PIAULE, IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Catskill, New York
August 2021
By Ross Belfer
The disintegration of stress and anxiety took place just a few moments after arriving at Piaule “landscape hotel” in Catskill, New York. After a treacherous 18 months of staying afloat during a pandemic, trying to salvage my business, bringing a child into this world and essentially being isolated from friends and family for the greater part of a year, I decided it was time for a night of solo exploration and to honor one’s self with a good night’s sleep and removal from the pressure cooker that is life. Buzzings about Piaule, an abstraction of a new hotel upstate that was created in the specific taste of its owners, piqued my attention so I took the Amtrak up to Hudson, caught a ride with RB and headed on my way.
Piaule is by far not your typical hotel experience — and all preconceived notions and expectations for what a high-end property is and should be can be left on the street. Piaule feels more of an art installation where you can immerse yourself within a leaf of pristine nature, comforted by the softest cotton sheets and linens, bath products that are reminiscent, but not quite Le Labo, and a beautifully eerie quiet that is normally not the norm. Typical service, there is not, and dining options are sparse. In fact, the property did not serve lunch or dinner during my stay, and breakfast was limited to yoghurt and slices of fruit, but still, somehow, I managed to remain satiated and entrenched in some sort of a peaceful daze. Cabins at Piaule are built in what felt like freshly cut wood that was still settling into itself after delicate and meticulous construction, with its pathway-facing frontal size a singular glass panel. There is much more to be said about Piaule (a clever “gift shop” with Piaule-branded apparel and objects, stylish lobby furniture and overall uniqueness of sorts) but I would rather let the images speak for themselves and hope that whoever reads this post will be intrigued enough to experience Piaule firsthand.
