If you were to hop on a silly little road trip to Rhinebeck, NY, you’d not only discover why it’s one of the most beautiful small towns near NYC, but you’d also find that it’s home to the oldest hotel in the country!
Beekman Arms has been welcoming guests to take a load off and stay a night since before the Revolutionary War. Operating continuously since 1766, everyone from historical figures and politicians to celebrities have stayed at this Hudson Valley hotel.
Beekman Arms was first established in 1704 by William Traphagen as a tavern known as Traphagen Tavern. At the time Rhinebeck (referred to back then as Ryn Beck) was a small settlement carved out of a forested area by the Sepasco Native Americans.
The Beekman Arms was added to the original tavern in 1766, named after the Beekman family–back then, Judge Henry Beekman was widely among the original British Crown land owners in the Hudson Valley–and it’s been operating ever since!
More on the hotel’s rich history can be found here.
Luckily for history buffs, the hotel has retained much of its colonial charm and character, though, luckily for us living in the 21st Century, they’ve grown to offer modern conveniences.
Beekman Arms is spread out across several different buildings, including The Guest House, The Old Firehouse, The Townsend House, and The Beekman Arms. Also part of the hotel is The Delamater Inn, which is similarly spread out across seven guest houses clustered around a courtyard.
The inn’s fifty guest rooms and suites have the warmth and intimacy of a bed and breakfast, with fireplaces in 29 of the rooms.
Spa services are also offered, giving guests the option to soak in some well-deserved R&R and receive an in-room single or couples massage as well as an in-room oxygen infusion facial.
The Tavern at The Beekman Arms is the hotel’s restaurant and colonial tap room. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily (with brunch on Sundays) throughout several separate dining rooms and even a garden greenhouse.
Plus, they even have a wine cellar that’s rumored to be haunted!
Over the years an impressive list of famous people have stayed at the hotel, including George Washington, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jon Bon Jovi, Oprah Winfrey, Frank Sinatra, Neil Armstrong, and Billy Joel, among others, so why not add your name to the list?!
Learn more about the oldest hotel in the country and book your stay here.
📍 Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn – 6387 Mill Street, Rhinebeck, NY