Catskills Resorts: Lost Architecture of Paradise

The great hotels of the Catskill Mountains were once the playground of movie stars, athletes, and politicians, as well as millions of vacationing New Yorkers. In time, however, The Catskills became victim to the social and economic progression that helped cultivate the area’s own resort industry. Take a step back in time to revisit the architectural legacy of these hotels, from the majestic mountain houses of the nineteenth century to the glamorous mid-century hotels of the Borscht Belt: Grossinger’s, the Concord, and the Nevele. Relive the stories behind the theaters and nightclubs and the architecture of the lavish lobbies where bellhops welcomed celebrities; and the vacuous dining rooms that served thousands of rich kosher meals each day. Now all a distant memory, the hotels are kept alive through hundreds of photographs, postcards, brochures, and drawings depicting their grandeur of yesteryear.