend, and it snowed — I didn’t fish that day, I thought they were crazy.” Sims and Kirsten’s brother were friends, and that snowy Halloween led to a Sullivan Catskills wedding; a year later, with their first baby in tow, the two opened the Arnold House, their first hospitality venture in the area. Six others have followed; two of the properties have been sold to enthusiastic locals. “They wanted to build on what we started, and we were excited to make that happen,” says Sims. “Different visions, but really fun to watch them take what we built and make it even better. What once was — the vibrance of this area — will be again, albeit in a different form, which may be how that’s supposed to work.”
Photos by Upland Creative, Lawrence Braun.
Photos by Upland Creative, Lawrence Braun
Photo by Clay Banks.
The 34 guest rooms at Hemlock Neversink are simple and luxurious: fine linens, fluffy Turkish robes, exclusive, custom-designed furnishings with Quaker-inspired lines, earth tones. Options include everything from the Solo Traveler to the Hemlock Grand Suite; many have private patios. The property’s restaurant, the Bittersweet, has an ever-changing menu based on the best of what their hyper-local suppliers deliver fresh that day; it’s vegetable-focused, and reviewers speak of discovering and loving dishes they had never imagined. (Omnivores will find local fresh meat and dairy on the menu too.)
Photos by Upland Photos by Sasithon Photography.
Photo by Clay Banks.
You can start the day off with yoga or aerobics, a farm-fresh breakfast feast, and a walk with the goats — or sleep in your comfy nest till noon. No judgment here, just helpful experts who lead classes and offer private sessions in various fitness and movement modalities. There are tennis courts, and a spa with a five-star treatment menu — not to mention the pool, hot tub, and saunas. Craft studios overseen by a friendly art director will have you making something beautiful in no time. Evening stargazing is enhanced by dark-skies-compliant lighting.
“Both sets of great-grandparents on my father’s side moved to the Beaverkill Valley in about 1913, so this is home — I’m rooted here.” – Sims Foster
“Our goats are a hit, the yoga’s a hit, the arts and crafts program is a hit,” says Kirsten. “So as we continue to prove things out, the goal is to add more and more to the experience as we connect to passionate people who fit with our core conception of wellness. Wellness, to us, is happiness — yes, it’s about good food and exercise, but we wanted to replace the prescriptive vibes you sometimes find in that space with playfulness and fun. So you’ll find coloring books in the spa along with the serious philosophy, and goats in the field.” They’re excited to see the landscaping come into its own. “We have an incredible director of gardens who poured enormous passion into the property, and that all got finished right before winter hit,” says Kirsten. “So this spring, we get to see all of that come alive.”
“Hospitality is an interesting space — just look at how much buzz this got,” says Sims. “Hopefully, it helps lift the entire local economy. But you really do need to hang onto your humility and employ caution and self-awareness, not start thinking you have the magic potion. You build, you test, you get honest feedback. And when people start saying, ‘I just can’t wait to stay there,’ you know you might be headed in the right direction.”
Hemlock Neversink
7491 State Route 55, Neversink
845-985-1183
hemlockneversink.com
