Last Minute New Year’s Eve Excursions from New York

Short on time? If your forehead indicates an escalating NYC cabin fever, escape the raging club music and frantic ball dropping frenzy and relish in the luxurious, rejuvenating, and restoring qualities of these forest-nestled abodes. Though timed by car, locations are easily accessible via plane, train, and bus.

Mohonk Mountain House

90 minutes from Manhattan, close and cozy

Settle in for New Years Eve grandeur at this 2,200-acre mountaintop resort. Mohonk Mountain House, family owned since 1869, is a 265-room Victorian Castle offering 19th century charm with all the luxuries of 21st century amenities. Built on the deep-blue waters of Lake Mohonk, the mountain house offers an array of opulent activities. Restore at the 30,000 square foot Spa Wing, relax at yoga sessions, and invigorate with laps in the indoor heated pool. Ice-skating at the Victorian Pavilion, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are also available. If homeward bound isn’t enticing, extend your stay for the “New Year, New You” spa getaway package.

Mohonk Mountain House, 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561, 845.255.1000, www.mohonk.com

Winvian

120 minutes around the river and through the bend to 18 cottages we go….

A multitude of architectural marvels lie among a 113-acre haven in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills. Fifteen architects created eighteen distinct cottages and one suite (located in the historic Seth Birth House) that comprise the Winvian compound. From the Helicopter Cottage with a 1968 fully restored Sikorsky HH37 Sea King Pelican helicopter to the Beaver Lodge, a King Arthur Suite based on a Mark Twain’s novel and a 35-foot high Treehouse Cottage with a king size bed, whirlpool tub, and fireplace, it is an experience which will ring in the new year with comfort, ingenuity, and calm. A bottle of champagne is presented upon your arrival on the grounds. After settling in, enjoy an epicure’s delight with dishes by Chef Chris Eddy, dancing through the night, followed by a New Year’s Day Brunch and late check-out. Don’t worry, Fido is welcome at the dog friendly cottages.

Winvian, 155 Alain White Road Morris, Connecticut, 06763, 860.567.9600, www.winvian.com

Emerson Resort & Spa

120 minutes due north of Manhattan, inspiration fit for the Hudson River School

If an adult-only luxury suite with breathtaking mountain and stream views, a warm fireside ambiance, and a lush canopy bed fancy your New Years Eve delight, this is an all in one package for you. The Inn at Emerson Resort and Spa, nestled among the tall pines and shading maples of the Hudson Valley, offers 26 Eastern-inspired jewel-toned suites. Enjoy a 5-course dinner, midnight champagne toast, and perhaps even a late night bubble bath in the air jetted tub with a few bottles from the fully stocked 24 bottle in-room wine selection. Embrace the first day of 2010 with a refreshing hike in the Catskills followed by a visit to the sauna and steam rooms. The Spa at Emerson offers a menu of holistic wellness, from Hot Herbal Linen Wraps to Maple Body Butter Wrap. Don’t head home without declaring New Year’s resolutions over the world’s largest kaleidoscope.

Emerson Resort & Spa, 5340 Route 28, Mount Tremper, NY 12457, 877.688.2828, www.emersonplace.com

NYLO Hotel

3 hours east along the coast

Unique and charming, this abode offers a breath of fresh air in an urban loft-style suite. Ring in the New Year with crisp white sheets, bare brick walls, lofty ceilings and a view of the Pawtuxet River through floor-to-ceiling windows. NYLO was designed by New York-based architect Stephane Dupoux. With Pure allergy-free accommodations, energy efficient walls, and a Natura water system, you can awake refreshed and focused for 2010. Begin the first day of the year at his/her sauna and 24-hour fitness facility with iPod ready work-out machines. Central location between Providence and Newport.

NYLO Hotel, 400 Knight Street, Warwick, Rhode Island, 02886, 866.391.NYLO, www.nylohotels.com

Mandarin Oriental Boston

3.5 hours, along a scenic route

Two fresh flutes of bubbly await you and your companion’s arrival at Boylston Street. Blending the simple beauties of Oriental style with Bostonian elegance, Mandarin Oriental Boston offers exceptional service, refinement, and cosmopolitan offerings without the NYC hustle and bustle. Arrive in the afternoon and browse Boston’s First Night festivities of art, culture, and even a Mardi Gras-style Grand Procession. Dine from The New Year’s Eve Tasting Menu at Asana. Choose from fine epicurean delights, including Maine lobster, seared duck foie gras, Kobe beef, a chocolate and espresso tower with eggnog espuma or candied chestnut, and pecan chocolate tart with blood orange sorbet. Enjoy a healthy start to the New Year with invigorating body scrubs, aromatherapy facials, and yogalates or a personal training session.

Mandarin Oriental Boston, 776 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199, 617.535.8888, www.mandarinoriental.com