Lakeside Hotel
Moltrasio, Italy
9.8
Passalacqua
An 18th-century villa above Lake Como transformed by its owning family into a 24-suite masterpiece of Italian craft, gardens and joyous hospitality.
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Lakeside Hotel · ££££
Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz, United States — North America
9.0Editorial score
Editorial research. Profiled through in-depth editorial research; Browntravels has not yet stayed at this property. How we review
A Victorian castle on a glacial lake in the Shawangunk Mountains, run by the same family since 1869 with meals and activities included.
Mohonk Mountain House rises from the rock at the edge of its own glacial lake like something imagined rather than built — a quarter-mile of Victorian towers, turrets and timbered balconies assembled piecemeal since 1869 and still owned by descendants of the Smiley family who founded it. Ninety minutes from New York City, it sits within a vast protected landscape of Shawangunk ridgeline, cliff and forest laced with the resort's famous network of trails and rustic wooden summerhouses.
The formula has barely changed in a century and a half, which is precisely the appeal: rates include three generous meals a day, afternoon tea and cookies, and a full programme of guided hikes, lake swimming, rowing, ice-skating in winter and family activities in every season. Rooms range from cosy Victorian chambers to tower suites with balconies over the lake, comfortable and floral rather than fashion-forward.
An award-winning spa wing added this century brings a heated outdoor mineral pool and treatments with Hudson Valley botanicals, giving grown-ups their own reason to linger. Evenings mean lake mist, rocking chairs on the porches and a decided absence of urban buzz — there is a genteel, screen-free rhythm to the place that guests either adore or find quaint. For multi-generational escapes from the East Coast, it remains in a category of one.
Why stay here
- A one-of-a-kind Victorian castle setting on a private glacial lake
- All meals, afternoon tea and most activities included
- Miles of ridge trails and summerhouses in protected Shawangunk landscape
- A serious spa with heated outdoor mineral pool
Things to consider
- The inclusive, timetabled style feels old-fashioned to some
- Victorian room sizes and decor vary considerably across the house
Rooms & Suites
Around 260 rooms and tower suites in Victorian style, many with working fireplaces and balconies over the lake or gardens.
Dining
A grand main dining room serving included daily menus with Hudson Valley sourcing, plus a tavern and lakeside casual options.
Spa & Wellness
A destination spa with heated outdoor mineral pool, indoor pool, and treatments drawing on mountain botanicals; lake swimming in summer.
The Browntravels Verdict
The great American mountain house experience, preserved intact — unbeatable for unplugged family escapes from the city.
Last updated 28 July 2026
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