Need cheaper alternative to Mohonk Mountain House -- for extended family get together in fall? archived

You might look into Split Rock Lodge, Lake Harmony, PA.

For far less than that you would be able to rent an entire house for an entire week. You might even be able to get something on a lake.

We're looking for a place with meals, common sitting areas, etc., since my Dad will be 85 and will not be joining us for all the activities.

or close to Lake Harmony you could stay at the [url=http://www.theinnkeeper.com/bnb/8419]Inn at Jim Thorpe[/url].

check skytop in the Poconos. It ain't super cheap either, but a little less than Mohonk, and qualitatively arguably just as nice.

My friend really loves this place in the Poconos. No idea how it falls price-wise though.
http://www.woodloch.com/

I priced out Woodloch Pines, Mohonk and Skytop. Mohonk was tops, Woodloch was 10% less, and Skytop was 20% less. Heading to Skytop for similar in July. The prices there depend on how many people there are in each room--once you cross that 4/5 person threshhold, the cost/night can be scary. Good luck!

My wife surprised me for my last birthday with a stay at Minnewaska Lodge which is just down the road from Mohonk. It doesn't offer the level of amenities Mohonk does and only serves breakfast but there are many restaurants nearby in New Paltz which is less than a 10 minute drive. They also have a great German restaurant that is just past their driveway. They have a great sitting area overlooking the Shawnangunk ridge that towers up from the back of the lodge. There are many parks nearby with spectacular fall colors for the fall as well. Check out their site as it offers more info that may be helpful to you.
http://minnewaskalodge.com/

You might inquire at the Four Chimneys Inn in Bennington, VT, about three hrs 20 mins drive from M-SO.

You could also try to google what's available around Williamstown, MA and the Berkshires. There are some hotels and inns there that will be more competitive than Mohonk. The price you mentioned for Mohonk is about right and what we've paid for a weekend there.

You can go farther and get more for that amount in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont. And you can spend a lot less in those places and get what you want.

I like these two places, although I've never stayed at either, the only reason being that my families vacation home is near both, so it seems kinda silly to spend my hard earned money there.

http://www.thesettlersinn.com/

http://www.hotelfauchere.com/welcome/welcome.php

Not sure of their prices as compared to Mohonk, but I'm pretty sure the Hotel Fauchere is more expensive than The Settler's Inn. Both are under 2 hours drive away. Both are in small, somewhat quaint towns, both probably have activities nearby. I would say Milford has a bit more to offer in terms of shopping, dining, site seeing, and Hawley is really tiny, but the hotel is charming. So, depending on the length of your stay, if it's only a long weekend, you could likely keep your self busy enough.