At The Castle

 The Castle @ Tarrytown 6, 2014

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If you were to have a few thousand bucks to blow in the New York area and wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, you could do worse than to fetch up at the Castle Resort& Spa in Tarrytown, about an hour north of the city.

The Castle started out in 1897 as the rural retreat of a respected New York businessman and his family. The owners entertained lavishly and made additions to the castle—apparently 45 rooms was not enough—as the events they hosted became bigger and more people were invited to attend them. Over the years the castle passed to different owners and eventually became the posh hotel and spa of today. 

While out looking around Tarrytown one morning recently, my sister and I happened upon The Castle. It’s actually hard to miss since it sits atop one of the highest hills in town. We parked the car and walked around the grounds a bit. At one point we walked into the lobby, hoping to get a quick glance at whatever grandeur we might be allowed to see. Two cordial front desk personnel greeted us and welcomed us to look around.

We saw enough to conclude that we’d probably have to take our second mortgages to stay at a place like this. And I have to admit it was just a bit creepy to look over our shoulders as we wandered around and notice that there was just about always a hotel staffer either trailing us or watching us from a window. (Maybe they’ve learned not to be trustful of people who arrive in Volkswagens?)

 

The Castle @ Tarrytown 8, 2014

  

The Castle’s actually a very nice place, even in my pictures make it look a little foreboding. If it’s important that you uphold a certain image, they can arrange the rental of a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley or Mercedes if you want to explore the local towns. Or, if you’re feeling especially flush, why not rent a helicopter? Round-trip fares from lower lower Manhattan start at $1,750 (tips and taxes not included). This may sound high. But heck, you’ll be in Tarrytown faster than you can say “My hedge fund is doing better than your hedge fund.”