The Herwood Inn: Your Very Own Woodstock Commune

If you’re looking for a Woodstock hotel, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect spot than The Herwood Inn. I recently stayed there while researching my ultimate guide to Woodstock for Brooklyn Based, and now I just can’t stop talking about this place.

This stylish, eco-friendly Tinker Street hotel is infused with the bohemian spirit of the town’s flower-powered past. Its four rooms are named for Carol King, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Nicks. Each comes with all the new age creature comforts you’d expect from a Woodstock guest house—tasseled dream catchers, macramé wall hangings, and of course, crystals in every room. The Herwood is also equipped with all the luxuries of the Instagram age—Casper mattresses, Brooklinen bedsheets, Joybird sleeper sofas, and towels by Parachute.

Your hostesses here are basically a pair of old hippies trapped in the bodies of two young, deeply driven, media-savvy entrepreneurs. Em Atkins and June Peterson, the Herwood’s owners and operators, bought the place in April of 2019, and quickly turned it into an ultra-photogenic dream by September. They prove that it’s possible to have the managerial abilities to hire and supervise a construction team, the laser-focus to give attention to every little design detail, and also have an affinity for Himalayan salt lamps. (We had one in our room, the King Suite, and it gave off the most peaceful pink glow.)

Each of the rooms has a super-efficient kitchenette with a small fridge, a dishwasher, and an electric cook-top, stowed away in a cabinet under the counter. The rooms each have their own character, too. Some of the baths in other rooms are fully subway-tiled, but in the King Suite, the honey-colored hexagon tiles artfully cascade across the walls without completely encasing them, as natural as a beehive over a gorgeous claw-foot tub. (I couldn’t fully capture this on the cloudy day of our visit, but you can see the room in all its sun-drenched glory here.)

Each room is outfitted with a record player and some pleasantly worn vinyl, plus cork yoga mats, HEPA air filters, and products from the Herwood’s partners—including Tantuvi hand-dyed rugs, and crystals from GratefulGemHead. As I noted in my Brooklyn Based piece, this gem expert chose a crystal to represent the astrological sign of the luminary musician for whom each suite is named. It’s just so Woodstock.

My kids loved using this chair (pictured above) as their little reading nook. It’s worth noting that the Herwood is kid-friendly, especially the King Suite, which has a separate bedroom and a sleeper sofa in the living space. But! There’s a lot of breakable stuff around — dishes on open shelving, plants at every window, and decorative items that beg little hands to reach out and grab them. For the sake of your own sanity, you might wanna leave the wild ones at home! Mine are small enough to fit in this chair together, but they’re somewhat chill and we kept a very close eye on them during our short overnight stay.

We all loved the King Suite patio, which overlooks the very inviting shared outdoor space.

Out on the shared patio downstairs, there’s a cedar hot tub, an outdoor fireplace, and a covered seating area for old friends and new.

I’m not much of a cyclist, but I was tempted by these super-cute bikes, available for guests to borrow.

Also, the helmets are wood-grained. Of course they are.

The main building, which serves as a coffee station, shop, and lobby, is called “The Commune.” It got me to thinking about convincing a bunch of friends to rent out this whole place at once—we would have our very own commune. (Seriously, who’s in?)

The shop is stocked with snacks and great little souvenirs, including plenty of locally made items, like the Root and Resin’s deliciously earthy-floral-spicy Clearing Smudge Mist, a room spray made with the essential oils of palo santo, lavender, and black pepper. And what do you think is in that golden fridge on the far left side of the photo below?

It’s stocked with kombucha, people. Duh! In fact, it’s local kombucha from Seek North, but if you’ve read this far, I bet you guessed as much. And on the morning of our departure, a glass-domed pastry dish on the bar was filled with complementary pumpkin-spice donuts, each bite like a sweet kiss goodbye. We hope to return soon.

The Herwood Inn is located at 148 Tinker St, Woodstock, NY 12498; (845) 306 5419.