Collective Retreats Governors Island

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary here, thanks in part to a generous gift certificate we had received last year. Because of the gift certificate, we decided to splurge and pay extra for a waterfront view, and I’m so glad we did. We saw a glorious sunset and loved just relaxing on the front deck, and also people watching from bed. The staff was all wonderful and friendly and helpful. The food at the restaurant was great—the chocolate lava cake was delicious. We skipped the s’mores but had fun chilling in a hammock on the lawn. Our only critique/warning is the noise from the planes, helicopters, passing cars and carts and bicycles and pedestrians in front of the tent. The provided earplugs were life savers and necessary for sleep—and a warning about the loud party boats that pass after midnight on Saturday nights. I somehow slept through it but they woke my husband up and kept him up for an hour! (Definitely not the fault of Collective Retreats, but be aware!)

Spacious tents with daily service. High quality breakfasts and attentive staff to cater to your transportation needs at any time. Comfortable beds with picturesque views of the Statue of Liberty. Slept well. Friendly, helpful staff. Downsides are that some showers don't have hot water (even waiting 5+ for it to warm), also the ferry schedule constrains dinner timing in the city. Not many places to eat on the island. Some hammocks need tightening. Website photos give impressions of nicer tents and such than match reality.

Overall was a lovely stay! That being said: - Guests should be provided with more than two water bottles in their room, especially during summer. - The waterfront upgrade we received actually made things worse because of the party boats that woke us up in the middle of the night. - The showers were pretty cold. - It took a long time for dinner to be served. - The complimentary breakfast was quite poor. We were only offered fruit and pastries, no cooked items.