The Six Bells, Rosendale, NY

In short… A maximalist 11-room inn straight out of a storybook in the mid Hudson Valley

The surroundings… This whimsical new Hudson Valley getaway is set in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Rosendale, but it draws its spirit from Barrow’s Green, a fictional village dreamed up by owner Audrey Gelman. Step inside the hotel, and you’ll spot a mural of the imaginary town on the ceiling and copies of its local newspaper on the coffee table. 

It doesn’t feel gimmick-y or overdone—you can lean in as little or as much as you want.  At breakfast, I rifled through The Green Evening Chronicle, the fake town’s very real newspaper, which covers local gossip, events, crime reports written with a wink, and classifieds for chimney sweeps and used book stores I almost forgot weren’t real. It’s a window into just how layered the world they’ve created is. Reading it, I learned about Eustace Ashbee, the town’s former vicar (and the muse for my room), who mysteriously vanished after a late-night embrace with Lady Ashborne—context that helped explain the hand-stenciled scene of a foiled elopement in my room.

The backstory… The building dates back to 1850, when it first opened as the Central Hotel during Rosendale’s cement industry boom. It passed through various owners and iterations before Audrey Gelman—a former political consultant and founder of shuttered women’s club, The Wing—purchased it and transformed it into The Six Bells—the first hospitality extension of her country home store in Brooklyn. 

There’s a small shop in the lobby, and everything in the rooms is shoppable: if you fall in love with your mattress, you can take it home—same goes for the Tyrolean accent chairs or needlepoint pillows with cheeky sayings. It doesn’t feel pushy or salesy, just smart. There’s a gentle reminder in the welcome binder in case you missed the memo, but mostly it feels like a low pressure way to “try on” the country aesthetic. I left wondering if a scalloped gingham quilt might actually work in my very modern NYC apartment. I’ll have to swing by the store when I’m back in the city….

The vibe… Relaxed but cool. At the restaurant, there was a mix of chic couples from the city in Dôen peasant blouses and gingham matching sets, and big families mapping out the next day’s plans on the porch while kids colored and parents sipped cocktails. Everyone mostly kept to themselves, but there was a friendly energy as we bumped into each other in the hallway throughout the weekend.

The rooms… Each of the inn’s eleven rooms is inspired by a character from the fictional town of Barrow’s Green. I stayed in the Lamplight room, which draws from the story of Eutace Ashbee, the town’s disgraced former vicar. The centerpiece was a king-sized box bed recessed into the wall, framed by peacock-blue wooden scrolls and brick-red tasseled curtains, and dressed in a quilt and ruffled accent pillows, of course. The rest of the room was spacious and cozy, with a long couch, rattan coffee table, and upholstered chair forming a sitting area, plus a writing desk—presumably where Vicar Ashbee once conducted official business by candlelight. (The Six Bells’ own apricot-scented candle on the desk smelled divine.)

The food… Their creekside restaurant, the Feathers Tavern, has a country-inspired menu with dishes like deviled eggs, dandelion-greens salad, and half roast chicken. The cocktails are great, too—I had the New York 76, a cute twist on a French 75 made with local cider instead of Champagne. Breakfast is available every morning for hotel guests: a spread of cow and sheep yogurt, granola, fruit, eggs, cheeses, smoked trout, the best overnight oats I’ve ever had, and some adorable butter shaped like mini bundt cakes to spread on scones or rustic bread. 

The wellness… There’s no gym or spa, so wellness here is more about getting outside. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail runs right through town, with a long scenic path for walking or biking, and the nearby Mohonk Preserve has even more trails to explore. One afternoon, I went for a run over the Rosendale Trestle—a long bridge over the creek —then cooled off with a dip in the water below. If you’re craving a more structured workout, I spotted a pilates studio next to the hotel and a personal training studio just across the street. 

The kid-friendly factor… The storybook vibes will bring out your inner child no matter your age, but for actual kids, there’s an adorable playroom on the ground floor with board games, wooden toys, and children’s books. The Innkeeper’s Suite and Scrubett’s Ledge rooms are best suited for families, since they each have two bedrooms and living areas. And I’d be remiss not to mention the Teddy Bear Museum just down the road.

Be sure to… Use the inn as a jumping off point to explore the greater Hudson Valley. There’s so much to do—I spoke to the bartenders who had great recommendations about towns to visit and restaurants to try, and also used our Hudson Valley list from Emma Tuccillo to scope out some antique stores and cafes. Don’t miss Maple Lawn Antiques! 

Parting words… If you’re thinking that a lot of this sounds like the set up for a murder mystery party—same. And as it turns out, they are planning to host those later this year, along with other programming. And since events were such a focus of The Wing (where everyone from Hillary Clinton to Jennifer Lopez spoke), it’ll be interesting to see how they lean into that at The Six Bells. 

Dates of stay… June 28-30, 2025