RESTORED ELEGANCE The distinctive gables of the main building at Callicoon Hills in Callicoon Center recall an earlier period when hostelry was Sullivan County’s primary industry. Manor Ink file photo
The Hills returns to the hills
Historic resort imbued with luxurious ‘simplicity’
By Winter Sager | Manor Ink
Callicoon Center, NY – The story of Callicoon Hills goes further back than what you might expect at first glance. Despite its recent opening, Callicoon Hills has a deep history lasting hundreds of years. Manor Ink sat down with Matt Lohry, project manager at the resort, to discuss the opening of the newly renovated, historic facility.
The story of Callicoon Hills began in the 1860s, when it opened as a boarding house for laborers, a structure that currently forms the entrance room with the front desk at the resort. The Callicoon Hills officially became a hotel around 1953, when a woman with the last name Hills officially took over and named it The Hills.
Over the years, many additions have been added to the building and around the grounds, expanding the boarding house structure to become the extensive property that Callicoon Hills is today.
“Later on, in the ’60s, they built the kitchen, all of which was to satisfy more capacity,” Lohry said. “Then, as the ’60s became the ’70s, things started to decline.”
RESTFUL Nestled in the pines along the Gulf Road, the Callicoon Hills has recently reopened to the public following an extensive renovation. Manor Ink photo
New owners, new approach
In the 1970s, the property was eventually bought and run as a resort until 2016 when the current owners took over, bringing in Lohry’s team, Implied Hotels, to manage and reinvent the hotel as the facility it is today.
Callicoon Hills offers outdoor activities that include hiking, fishing and swimming in its huge pool. The resort has 65 guest rooms available, a café and a restaurant and bar. Callicoon Hills also offers event bookings for weddings and larger corporate events as well as focusing on more services for the community. They hope to open the swimming pool to the public at designated times by next year.
The ideas behind the renovation of the resort focus on bringing back the natural beauty of the area and adding in an element of whimsy. Parts of the reworking were done to make the accommodations comfortable and simple, while also feeling more than a little luxurious.
Community input essential
Callicoon Hills hopes to continue to work with the community, as well as guests and visitors. The management has been taking input from guests, staff and neighbors in an effort to continue to improve both the space and the experience.
“The community is always important, that’s also something not to ignore. We’ve been meeting all kinds of neighbors. One of the interesting things for me was meeting those neighbors and hearing how they feel about wedding events and cars and people coming,” Lohry noted. ”The community is always important.”
Callicoon Hills has hired many local residents, creating new jobs and opportunities for the Callicoon Center community, helping guests get a better sense of the area.
Though the structure, design and management of Callicoon Hills has changed, the goal is the same at the end of the day, to serve and better the community as a whole.