When New York goes grey and freezing, the city's travel writers don't hibernate — they escape. The team at Condé Nast Traveler has shared the hotels they're actually booking this winter, and the list reads like a blueprint for the perfect cold-weather weekend: mostly within a couple of hours of Manhattan, plus one sunny Florida wildcard.
The furthest-flung pick is also the most glamorous: the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside, Miami. The property has serious pedigree — Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor both passed through in its day — and the plan here involves a Champagne Bar toast, seafood pasta at Lido, and the quieter beaches of Surfside rather than the South Beach scrum. There's also a detour to the Rubell Museum in Allapattah for art lovers.
Back upstate, the Catskills dominate. Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian is about two and a half hours from Manhattan and built entirely around cosiness: copper clawfoot bathtubs with snow views, fireplaces, Pendleton blankets, a sauna and even a bowling alley. Non-skiers, take note — this is a stay-inside sort of trip, with a pilgrimage to the beloved Phoenicia Diner on the way.
Also in the Hudson Valley region, Wildflower Farms in Gardiner sits just 90 minutes from the city and is pitched as the anti-itinerary escape. Coffee and pastries happen around the fire at the Great Porch, with views of the Shawangunk Ridge; dinners are rustic American at Clay, sourced from local farms; and the Thistle spa uses small-batch, hand-harvested oils in its treatments. Nearby Inness, in Accord, takes a similar slow-lane approach — cabins with fireplaces, a fire pit overlooking the snow-covered Catskills, and pancakes and Negronis at the farmhouse bar. Walks along the Ashokan Reservoir come recommended, plus browsing in Kingston and Woodstock.
In Connecticut, the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Litchfield County, is the pick for a full wellness reset. An Auberge property, it delivers on food too: seasonal cooking in the Garden Room (the burger gets a specific shout-out) and tavern fare with proper cocktails in the Tap Room. Reviewers highlight the spa, firepits and farm-fresh meals as reasons to barely leave the grounds.
The most surprising option needs no car at all: The Rockaway Hotel & Spa, out at the ocean in Queens. In winter, its summer pool-party space converts into a cosy Winter Pool House with cedar barrel saunas and a heated outdoor pool — warm water, cold sea breeze, zero beach crowds. Burgers and martinis at the lobby restaurant Margie's seal the deal.
Why it matters: winter getaways don't need flights or long hauls if you're near New York, and even the Florida option is a quick hop. The common thread is warmth — saunas, fireplaces, deep food — rather than sightseeing marathons. It's a useful list for anyone planning a long weekend from the city, whether you're a couple after a quiet spa break, a friend group chasing a birthday in Miami, or a solo traveller who just wants a bathtub with a view. — Condé Nast Traveler
