Customer Service in Question - Want to communicate to my fellow traveler, please MAKE sure you are 100% sure of your arrangements. Did not even get to stay and customer service was disappointing. With enough options, family excitement got in the way and overlooked a less then 72hr $30 fee to what we booked 6months in advance, in 10min realized with the confirmation this is any cancellation a $30 fee. And yet still the management charged me the fee. Wow would question the service when there if they are sticklers - by the way they can not even spell correctly "Cancellations mader less". Maybe to make the customer madder. DO FULL RESEARCH to make sure this it, never heard of 6month cancellation fees. there are other places that would not need that royal treatment to take my hard working dollar for breathing. read more

First I want to say this resort is beautiful, the rooms are elegant, and the ambiance was perfect for a mountain family wedding, which we attended this weekend at Firefox Mountain House. I also want to say that I experienced 4 hours of the most unnecessary stress of my weekend strictly because of this resort. We arrived Saturday at 11am with our 1.5yo for a wedding, which started at 5pm. We immediately checked-in and politely asked if it was possible to get into our room as early as possible to get our 1.5yo for a nap so she didn't crash the wedding ceremony/reception. The front desk politely informed us that their guarantee for room access was 3pm, but they would notify their housekeeping staff. It seemed like all steps were in motion, and we proceeded to enjoy the grounds and lunch at their adjoint cafe (delicious rueben sandwiches btw!). At 1pm we walked by our room and saw that housekeeping was indeed cleaning our room (thinking hoorah! we'll get her down by 1:30-2 at the latest), we asked to be notified immediately when the room was done, at which point we were told that the housekeeping management had to "check off" the room before we could get in. We reminded them we were waiting to put the baby down and to please contact the HK manager. We were told they would inform management. At 1:30 we saw housekeeping leave our room. Again we asked to get into our room, still received the answer about management needing to check the room out. At 1:45 we brought our crying baby to the front desk and asked if it was possible to expedite the process as we needed this little girl to nap before the wedding. Same answer. At 2pm my father-in-law proceeded to talk to front desk and asked the manager to call him asap, he received the same answer. At 2:30pm my mother-in-law proceeded to the front desk and firmly planted herself in front of the staff until she received the key to our room. Needless to say our overtired 1.5yo didn't fall asleep until 3:30, got an hour nap and we almost missed the start of the wedding ceremony bc we had to rush getting her dressed and driving ourselves to the venue since we had to miss the party bus due to this nonsense. At a whopping $450 per night, this was completely and utterly unacceptable. I have stayed in hundreds of hotels where I have arrived early, and have never had to wait more than 30 mins to get into a room before check-in time; this is called guest accommodation. And all of this because a manager had to make sure our toilet paper was folded into a triangle?? Again, beautiful hotel, horrible service to families with children. read more

I have nothing but negative things to say about the Emerson Resort And Spa, the staff is extremely rude and uses language they should not be using in front of guest. I experienced VERY VERY VERY disrespect but the woman who works at the front desk with short blonde hair and glasses. VERY nasty attitude. Speaks to guest as if they are stupid. Housekeeping is absolutely terrible, their attitudes are no better than the people at the front desk. I was absolutely blown away seeing what this place considered a " clean " room. Hair in the bath tubs, hair on the toilet, sticky stuff on vanity. Let's not forget the brown water, and the musty smell. I understand they are a "pet friendly " place, but I believe they should put a little more effort into getting the smell of dog piss and shit out of their rooms. And it absolutely blows my mind that these rooms are not looked over before guest arrive. What "5 Star " or " high end" place allows for housekeeping not to change the sheets? What guest wants to pay the money that they do, only to get into bed at night and find crumbs, hair and stains on their sheets? I also, don't not find it professional or polite that when a guest asks a member of the staff for extra things, they get ignored or have to wait over an hour to get what they asked for, or when they do finally get what they asked for they are only brought 1 or 2. I also, do not find it professional the language that is being used in front of the guest. From my understanding after asking an employee who one lady was due to SEXUAL comments being mad was, I was inform she was THEIR SUPERVISOR! Unbelievable!!! They don't care about their guest, or their safety. I had informed a housekeeper about the parking lot, and the ice and how slippery the parking lot was. She informed me she would let front desk know about my complaint. Only for nothing to be done! Place is not well maintained. Very unorganized, extremely unprofessional and 100% inappropriate and poor attitude. They never want to hear or listen to a guest complaint. I would 100% not recommend this place to any of my friends or family to go stay at. I had a very horrible stay. I couldn't shower, brush my teeth due to the musty smell of the water the BROWN WATER. Nor did I get a good nights sleep knowing I was sleeping on DIRTY SHEETS! I had also discovered, my large bath towels were also used, my robe had some kind of brown stuff on the collar. The water glasses that are provided in the bathroom, DIRTY. Opened my mini fridge, there was a musty smell coming from there, and there was as if someone spilt food or some sort of drink in there. I feel the Emerson needs to rethink their employment and find people that would take their job seriously, know how to clean, change sheets, use the correct language in the work place, have better attitudes, personalities. Because with the staff they have now, absolutely terrible! Especially at the front desk. I have never felt so belittled and disrespected as I did dealing with that woman at the front desk. I will not be returning to the Emerson Resort And Spa. I wish I could give this place ZERO stars, because in my opinion I feel that is the correct rating their deserve. Terrible. Such a shame. Would be a lovely place if they had different management and employment. read more

It has become our family tradition over the holidays for my daughters and I to get a massage at Emerson's. We have always been pleased with the quality and service. This year, they were booked for massages so we opted for a "luxury" pedicure. For double the amount I usually pay for a pedicure, this was extremely disappointing! While the manicurists were nice, it wasn't special at all. The massage was nonexistent and it started chipping soon after. We felt very rushed and I am very disappointed. read more

My husband and I just checked out of the Emerson. We were there for 4 days and as usual (we go there once a year) our stay was relaxing, the service was excellent and the staff was most accommodating. The staff was always friendly and they always enjoyed playing with our little dog who accompanied us. Overall, the inside of our room was clean but the outside patio wasn't tended to. There was a water bottle left by the prior guest and there were several spider webs. Other than that, we were pleased with our stay...they even let us check out an hour later without charging us an additional fee. To make this hotel 5 stars: 1. I do wish they had a bell staff to help us carry our bags to the 2nd floor 2. I wish you could see the river while sitting on the patio - the hotel needs to cut back the wild brush in order to not obstruct the view of the river. 3. I wish there were bath salts and bubble bath for the spa tub in the room. 4. I wish they could have accommodated us with a microwave in our room (but they did allow us to use the microwave at the front desk). 5. A complimentary drink at the restaurant when guests arrive would be nice. 6. Finally, room service would be AWESOME!!! read more

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My husband and I stayed here for a weekend. Everyone is so nice and friendly. We ate at the woodnotes grill twice and both times the food was great. The thing that really made me give them 5 stars is this... we visited the spa and when I put my robe on, I took off my diamond necklace and put it in the pocket. When my massage was over, i forgot about my necklace and put the robe in their hamper. Well while we were on our way home, i realized what i did. I called there and they said they will search the spa and the laundry and if they find it, they will call me. Well guess who called my husband two days later? Yup! They found it, called us and then shipped it back to me. Im very grateful an honest person found it and did the right thing. Thank you for a great weekend and thank you for being so honest!!!! read more

I was less than thrilled by my 2 nights at the Emerson, my room was facing the back - where there was construction going on , the restaurant was much less than accommodating, as my husband had a steak which was nearly inedible due to fat and gristle... when I mentioned it to the manager , he shrugged and said ' these things happen...' yeah theses things do happen but they sure won't happen to us again . For the money paid , I believe he should have offered an alternative to the poor quality or at least a reduction in the bill . read more

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Catamount a few months ago and the whole experience was absolutely wonderful. Marci Smith is a wonderful event coordinator who is always on top of her game. She made sure everything went smoothly and that us and our guests were happy. Marci is an angel. The food was delicious and lodging was cozy and welcoming for our many out of town guests. There is absolutely nothing that we would have changed about our big day! read more

My boyfriend and I were very pleased with our stay here. We found our room and the hotel grounds to be clean and well-kept. There was construction going on in the restaurant, but the noise was kept to a minimum and only noticeable during business hours. The front desk staff was very welcoming and able to offer restaurant and activity recommendations on several occasions. The only con in my mind was the pool area, which was smaller than expected and did not have enough lounge chairs to accommodate everyone. I ended up laying on a towel on the grass- not ideal. Overall, would recommend to anyone looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway! read more

The hotel was a bit of a mixed bag. We stayed in a junior suite in the lodge for 2 nights for a wedding. Upon entering the room there was a bit of a musty smell. The hotel was given a woodsy natural look but personally I thought it looked a bit fake a cheap, definitely not what I would expect from a $200 a night place. The bed was comfortable and while I didn't use it the massive spa tub it looked like fun. The coffee maker was disgusting and we had to call for a new one, not sure how long the water had been sitting in it but it was thick and gelatinous. Food options were pretty limited and the breakfast restaurant closes fairly early. All the wedding food was very good. Without the free access to the spa I would have felt that the $200 price tag was ridiculous. They have plush robes and sandals to wear while you enjoy the hot tub, sauna, and steam room. If I was looking for a place to get away from the city for a couple days I'm not sure this would be mu choice but it was fine for the wedding. read more

So I must say that there are many times that I am pleasantly supprised in my life but this hotel surprised me and made me love it before I even got there, and did it in a way that I am not used to. I was heading up to the area to visit Woodstock and wanted to spend a nice long weekend with my girlfriend so I thought of the Emerson as I have driven past it several times. I booked it on line which was easy for Saturday thru Monday and then later on we decided we wanted to go up on friday as well. I booked a Regal Suite at the adults only inn (not the lodge) for those 2 nights but when I went to add the extra night I couldn't because there was a wedding there that weekend and they only had a top of the line room which was way out of my price range. I called the next day and spoke to the reservations manager, who was sooooo nice and very friendly. He told me that he would look into some options for me and he then put me in the same upgraded room we had for the original 2 nights for my additional night and only charged me a week day rate rather than a weekend rate to help me save some money. This was above and beyond and made me love the Emerson before I even arrived. I was truly blown away by how nice he was. When we got there, everything got even better. The Inn is beautiful and decorated in a hip Moroccan style with retro art. The room, well I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The bed was one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in and the linens were super soft. The room was beautify decorated with a comfy couch, table, lounge chairs and a gas fireplace that was instant on so we enjoyed it 2 nights when it got chilly out. We had our own deck that you could hear the Esopus river right behind the units. The bathroom, well the bathroom was the icing on the cake! I am not someone who really cares about a bathroom as long as the water is hot and the toilet doesn't run, but this one made me rethink what a bathroom should be. It had a 2 person jaccuzi tub (and a real 2 people not 2 sardines in a can) with plenty of hot water. The shower was a Swedish walk in shower with water heads what came from 5 different locations. I think I showers or soaked in the tub 4 times a day simply because it was so nice. We did not eat at the restaurants at the hotel (there are 2 on the property) as we love to go eat all of the organic yummies they have in Woodstock. I thought the weekend might be loud because of the wedding party but we didn't her a peep. The spa at the resort was excellent as well and we took a yoga class one afternoon which was very very good, and peaceful because of the setting. The resort has some great places for a morning walk along the Esopus river right behind it that we enjoyed every morning as we strolled with our morning coffee made right in our room with the Keureg brewer. On the whole I think that this is one of the best hotels I have stayed at both for their excellent customer service all the way around, and for the comfort and relaxation we found in every aspect of the hotel. The only thing I would change (and I am reaching to find something here) would be to add shades or curtains in the room on the two upper windows above the fireplace as I could black out the room except for those two windows. Again, I am nit picking here only because it's the only minor thing I could find on an amazing resort, stay and truly wonderful experience. The Emerson will always be my first choice when I go up to the catskill region again. Thank you to all of the staff there and especially the reservations manager for making our trip truly memorable. read more

called the hotel at the last minute, late at night for a large party. They were extremely accommodating. The rooms were charming and what you would expect at a lodge. very very clean, which is 90% of how much I will enjoy my stay at any hotel. The bathroom and the furnishings were in excellent condition. I asked for a late checkout and they were more than accommodating. The food at the Phoenix was very well priced, huge portions and very good. I was there with two children aged 10 and 6 and they had a great time just running around the property and swimming in the pool. We did not use the spa. I understand people expect more for the price here but not too many places like this exist in upstate new york. read more

Really bummed this visit! Before my husband and I started having kids, we would frequent here often. Coming back for the first time in 5 years-was a complete disappointment. The building (lodge where we stay) was more rundown--hadn't been updated in years (paint peeling in bathroom, etc) and prices were totally inflated! We were promised a particular room, which I called about twice, and got something else! Not to mention, as opposed to the room overlooking "the creek"--it actually overlooked the facilities (people drilling/doing odd jobs all day) and a big dirt pile! Basically a construction zone. (Room 206). The morning we checked out we were woken at 630am to the sound of a loud motor running/spin sound. Had to call to have it stop--but at that point we were already out of bed! The staff was really nice and offered to take care of us when we "come back" which I find funny because why would we come back when you can't take care of us the time we are actually there. We won't be returning. read more

our daughter arranged an overnight stay at the inn and spa for us after spending the last year or more dealing with my cancer, radiation and chemotherapy. it was the most relaxing two days that i have experienced in a year and a half. we loved the bed, the bathroom amenities, the dining, and the views. read more

I have no idea how all the people had such difficulty here. My good experience started the first time I got on the phone to make reservations...they reserved for me the perfect room and then they actually kept it! How often does that happen?? I just spent the most tranquil 3 days ever at the inn. The staff was more than kind (even watching my dog while I went in and got coffee at the Cafe), and everything went very smoothly. Our room was beautiful; the Morrocan theme was perfection. Bathroom was fine, the shower was exceptional (three shower heads). The balcony was a lovely touch, and it was perfectly quiet the entire time (never happened before!). Sound too good to be true? Well, I earned it after recently staying at the nastiest, most expensive hotel on Long Island...I think of it as good karma points, well earned. I was expecting the worst, based on all these less than stellar comments, but instead I received three days of peace and quiet and lovely walks... Thank you to all the staff that were there during my stay. (only bad thing I can comment on was a gross sandwich I got from the Phoenix, yuckkkkk) p.s. the challah french toast at the Catamount is to die for.. read more

Went through the living social deal with my husband and got another room for my parents for their anniversary. We had a wonderful time. It is really easy to get to from the thruway. The resort itself is beautiful and by far the best laid out room I've ever stayed in. To have a balcony, fireplace, dining room, and a bathroom with spa features is RARE to have in one suite but Emerson does it!. We took part in their Beginner Yoga workshop the next day ($15) and it was so nice. Breakfast was reasonable and quite delicious. My parents felt dinner was overpriced for the quality of food but I was grateful there was a decent place inside the place so we didn't have to leave. Staff and service were amazing and I hope to stay multiple nights in the future. read more

Could not have had a better stay! Great accommodations and even better service! Truly a resort. Close to belleayre and hunter mountains as well as the town of Woodstock. Matt at the front desk helped us with everything from toothpaste to providing us with the best local hiking trails. The staff made sure that our stay was perfect. The rooms at the lodge were clean, spacious and provided the catskill feel we were looking for. Can't wait to come back! read more

We stayed for two nights and it was lovely. My family went for a mini vacay with our dog. The staff was attentive and patient to all of our needs, including the dog's. I visited the resort about ten years ago and stayed at the lodge and this time, we stayed at the inn. It was lovely. The yoga class that we took Monday morning was also a delight. read more

Stayed here in August 2011 in two story suite. The bed and other furnishings were comfortable. A big jacuzzi bathtub was in my suite with a hot water tank to handle it. The two restaurants that I ate at on the property were very good. The only draw back was no cell service to speak of and sketchy internet connections. I found the stay quite comfortable and reasonable. I would stay here again. read more

My husband and I visited the Emerson for a night at the end of April. We were celebrating my birthday, my first Mother's Day and our anniversary. Since we are new parents we were only able to get away for one night. We were so much looking forward to a relaxing night away. On top of the fact that the hotel was undergoing renovations (mostly to the spa, which we did know about in advance) the original room we booked was, as they told us at check-in, "experiencing some maintenance issues". so they told us that we were being upgraded. "Great!", we thought "it's our lucky day!" WRONG. so wrong. And so began the worst hotel stay of my life. At first appearance our room was gorgeous. We stayed in the lodge. Our room was 2 floors. There was a sitting room downstairs with a wet bar and TV. Lovely rustic decor with a log cabin type feel. We walked up the stunning staircase to a loft bedroom which was equally as gorgeous. The bed was king sized but a little too soft for our taste. The bathroom although large was clean but not updated. Within 10 minutes of arriving in our room, the couple next door started to argue which was very obvious and disturbing because, as we found out, the walls at this hotel are EXTREMELY thin. We could literally hear every word. We left for dinner at 7 with the hope that our neighbors would be over their disagreement so that we could enjoy the rest of our night. Dinner was fantastic. However, when we returned at 845pm our neighbors we no longer arguing but they were now blasting music and smoking pot because we could smell it very strongly through the very very thin walls. We called the front desk and they apologized profusely and said they would call the room and ask them to turn down the music. Again, the walls were so thin I could hear the phone ring and the entire conversation. They obliged in that they lowered the music but we could still hear it ( thin walls) and the odor also continued. My husband and I decided to try to make the best of it and just watch a movie. Only to find out NO TV. not some channels. NONE. Ok now what? We're in the Catskills, our neighbors are annoying and there are no activities near by. Thank god there was at least Wifi. We were able to watch a movie on our own iPad. We eventually fell asleep only to be woken at 4am by our lovely neighbors who were onto another round of partying with loud music and what sounded like video games(???). We called the front desk again to complain. We were told someone would go to the room to find out what was going on. Someone did go to the room but of course our neighbors did not answer the door and so the hotel staff just left. They never contacted us. Never asked if we'd like another room. NOTHING. If I wanted to be woken all night, I would've stayed home with the baby. The next morning at check out I expressed to the woman at the desk how unhappy we were. Her idea of a resolution was to offer us 10% off our bill. "Excuse me?" 10% !? This room was over $325. I expected a no charge or an offer of "let us buy you breakfast". NOTHING. I went home aggrevated and intent on contacting the manager and getting a refund or some other APPROPRIATE accommodation. However, when I spoke with them although they apologized, their answer to the problem was to offer me a second stay at a reduced rate? "I'm sorry you want me to come there and spend more money??????" That conversation ended with the promise that the manager would call me back to try and fix the situation. It's now the end of June and I haven't heard from anyone at the Emerson. Please, do not waste your money here. There are much nicer resorts to choose from. read more

This unorganized, poorly slapped-together, pathetic excuse for a "resort" is one of THE WORST spa/hotels in the Hudson Valley. Not only habe the CLOSED their spa since 1/1/16- with ZERO notification as such on their website- thereby tricking potential guests into thinking that they would be visitn the spa that is now heinously falsely advertised on their site. They have also, repeatedly, verbally, legally, and morally abused the spa staff in particular. They have not only cut several loyal and dedicated spa staff's hpurs to ZERO with ZERO notice. They have also falsley clocked in and out spa staff to "cut" their hours, they have stoeln tips, and have literally CURSED at staff when they have DARED to call out sick. Never EVER spend your hard earned vacation $ at this most disreputable, dispicable lame excuse for a "resort. Just the fact that they treat their staff so abusively and unfairly will hopefulle keep you from wasting your hard earned and well deserved vacation $ at this dispicable excuse for a hotel and spa. Please heed this very well informed report. read more