Upstate New York's Charming But Controversial New Inn Is Like A 'Life-Size Dollhouse'

New York's Hudson Valley, which runs approximately 150 miles from north of New York City to the state's capital, Albany, is dotted with unique places like Lyndhurst Mansion, a tourable Gothic castle and ornate gem of America's Gilded Age. Some of the most beautiful small towns in New York are in the Hudson Valley —towns like New Paltz, dubbed New York's hippie town, and Kingston, New York's first capital. Tucked halfway between the two is Rosendale, home to the recently opened Six Bells Countryside Inn. Fewer than two hours north of New York City by car (give or take, depending on traffic) and just more than an hour from Albany, the inn is easily accessible for city dwellers wishing to escape urban life. The closest commercial airport is Newburgh's Stewart International Airport, about 40 minutes away.

Six Bells Countryside Inn is Audrey Gelman's newest venture. Some may recognize Gelman as the co-founder of a co-working space company named The Wing, from which she resigned in 2020 under allegations of gender and race inequity. She also served as a press aide for Hillary Clinton. In 2022, she launched a home goods store with boutique items from around the world, The Six Bells, in Brooklyn. The inn is Gelman's expansion into the world of hospitality.

Six Bells Countryside Inn has been recognized as a Michelin Key and Architectural Digest Design awarded hotel. It's described by the New York Times as "a Dollhouse in the Country" and "the Dollhouse of Her Millennial Dreams" by Interview Magazine, thanks to its dollhouse design, pastoral-inspired decor, and home in an 1850-era building that was once Rosendale's Central Hotel — most recently, the 1850 House Inn & Tavern. Gelman even acquired a dollhouse-sized replica of the inn from Syracuse's Lee Thomas Miniatures, displayed at the inn.

Six Bells Countryside Inn, like the store, is inspired by the mythical pastoral town named Barrow's Green, imagined by Gelman herself. Like the town's cast of characters, each of the inn's 11 rooms has its own name, personality, and design, such as the Austrian-style Innkeepers Suite, the raven-themed Rookery, and the autumn-influenced Gable's Hollow. The town's fairytales and residents come to life in each room's ambiance, adornments, and amenities. Of course, much of the decor comes from the namesake store, so guests can re-create real-life memories of their storybook stay by purchasing items from The Countryside Inn Collection.

Accompanying the inn is its restaurant and tavern, The Feathers. It serves dinner nightly from Wednesdays through Sundays, as well as Saturday and Sunday brunch. Here, renowned Chef Larkin Young creates elevated provincial-style dishes from locally sourced ingredients. Examples of main courses include Hudson Valley Fisheries roasted trout, flatiron steak, roasted pork chops, and chicken or vegetable pot pie with foraged mushrooms. Sides like parsnip fritters and potato croquettes are made to be shared. The drink menu has both regional and international options, with choices of local beers and ciders, Champagne and still wines, seasonal cocktails, and mocktails.

Six Bells Countryside Inn is also available for private and special events of varying sizes, including weddings. Depending on the number of guests and the season, the inn has both private indoor dining rooms and a large waterfront deck. Future plans for the inn include offering events like murder mystery weekends, so guests may delve further into the mystique, fabled personalities, and fanciful folklore of Barrow's Green.