The Roxbury Motel expansion delivers a Catskills trip you'll never forget — right in our backyard
Henderson and Massa say "come on get happy" — drop by to see these adventurous rooms and the ShimmerSpa
Did you know you could escape to a damask-dappled Persia of the mythical djinn or snuggle in a stone age "bedrock" cave, less than an hour away? If your in-laws are coming for a visit, you can send them into outer space or trip them out on a psychedelic 70s groove! And, they'll actually raise a toast to you for finally doing something right, while steaming their stress away in a super-jet six-person jacuzzi.
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| BEHOLD, MASTER! — The "Crown Jewel" of the project is the Genie's Bottle, with a Japanese soaking tub at its center. The "bottle" is not simply curved walls, but a perfectly engineered sphere, made of tile and ground marble, from an ancient Roman architectural technique called the Tile Arch system. It was revived in 1885 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino and is a specialty of Paul Waddington of CMS Solutions. Tip your head back (while soaking up to your neck in the tub), and you can look straight up the "neck" of the bottle, and out to a patch of stars and sky. The curved wall also creates some magical acoustics. "Let's be honest," teases Greg, "didn't we all fantasize about getting into that genie's bottle when we were kids?" |
All these luxurious dreamscapes and more have come to life behind lime-green
doors in the quiet country charm of Roxbury, thanks to Greg Henderson and
Joseph Massa. These theatrical artists-turned-innkeepers have poured all
their creative juices into the expansion of their much-feted Roxbury Motel,
and the result is a hospitality experience that is unique for this area,
and, as far as we know, this galaxy.
Theatre guys gone wild!
Each of these new suites is a playful but elegant "riff" on an
iconic 20th-century entertainment experience. (Calling these rooms "theme-based" is
rather like calling Martha Stewart a talented napkin folder.) Nothing has
come through The Roxbury's signature chartreuse doors without going through
Massa's and Henderson's "elegant whimsy" filters, from the courageous
palette choices right down to the "would you look at this?" faucets. "Before
we expanded, we already knew our Austin Powers Suite was a runaway favorite.
Everyone wanted to stay in that room!" said Henderson. "With each
new room, we wanted to bring you into a stylistic fantasy where every little
detail just makes you smile.” Read more about this amazing and unexpected "destination" [LINK
to feature] or visit the Roxbury's rad new rooms at www.theroxburymotel.com/rooms.
Now, you can lounge in Holly Go-Lightly's chic, Tiffany blue boudoir or "come on get happy" in a Partridge Nest of primary color pop-ulism. Down-to-earth types will enjoy the "boulder" look of Fred's Lair. The two larger suites upstairs launch you into outer orbit on George's Space Pad or whisk you via flying carpet to the Persian purrfection of Genie's Bottle. The Mod Pod gets down with '70s grooviness and Samantha's Cloud will leave you dreamily bewitched. Your biggest challenge might be choosing which "trip" you want. (No sweat, most suites can interconnect to accommodate families, groups, or the aesthetically greedy. And there are “film scrolls” of every single room (new and original) at www.theroxburymotel.com/rooms for anyone who suffers from Indulgence Indecision Disorder.) Henderson's and Massa's theatrical experience has finally paid off — it's no surprise that The Roxbury experience appeals to entertainment types of all stripes or to anyone with a sense of drama and whimsy.
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| JOSEPH'S AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT(S) — It took coat upon coat upon coat of paint to achieve the brilliant and precise colors in The Roxbury's rooms. This Mondrian-esque wall sculpture (it's 3D) in the Partridge Nest required months of labor and tons of patience from Joseph Massa (and a small fortune in masking tape.) The new expansion, which almost doubles capacity at The Roxbury, also bears the creative imprint of every member of the staff. |
Building this "out of this world" retreat didn't require "out of the area" talent, though. Local craftsmen and builders Jerry and Mary Ann Schor, William Fane, Billy Allison, Dave Cowan, Jeffrey Norwick, Treffeissen and Son, and Tri-County Glass in Oneonta were instrumental in the expansion, and helped prove that world-class design work can be done right here at home. "Local contractor Rick Herrel of Northern Lights was a driving force behind the project once the foundation and framing were up," added Greg. "We literally couldn't have done it without him." "The painting was one of the biggest challenges and Tony DeLuca was amazing. Achieving these brilliant colors required many, many coats and precisely tinted primer for each job," says Greg.
The starting point for each room's fantasy riff was the tile and bathtub:
far from being a last minute, "oh this will match OK" process,
most of the tiles were custom designed (in the US) for color, texture, and
material — and are the anchor for the style choices that follow. Bathtubs
were chosen to function in a way that complements the feel of the room: thus
the space-age glow of George's Space Pad's red transculent tub and the smooth
pebbles lining the floors of Fred's bath.
Many of the one-of-a-kind elements were created or discovered by staff: Roxbury
manager Leslie Black designed and made lampshades, drapes and damask pillows
and combed the web with the tenacity of her Scotties, looking for the perfect
accessories. Joseph Massa supervised the construction process and served
as man of all trades, hammering grommets into glitzy shower drapes and sculpting
the rocky interior of Fred's Lair for two months. Roxbury housekeeper Hope
Tone-Pah-Hote babysat each step of the project, cleaning and prepping each
area almost daily so work could proceed apace. The project, which broke ground
last September, was completed in record time (and on budget!) in late June
with, Henderson admits, plenty of sleep deprivation all around.
Henderson and Massa didn't leap into a project this huge before doing their homework: they first considered building a new hotel in another locale nearby. But, when a devastating fire destroyed their beloved "inspiration peaks" home near Perch Lake, they rethought their plan. "We decided to build on what we knew and loved and to continue the creative ideas we had started here at The Roxbury, rather than develop a franchise location with its own rules and look." Henderson hastens to add that the area could benefit from all types of accommodations. "We were turning away people by the dozens every weekend, even in winter. When it comes to comfortable places to stay, the more the merrier."
In fact, Jen Gambetese (Tarzan's Jane on Broadway) and Curtis Creegan, star of "Hi Five," love the area so much that they decided to say their vows on June 30 at Susan's Pleasant Pheasant Farm in Halcottsville. The neighborhood was flooded that weekend with enough creatives to mount a Ziegfield Follies revival. "We could never have pulled off our opening weekend without the support and resources of all the area's seasoned lodging professionals," said Greg. "People stayed all over the place and had a great time wherever they went."
The Roxbury has already established its own tradition as well: "affordable luxury." Pllowtop mattresses, Egyptian cotton linens and towels, luxury bathing amenities, microwaves, fridges, high speed internet, gourmet coffee and coffeemakers, and DVD players (to enjoy the Roxbury's complimentary 400+ DVD entertainment library) come standard with every room. New rooms have flat screen plasma TVs (that's plural: there's even one in the bathroom) and there is seamless WI-FI throughout the entire property. Even in this gadget heaven, you're not going to see ugly cords or wires. Like some evil mother-in-law in the Twilight Zone, they've been buried alive behind the new sheetrock.
Now that the high-end hoopla has cooled off a few degrees, Greg and Joseph
hope that local residents will stop by for a cuppa and a sneak peek. They
will soon be planning a gala community celebration for everyone to come enjoy
the sparkling twilight view from the firepit (with its chartreuse and gold
aquatel crystal stones!) and celebrate this joint community achievement. "But
please don't wait for an invitation!" says Greg, "We're pretty
full on the weekends but we'd love to show you around any time in the mid-week," he
adds. "Just come as you are, and we'll supply the wow."
Make your reservation today at www.theroxburymotel.com or call 607 326-7200.
You never know, maybe Ernestine will answer!