Lime green is the perfect theme color of The Roxbury Motel in the Catskills.  In fact, if you search for the meaning behind the color, you’ll learn that it represents “confidence, nature, and high energy.” It’s thought that the color promotes feelings of life, freshness and creativity.  So then, it is the perfect tint for the trendiest lodges in the state, most likely the country.   

You’re thinking, yes, but what about the pandemic? Is the Roxbury Motel ready for guests? A resounding YES.  A recent stay proved that the management has everything under control.  Take the welcome email that provides incoming guests with all the socially hygienic practices, the rules regarding masks, and how to get around the place using all the proper health protocols.  Their concern is not only for their guests but for employees, given the attention paid to the introduction of hospital-grade “cutting edge skin hygiene” products that last longer and are easier on the skin.  Employees have their own requirements about wearing masks, taking temperatures, and staying home if any Covid symptoms arise or are suspected.  

Upon arrival, the magnetic key cards are handed over in a sealed plastic bag, labelled “Sanitized”; the TV remote controls are in sealed bags, the little soaps and shampoo bottles are in sealed bags.  The one-time buffet breakfast is now handled on a custom basis: guests pre-order their breakfast the night before, and the next morning, the goodies are individually bagged by room number and ready for pick up.  Only staff can handout items like carafes of coffee or extra cutlery.  The pool is open, but with social distancing rules; the spa has limited usage with guests booking their visit. But it’s all okay.  Once you adjust to the rules of Covid etiquette, it’s easy to enjoy the quietness and greenery of the area, and the ability to take a fresh deep breath. 

What’s new at Roxbury since WAT’s last visit?  How about the grand opening of the Stratton Falls experience after the purchase of a nearby property a few miles up the road. Guests can meander along walkable paths with shady and secure stone steps with views to the magnificent waterfall, named after the original family who cleared the land two hundred years ago.  In fact, if you go to the Roxbury website, there is a live stream of, well, a streaming waterfall.  So clever. 

World famous for its magnificent theme rooms, owners Greg and Joe architecturally designed each one down to the smallest detail.  Now, where there was one location, there are now three separate destinations: the original themed motel with rooms based on classic TV shows (I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan’s Island, The Flintstones, Star Trek, for example); the Mansion Rooms, inspired by the folklore and original settlers of the site (The Beautiful Blacksmith, The Ghost and Mrs. Hicks, The Pampered Postmaster, for example); and The  Tower Cottages meant to transport guests to worlds far, far away (The Lost Horizon, The Superhero Incognito, Galileo’s Gate, Cinderella’s Gown, for example.)

The Roxbury Motel’s history from its beginnings to its ever-growing present and future, is stuff that dreams are made of.  The duo was just looking to create a fun getaway destination in one of their favorite places – the western Catskills – but as they set roots on the original property, opportunities came their way.  As Greg said when he heard about property for sale up the road, “We were not looking nor did we have the funds for buying another property.” He asked if the property included the Stratton Waterfalls, and he found out it did.  Well, five years later, the Roxbury at Stratton Falls was opened – two miles up from the Roxbury Motel.

The three-part complex sits quietly off of Route 30 in the town with the same name, in the equally green upstate county of Delaware, nestled between mountains, clear starry nights, babbling waterfalls, and the abundant markets and farm stands where you can get the best maple syrup around. However, once you check in at the Roxbury, you may just want to park yourself and not leave. When asked if he could describe the Roxbury experience, Greg says this: “Imagine if Alice in Wonderland, married Willy Wonka, and set up residence in Oz.”  We could all use a little of that right. now. 

Top photo by Nils Schlebusch : Roxbury at Stratton Falls-The Superhero Incognito Tower Cottage

For more information on The Roxbury, visit the https://theroxburyexperience.com/.

For a video tour of the area, visit https://vimeo.com/345218462

For their Covid-19 safety guidelines, click here: https://theroxburyexperience.com/covid-19-safety-operating-guidelines/

To view the live stream of the stream, click here: https://theroxburyexperience.com/waterfall/