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As oxymoronic as it sounds, there’s an haute humbleness about Little Cat Lodge. The building itself is a motor lodge, but one that is painted a moody black. Rooms are cozy and quaint, yet the high-design mind will pick up on the Noguchi lamps glowing softly in a corner. In the lobby, there’s a 1970s butter yellow crockpot filled to the brim with mulled wine—that, upon sipping, reveals itself to be a cultivated blend of Zweigelt, Armagnac, and spices. Little Cat Lodge is both modishly modest and modestly modish.
The hoteliers behind it, Noah Bernamoff and Matt Kliegman, have long had their finger on the pulse of low-key luxury: Bernamoff was a James Beard semi-finalist for Mile End Deli, while Kliegman is an operator of buzzy New York hotspots Jac’s and Pebble Bar. They opened Little Cat, their first joint hospitality project, this past summer. In just a few months, it’s become a popular laidback weekend getaway for in-the-know New Yorkers thanks to its elevated kitsch ambiance, noteworthy food, as well as its location at the base of Catamount Mountain, a small ski resort that’s long drawn a loyal regional crowd. (Little Cat Lodge has the added geographical bonus of being on the border of New York and the Berkshires region of Massachusetts, meaning it can draw a multi-state crowd.)
Its interiors are Alpine-meets-Americana: checkerboard couches with floral embroidered pillows sit among chairs made from maple wood sourced from the forest nearby. Folksy painted motifs, including edelweiss, are painted on wooden banquettes as they would be at Captain Von Trapp’s house. There’s a dash of Japanese minimalism too—from the aforementioned Noguchi lamps to the deliberately sparse, wood-focused design of the guest lodgings.
Little Cat Lodge s interior designer Loren Daye of LoveIsEnough looked at après aesthetics from around the world and throughout history when dreaming up the interiors. “We all started to look at Japan’s winter refuges, 1950s and ’60s Western Massachusetts ski culture, and rural cabins throughout the Alps,” she tells Vogue. “The common thread in Little Cat’s design was experiential. Like what’s ski culture? What’s mountain culture? What’s village culture? That Venn diagram of experience seemed to have resonance in Hokkaido s onsen, Alpine slopes, and the 1960s Berkshires.”
LoveIsEnough tried to use local makers as much as possible: Primary Visual, based in Hudson, made much of the furniture for the guest rooms, along with additional pieces from nearby woodworker, Megan Offner. A local artist, Esme Shapiro, is behind the cheery nature paintings that dot the walls. Meanwhile, the main bar is a pebble dash terrazzo, made from local river rocks. “We try to embrace a truly regional approach in our projects,” says Daye.
The distinct aesthetic extends to the cuisine, too: at the excellent onsite restaurant, offerings include everything from burgers to schnitzels to pâté. (The mushroom rigatoni, in particular, is a must-order.) But the best fact of all? For both New Yorkers and Bostonians, it’s only a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Booking details for Little Cat Lodge
A mountainside getaway, Little Cat Lodge rests at the intersection of New York’s Hudson Valley and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. The seven acres of property are home to 12 rooms, two suites, and a restaurant, all with a luxuriously cozy aesthetic. Choose from an endless array of all-season activities, whether skiing and snowboarding at a walkable resort, or zip-lining, mountain biking, and golfing. It’s a city escape to restore all wandering souls.
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, heated outdoor pool, sauna, daily complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi
Address: 37 Catamount Rd, Hillsdale, NY, 12529
