Have you ever dreamed about spending the night in a castle? A castle with turrets, gargoyles, and suits of armor? Maybe you think you’d have to travel to England or France…and that the price would be steep. Well, you can have that experience in a unique hotel that’s only a little over three hours drive from New York!
This is Amsterdam Castle, located in the small town of Amsterdam, NY. The building was originally designed by Isaac Perry, one of the architects who worked on the capitol building in Albany. Built in 1895, it originally served as an armory. After it was decommissioned, it passed into private hands and was transformed into a hotel.
The hotel is decorated in a whimsical, medieval-inspired style. There are suits of armor:
And gargoyles:
And there are sitting rooms with elegant antique furniture, clocks, and lamps…
The highlight of the castle is the Great Hall, which is created from the armor’s former drill hall, and has its original high ceiling:
The Great Hall houses a bar, and a restaurant, the latter open on Friday and Saturday evenings.
You can view a short video that I made about the hotel here:
Rooms at this unique hotel start at $122 a night (plus tax). As I mentioned, it’s within driving distance of New York, and is also reachable via Amtrak service.
The hotel is filled with fun nooks and crannies, and has colorful objects everywhere you look! If you love history and fanciful artwork, it’s your castle getaway!
JoAnn's Imagined Past 