I recently had the opportunity to stay at Wildflower Farms, located in Gardiner, NY in the beautiful Hudson Valley. This property is stunning and offers some fabulous activities and amenities. I want to share with you what I did during my stay and my honest thoughts on the property.

The entrance is long and unassuming, but it’s all on purpose. The buildings that make up the property blend beautifully into the landscape of seasonal wildflowers, rolling hills and views of the Shawangunk Ridge.

We arrived and were immediately greeted by friendly, smiling faces and offered a welcome beverage. We grabbed a seat by the giant fire on the Great Porch and ordered some fries and a hot pretzel, perfect for snacking while taking in the beauty of the surroundings.

I was so excited to see our room when it was finally ready. My friend and I stayed in a Meadow Cottage (this is the mid level room option) and it was stunning! All of the accommodations are free standing cabins and our room came standard with a soaking tub, fireplace and a beautiful outdoor space facing the meadow. Whether you choose the Bower Cabin (the smallest) , The Meadow Cottage or the Ridge Cottage (the largest), all of the room types have unique qualities that you will love. I have been to Wildflower before to have lunch and spend time in the spa, but this time I actually got to stay the night! Rooms here are pricey and definitely a splurge, but worth it if you are looking for a special experience and a property that has so much to do, you don’t even need to leave. There are plenty of daily free amenities to keep you busy, but there are also plenty of unique experiences available for a fee, such as art and cooking classes. Check out the offerings here! You can also utilize one of the three Mercedes Benz vehicles available to guests at no charge. What an awesome way to see the Catskills!

If I’m being honest, the room and the property are great, but I was the most excited about the Rising Blooms Focaccia Class we had booked for the afternoon. This class has been on my bucket list for a few years and when I saw it being offered for the day we would be there, I nearly had a heart attack haha. Thank the Lord for good friends that are up for anything because this class was not cheap ($165 pp)! But it was so cool. We learned about how sourdough bread is made and got to make our own creation with edible flowers, vegetables and herbs from the Wildflower Farm. The teacher of the class, Ashley Napoli is a master of her craft and so nice so if you’re ever in the area, look her up on Instagram at @focacciaflourist and see if you can catch a class of hers!

After finishing the class and eating half of my focaccia (hey it was still warm), we changed into our bathing suits. The spa and pools at Wildflower are beautiful and although it was too cold for a swim, we did utilize one of the outdoor hot tubs. We did not book anything at the spa this time, but I have been before. The treatments can be a bit of a splurge, but perfect if you want to treat yourself. After some time relaxing in the hot tub, we headed back to change for dinner. We grabbed a drink on the Great Porch and then headed into Clay for a fabulous farm to table dinner. Most of what they serve is grown right on the property and everything we ordered was thoughtfully put together and delicious. Clay is open to the public so even if you’re not staying at Wildflower, you can still make a reservation! I usually take lots of food pics, but I was really enjoying the atmosphere and chatting with my friend and I forgot! We decided to share a few dishes so we could try a bunch of things and of course we saved room for dessert!

After dinner, we went back to our cozy room and had a great night of sleep.

The next morning we were up bright and early to take a walk around the property to see the pigs, sheep and to feed the farm animals! If you get to the chicken coop first, see if the chickens laid any eggs! If so, grab them and bring them to the kitchen at Clay and they will use them for your breakfast! We only found one egg so it’s really hit or miss but still fun to do.

Breakfast was fabulous and fresh and the perfect ending to our overnight getaway.

Here are my final thoughts on our stay.. Wildflower is definitely a luxury experience.. maybe even a once in a lifetime experience. It’s truly a place that would be beautiful to visit any time of the year, with the resort activities being changed to reflect the seasons. You can be as busy or as lazy as you’d like and there is plenty of space to roam around and explore. There are wellness activities like yoga, breath work and meditation, fly fishing and hiking if you love the outdoors and watercolor painting to connect you to nature.

I would definitely recommend a stay here if you're looking for a quiet and luxurious experience. Let me know in the comments if you’ve been or if you would like to visit! As always, thank you for reading!

X, Julie

PS: I am going to add a shameless plug if I may.. if you’re thinking about staying here, I would be thrilled to book it for you! Through my partnership with Fora Travel, you’ll receive exclusive perks such as a room upgrade, breakfast credit, early check in, late checkout, vip welcome amenity, etc. Feel free to reach out through the link on my website if you’re interested!