Cozy Cabins, Luxury Resorts, and Boutique Hotels to Book for Your Next Poconos Getaway
More than a dozen places to rest your head for the night.
The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort. Photograph courtesy The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort
Ready to be amongst people again? Book a room at one of these great places.
The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort
Monroe
Sure, Shawnee makes an ideal home base for exploring the nearby natural wonders of the Delaware Water Gap and the downtown scenes of the Stroudsburgs. But because it’s got something for everyone (riverside glamping, archery, fireside s’mores, an on-site brewery, a pool, a spa — it’s basically summer camp for the whole family), you can have just as much fun staying put. Shawnee on Delaware; from $124 per night.
The Lodge at Woodloch
Wayne
Whether you’re sweating through a Pilates class, indulging in a multi-course meal with vegan options, getting a reiki treatment at the spa, or soaking up forest views from the infinity hot tub, this adults-only wellness resort — one of the more luxe options in the Poconos — delivers on the deep peace you need after all the stressors of 2020. Hawley; from $384 per night.
Camelback Resort
Monroe
After the kids try all 50 slides at the on-site water parks (or attend their drop-in day camps), Mom hits the spa, and Dad goes zip-lining, the whole family can cook dinner in the resort’s recently renovated condo-style rooms, which feature full kitchens. Even better: Let staff serve you at one of the 13 on-site restaurants. Tannersville; from $232 per night.
The Mansion at Noble Lane. Photograph courtesy the Mansion at Noble Lane
The Mansion at Noble Lane
Wayne
“Akwaaba” — the name of the chainlet that includes this B&B — means “welcome” in the Ghanaian Twi language, and you’ll certainly get a warm one at this grand Colonial Revival manor. Akwaaba CEO Monique Greenwood — a former EIC of Essence magazine — creates a family atmosphere for guests, with sophisticated homestyle cooking at breakfast and dinner plus a gym, tennis courts, a pool and a spa. Bethany; from $205 per night.
Magnolia Streamside Resort
Monroe
Summer in the woods as God — or, at the very least, your grandparents — intended: a babbling brook by which to drink your coffee, porch hammocks for late-afternoon naps, a big brick patio for group s’mores and board games, and no TVs in the spacious cabins and suites. Canadensis; from $215 per night.
Skytop. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
Skytop Lodge
Monroe
With starched white tablecloths in the dining room, gleaming wood paneling in the foyer, and the promise of lawn bowling in the manicured gardens, Skytop is the platonic ideal of a luxurious Gatsby-era summer retreat. The property features 20 hiking trails, a lake, an 18-hole golf course, and an on-site naturalist, so it’s no wonder families have been returning here for generations. Skytop; from $203 per night.
Hotel Fauchère. Photograph courtesy Hotel Fauchère.
Hotel Fauchère
Pike
Downtown Milford’s circa-1880 boutique hotel once attracted the likes of Sarah Bernhardt and Mae West. Nearly bulldozed in 2001, it was scooped up by preservationists Richard L. Snyder and Sean Strub (now the mayor of Milford) and returned to its former glory and then some (see: original pine flooring, not-so-original marble baths, and a basement speakeasy). Milford; from $289 per night.
Rainbow Mountain Resort
Monroe
Of course this venerable LGBTQ resort has a dance club as part of the mix. The spare but not sterile accommodations vary — pick from cabins, glamping tents and hotel rooms — and not all come with private baths, but each guest has access to the gratis Continental breakfast and a range of sports facilities, including tennis courts, a gym and a pool. East Stroudsburg; from $85 per night.
Dolon House
Carbon
Calling all antiques lovers! This Victorian mansion turned B&B is filled with rarities: 19th-century Venetian stemware dresses up the dining room, and Doc’s Suite — the most eye-catching of the five rooms — boasts Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and two windowed turrets. Look for the shy house pup, Pearl, and take note — guests must be over 18 (because, you know, the rarities). Jim Thorpe; from $230 per night.
Settlers Inn. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
Settlers Hospitality
Wayne
Settlers operates three properties in the Lake Wallenpaupack area: the Arts-and-Crafts-style Settlers Inn; contemporary Ledges Hotel; and Silver Birches, the only property to give you a true Lake Wallenpaupack experience, because it’s the only one on the lake. Opt for a waterside cottage with a covered porch for those hot summer days. Hawley; from $206 a night.
Mountain Springs Lake
Monroe
Can’t decide between a private cabin and resort amenities? At Mountain Springs, you don’t have to. Ten minutes south of the crowds at Camelback, the compound’s collection of cozy two- and three-bedroom cottages dots the shore of a private stocked-to-fish lake, and you can paddle your complimentary rowboat to two sandy beaches with tricked-out play areas. Reeders; from $295 per night.
Kalahari Resort & Convention Center
Monroe
One of four resorts owned by a Wisconsin family that fell in love with Africa, this huge hotel and equally huge indoor water park offer all sorts of family-friendly activities, from water rides to black-light miniature golf to arcade games, plus a spa for the grown-ups and an international menu of restaurants. While you’re there, take some time to admire the original African artwork in the public areas and learn about the life of Nelson Mandela, the subject of a series of posters commissioned by the family. Pocono Manor, from $213 per night, water-park passes included.
The Deer Head Inn
Monroe
This storied hotel (it’s where Miles Davis pianist Keith Jarrett got his start and later recorded a live album) has long been a mainstay of the Poconos jazz scene, and still does live gigs in its intimate dining room. Bonus: It’s a stone’s throw from the Appalachian Trail. Delaware Water Gap; from $130 per night.
Inside the Rex. Photograph courtesy the Rex
New & Coming Soon!
On the northern edge of Promised Land State Park, United by Blue founders Brian and Joanna Linton will debut the Rex, a reimagined 10-unit 1950s motel, around Memorial Day weekend. Further south near Lake Naomi, Bucks County-based TV producer Monica Mangin is renovating Camp Pocono Pines, a six-cabin complex complete with a bocce court and a BYO garage bar, aiming for a July debut. Staythe-rex.com; theinnfluencer.com.
Published as “Give a Resort a Go” in the “We’re Going to the Poconos!” guide in the June 2021 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
