Winter Clove Inn, Round Top

We went for a family reunion. Our family took up the entire smaller building -- "The Oaks" . They charge you per person, not per room. My nuclear family had the rooms in the basement. The smell almost knocked us off our feet. Years of mold? Dead mouse in the wall? Hard to say. If we could have, we would have walked right out and gone somewhere -- ANYWHERE -- else. We decided to brave through it because the whole family was there and we spent most of the time outside anyway. When we were visiting, one of my nephews said he'd seen a mouse in his upstairs room. His mother didn't really believe him. We sat on the porch and had a nice visit, then went up to dinner. Meals are included. There's one hour time-frame for each meal in the fly-ridden dining room. And if you have food allergies like I do, you should take your own food because you get a choice of two things that are already made. For example, you can't get a salad without the dressing already on it -- not good if you're allergic to soy. After dinner the first night, we all walked over to "the carriage house", which has a small bowling alley and gift shop. It was so musty, most of the adults just turned around and walked back out. Our bathroom vanity was literally rotting, the bathroom door had a huge splinter in it that caught on my shirt and scratched me, and I was disgusted to discover that the reek of the room was also in the sheets and towels. I slept very little between wondering what exactly I was inhaling and the sound of mice running through the wall by my head. My son started dozing on the couch in the common living room (the only place with a TV). He woke up because the potato chip bag was crinkling -- and opened his eyes to see a mouse pop out of the bag. It ran under AND INTO the couch he had just been laying on. Unfortunately, we saw one of the upstairs rooms AFTER we had paid the bill -- nice, big, bright room. NOTHING like the pit we were staying in. When we told the owner, she downplayed things and, because there were other guests within earshot, we gave up trying to explain how bad things are. They should NOT be renting out those rooms. On the way home, my husband said he was surprised that they don't allow pets, considering the state of the rooms we had. I replied, 'Are you kidding? I wouldn't even want our dog IN those rooms!!!" When we got home, I washed ALL the clothes we'd taken, rinsed off anything hard, and sprayed Lysol all over our suitcases. We all took showers before getting into our beds. We're waiting to see if we get sick from breathing in whatever that was.

What a wonderful place to go with your family.We loved the inn so much that we booked a week for next year before we left.It was one of the most relaxing vacations that I had been on-no cooking or cleaning.Our group ranged in age from 50-3 and everyone loved it.I see now why people having been going here for 20 plus years.They only negative thing was the wait for the meals.This seemed to bother a fews guests but at our table we used the time to catch up with each other.But it does take time to feed 125 or more all at the same time.

If you're looking for a family getaway that is extremely reasonably priced, Winter Clove it the place. It is nice to see a family oriented vacation spot that is modest, clean, wholesome, and does not suck the money from you. Its not fancy, its not filled with valueless frills. If you want a place to spend time with your family and spend time outdoors - this is it. If you're looking for a resort with overpriced Disney-like ameneties this isn't for you. When we're there we feel like we are getting back to basic family values. No pretenses. Its a nice old fashioned place!

I love the idea of the Winter Clove: a beautiful Victorian hotel in a lovely setting with spectacular views of the Catskills. Every activity one could want is just outside the door and it is all available with food included at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, having just returned from a long weekend stay, the reality of the Winter Clove was far from meeting my expectations. I had read the reviews online. I understood the hotel was very family-oriented, the food mediocre and that the facilities were run down. In turn, the occasional cracked window pane, broken dresser, faded, chipped and stained paint, bathroom linoleum from the 1970s, moaning plumbing, warped bowling alley, even broken toilet seat did not surprise me. The food was fine – worthy of a decent cafeteria but of course not gourmet by any sense of the word. And even being awakened by crying babies or loud teenagers was expected. I understood to truly address all of these, would mean millions in investment which would ultimately result in rates that would keep me away. However, what was not expected and ultimately was the biggest disappointment, was how poorly managed the hotel was. Everyone working at Winter Clove was very pleasant, but most did not do their job very well. The front desk person offered us directions to Howe Caverns which ultimately added over an hour onto what shoudl have been a 45 minute trip and made us miss our pre-paid lunch back at the hotel. The dining room was open for one hour at each meal but consistently the doors were not opened until 15 or more minutes past the posted time – leaving a vestibule crowded with hungry guests. Our waiter never offered coffee in the morning, condiments for the food, ice cream for our pie or other details we saw other tables get. But the biggest issue during our stay was how dirty the hotel was. As I was unpacking, my wife used one of our room towels to clean up the muddy bathroom floor we found in our room. She also used a towel to dust the furniture which had not been done in some time. We felt we had to wear socks at all times in our room and the white ones were brown after 24 hours. I also made the unfortunate mistake of looking under the bed – which I assure you no one in management had done in at least a year! I even heard someone check into their room next door and the first comment upon opening the door was why the bed was unmade -- so this was not unique to us. Obviously there were real problems in how the cleaning crew was doing their job. It still makes me cringe thinking about what we did not know about our bed linens or towels. The public restrooms were equally messy and the changing room at the indoor pool (which we had to use since we were not in the main lodge) my 6 year old commented were “disgusting” and she refused to go in them. There were also dogs roaming all over the grounds which not only intimidated my two year old but also made it so you had to watch your step wherever you went – even the front steps to the porch of the main building was coated in dog hair making a very unpleasant experience from the moment one arrived. Another guest we met while there summarized the Winter Clove experience nicely. “It’s like camping …indoors!” I actually don’t require much to be happy in a hotel, but I certainly do not want to feel like I have to take a shower immediately upon returning home. I can understand that it would take tens of millions dollars to make the resort reach its full potential, but what it needs most is for the staff to do their jobs and the management to offer the necessary training and oversight to make sure guests are treated appropriately. That should not cost millions and is a reasonable expectation for a guest to receive. I hope this can be done so that the Winter Clove can be a place I would consider visiting again.

Winter Clove Inn would be a good place for parents who don't want to watch their children, and who don't care if the children are running amok through the narrow halls and stairways of the hotel. We were there New Year's Eve. That night, the place seemed to have been hijacked by families who return every year so the parents can socialize downstairs while packs of children scream, run, bump into guests carrying babies, knock on doors, and become hysterical until 2AM. Repeated requests to the management to exert some control were given lip service but ultimately ignored. One pair of children told me that the owners told them it's OK to run around "as long as they're quiet". Those same children's parents, when asked to keep their children under control, told us "We've been coming here five years. It's your first year here, isn't it?" Don't worry, it's our last. We were a group of six adults, two children, and an infant. So we understand and appreciate that things can get noisy when people are having a good time. However, even the kids were horrified by the roving bands of out of control youngsters. Perhaps it is different in the warmer months when children can play outside. Or on an off weekend. But our stay was a nightmare for all of us.

Before my wife, 15 year old boy, his friend and myself booked this place, we, too, looked up reviews on the inn. there were a couple of disheartening comments about cleanliness, service, and even the bowling alley. Now, having just gotten back from our three days there, I gotta say that those comments are totally unfounded, and off base. Trust me, this is a real good place to go and relax, feel good, and eat and sleep just fine. If you are looking for a modern up to date internet ready place, go elsewhere. If you want a ultra clean room, with good housekeeping come here. If you require good home cooking with quick, friendly service, come here. Still hungry after you finished your plate, or something else strikes your fancy to taste, no problem; Chris happily brings it on for you. desserts were also homemade, fresh and good. musta gained 5 pounds! they will do whatever they can to satisfy you. they even came out to sing happy birthday to my son, complete with lights out in the dining room, candle in cake, and singing wait staff. The bowling alley was quaint, and a great thing to have at our disposal. yea, it is old, some lanes don't work from time to time, but who cares. it is all part of the overall charm, they are real wood lanes and again the people who fun that area are so helpful and nice. they also house a couple of old video machines, a pool table, soda fountain and cool gift shop. they are on a huge property, so go for a hike around. amongst other things, you will find trails, cross country skiing(could'nt use, cause there was no snow; but if there was they have the skis for you),a quaint covered bride over a stunning falls that leads to a swimming hole, and even a barn with our new friend, the family's horse, George. Please bring him some apples and carrots when you go visit. he is sooo sweet. so, o.k., got three complaints. the pool is adequate, but had waaaay tooo much chlorine for any human to stand, secondly, they could use some internet service, and lastly they are about 35 minutes from either Hunter or Windham mountains, not the 20 minutes that we were told. We will always look to come back here. In the spring/ summer we will come for the added golf that they offer. Anyway, you realy can't go wrong here. We are better people after our stay here, it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Kudos to Winter Clove Inn!! From the Oppenheimers'. Stuart, Barbara, and Eric(and friend Jimmy)

I thought that the activities they had were fantastic for children. I was disappointed in the cleanliness though. There were water stains on the bathroom ceilings from improper ventilation. The toilet was dirty when you lifted it up. The sheets had stains on them. The beds felt like poor quality. I might go back for the children, but not for myself.

Our family went to WC for our first visit in October 1997, and have returned EVERY October since. It was our parents 50th wedding anniversary during our 1st visit & this year (2005) is their 58th. We will keep going to celebrate with them. Our first visit was so wonderful we couldn't wait to go back. We enjoy the views, the waterfalls, the peacefullness, and the kindness that is bestowed to WC's guests. It is as if our family gets bigger when we are there. Everyone is family there. Guests and employees interact as if all are related to one another. The bon fires, the hay rides, nothing could ever compare to the serenity at dusk. The meals are delicious, our rooms kept clean, the staff so accomodating.......WE LOVE WC!

We spent several summers at Winter Clove when our children were young and met a lot of nice people there. When our children became teenagers they complained that they were bored because there wasn't much for them to do because of their ages. That's when we started going to the Jersey Shore. Then in 1999 - a year in which we were stressed out with so much going on in our lives, my husband and I decided to take some time off to rest in the fall - and Winter Clove came to mind. After not going there for about 12 years, I walked in the door and said "We're home" - which is what this place feels like to me. As usual, there were lots of families and children there and we missed or children and our first grandchild who was born in September. It was then we made the decision that instead of giving our children another doo-dad for Christmas, we would treat them to a weekend at Winter Clove and they fell in love with this place - just as I had. Our youngest daughter balked at going with us "because she didn't like it as a teenager". I told her that she was a mother now and she would have a different outlook. She gave in and now looks forward to going there with her husband and two sons. You can't find a better place to spend time with your children and grandchildren. The staff is very accommodating and it is nice to see Lenore and the same staff up there year after year. This adds to that "home again" feeling. And what does Grandma remember most about this place when she thinks about it? It's that porch. I love just sitting out there on a rocking chair enjoying the view. It is awesome and very soothing.

Great place for one to travel to just to get away. ALL YOU CAN EAT MEALS INCLUDED!!! GReat house, feels like home. So much to do, indoor and out door pools. Conference Center. FAll is the greatest time to go.