You're Never Too Old for Summer Camp

Luxury summer camp-style stays in the Hudson Valley recreate the sense of belonging that comes from being outdoors, unplugged, and among strangers. Some properties offer an upgrade: private accommodations without sharing bunks. One example is Wildflower Farms at an Auberge resort in Gardiner, New York, where a stay included spa access, a farm-to-table restaurant, fitness classes, valet service, and a Mercedes-Benz partnership. The property features freestanding wood cabins with heated floors and rain showers, local textiles, and cabin libraries focused on regional flora and fauna. Guests can walk through working farmlands and an orchard, including morning tours to pet farm animals, with paths leading to amenities.

"Even in my begrudging tenure, I couldn't discount the distinct sense of community wrought by summer camp: the belonging that comes from being outside, unplugged, semi-unregulated, among perfect strangers. A handful of Hudson Valley properties are now selling that same feeling with one significant upgrade: You don't have to share a bunk."

"Abask offered me a press stay that very week at an Auberge resort- Wildflower Farms in Gardiner, New York, to celebrate their $500 martini. While I waited for my sopping drywall to air out, I drank the equivalent of a third of my security deposit among 140 acres of outdoor indulgence: There was a spa on the property, a well-regarded farm-to-table restaurant on-site, a fitness studio with daily yoga, meditation and Pilates classes. There was a valet, and a partnership with Mercedes-Benz."

"Wildflower was measured about how it presented this luxury experience. Despite being a five-star resort, it felt surprisingly like summer camp: My quarters were one of 65 freestanding wood cabins (albeit with heated floors and rain showers). The interiors drew on local textiles, the cabin libraries were chock-full of books on local flora and fauna. Outside flowed the Shawangunk Kill, and dirt foot paths ran throughout the property."

Read at Architectural Digest