Castle Hotel & Spa

After nearly two years of anticipation to visit Castle Hotel & Spa and enjoy its magical atmosphere, I finally booked a Halloween stay in March, hoping to experience the season in this iconic setting close to Sleepy Hollow. Living nearby, I’d always seen it as a perfect getaway and decide to save it for this magical, fall weekend. Two days before my arrival, upon reading recent reviews, I discovered that key amenities—including the spa and restaurant, and all more atmosphere settings details like fire pit and outdoor lights at night—are closed and non-operational. For a property that brands itself as a spa, it was especially surprising that the actual spa has been closed for most of 2024 with no clear reopening date nor with this information written anywhere, including the long message with information they send prior your arrival. The restaurant has also been closed. Much of what makes this place so special is unavailable. The only thing properly mentioned is the opening/closing dates of the outdoor pool. Given that the rates are substantially high compared, since they are meant to include all amenities, I asked if an adjustment or accommodation would be made. No, the rate would stay the same. After 8 months of anticipation, 2 days before my trip, I decided to sadly cancel, explaining that these closures should be disclosed upfront, as most guests likely expect the full experience and would only learn otherwise upon arrival. Their response was simply "ok"—no apology or recognition of my concern, which was another letdown. It’s unfortunate that a place with so much potential isn’t more transparent with its guests.

We won’t be staying here again. Lots of amenities don’t work or are not open. The spa, restaurant, fire pit, tree lights, and lamps on the back patio don’t are not open/don’t work. Some employees need training on customer service. We had black mold in the bathroom of the first room they put us in and thankfully we were able to switch rooms. Overall, the rooms are spacious and served our family well for the stay. But they aren’t 4-star worthy. The history of this place is spectacular and the grounds are gorgeous, but it’s not worth the price with the lack you receive for the price they charge. I would have preferred they told us the amenities weren’t working when we booked, then we would have had our expectations lower.

The hotel is not luxury, in any way. All the amenities were closed for the foreseeable future, including both the spa (it's in the name of the hotel) and the on-site restaurant. The whole place feels old and tired. The room was fine- spacious and beds were comfy- but so dated. Old carpets, furniture all banged up and the bathroom was decorated 40 years ago and not touched since. I would never go back nor would I recommend this hotel. We also were not told the spa was closed. We booked for a SPA WEEKEND. The website had no information about it being closed, and we were able to book spa appointments weeks in advance. We even got confirmations of our appointments two days before but they were actually closed and no spa appointments nor spa weekend for us. Do yourself a favor and don't book here. For $400 a night, I expect way better.