We did a two night award stay this past weekend; we arrived on (Good) Friday afternoon and left on (Easter) Sunday after lunch. To get to the property, we rented a car and drove up from Manhattan; I took a somewhat scenic route via Port Jervis which added about 30-40 minutes but the drive and scenery was lovely. The direct route from NYC is either the Palisades Parkway (free) or the NY Throughway ($1.25 toll) to NY Route 17 by the Woodbury Commons mall with detailed directions provided in the wikipost of this thread and should take about 90-120 minutes to drive without stopping. Do not follow the Google Maps direction of driving up the Chapin Trail Road!

Points stays book into the Top Ridge suite which is in the main lodge building on the bottom floor. https://www.thechatwallodge.com/rooms/top-ridge.html

Notable about Top Ridge is that a good portion of the 1172 square feet advertised is comprised of the outdoor deck and gazebo which is supposed to be reserved for guests staying in that room. Per the floorplan that was inside our room, there used to be an interior entrance into the room from the adjacent common area; this was closed off and made into a walk-in closet with a electronic safe. Access to the room requires walking down one of two staircases to ground level via the sliding door that leads to the outside deck. There's a deadbolt lock with a key that's used to secure the room. The bed was a super-comfortable pillowtop; we both slept like logs. There's a nice dorm fridge with a separate small freezer in the room; it was stocked with sodas and still and sparkling waters from Saratoga. If there's a particular beverage you want that's available on property it can likely be stocked for you. The in-room coffee maker is a high-end Nespresso Professional machine with capsules. https://www.nespresso.com/pro/au/en/...coffee-machine. The gazebo has to Adirondack chairs and a small table with a citronella candle provided. It looked like a lovely place to sit and enjoy a morning coffee or evening adult beverage. A nice pair of Nikon 8X42 binoculars are provided for wildlife and star gazing. I saw quite a few birds in the mornings.

The bathroom takes up about half of the interior space with a claw foot tub and dual vanity setup in the main portion, a small water closet with a heated Toto washlet unit, and an amazing walk-in shower with two seats and three shower heads.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a glass of champagne during check in and were given a tour of the property via electric cart. We weren't offered any boat tour as mentioned above in earlier posts, but that's understandable given the weather and water levels. At least one of the three treehouses was not occupied so we were given a walk-through of it. Very nice but still $$$$.

The water level of the reservoir is still below normal so not much going on down by the shoreline (it was too cold and windy to even consider any water activities). The pool and hot tub are closed; the pool is an algae-green pond and the hot tub has a cover over it. It sounds like they are planning on installing an infinity pool elsewhere on the property along with a spa. As mentioned above, the Chapin Estate is in a T-Mobile dead zone but other carriers have coverage, I think. The wi-fi coverage worked seamlessly throughout the property, including moving between buildings. The TVs in the room and common areas are all Smart Samsung LCD with several streaming apps like Hulu, Paramount Plus, Max, etc. installed (be sure to clear your logins if you use them). No cable/satellite TV or Chromecast service.

I have mixed thoughts on the food and beverage service. Given the considerable cost that one is asked to pay for stays, it seems fair to expect exceptional meals and service and we didn't experience it. Food was good, not great (exceptionally good scallop, smoked duck breast, and aged strip steak, other portions of meals ok or not remarkable, and disappointingly bad croissants at breakfast). Overall, service for meals is slow with long periods between courses and dishes left on tables well after eating was done. Breakfast was almost 90 minutes, lunch about the same, and dinner was over two hours. To quote Chiun, the Great Master of Sinanju, "the seasons move more quickly" than the meal service. Some servers informed diners of specials, others didn't. The Easter Brunch offering consisted of additions of ham and lamb entrees but nothing else really remarkable. Also notable is that alcohol is no longer included in the cost, with some hefty by the glass charges for wines. Our small intake was excluded from the charge, either because we booked last year before the new policy went into effect or because we were on a points stay. There was a complimentary "wine and rind" hour both nights we were there at 5pm that had self-service wines (one white, one red) and a small cheese selection. There were also some beers in the rec center fridge but we didn't investigate. We spoke to a repeat guest who said she hadn't been aware of the change in policy and would have brought her own booze had she known. (+1 thought the Avec mixers in the fridge in the rec center would have been nice with some gin.)

+1 attended the complimentary Sunday morning yoga class, which she enjoyed. The yoga teacher noted that classes tend to be 1-2 people max. Other activities included painting bird houses and various self-guided walks, plus smores and stargazing in the evening.

I find myself thinking about our stay at the Ventana a few years ago and thinking that the experience at the Chatwal Lodge didn't quite measure up to it. I certainly am happy to have a place like this so close to NYC but I would not travel from out of state to stay here.