Nu? A kosher hotel in New York? Who wouldn't want to stay there? In the 1950s and 60s, kosher resorts abounded in the Catskills, where families from New York City escaped for the summer. But changing vacation and work habits, and low airfares, decimated that industry, and now only Kutsher's remains. In a funny twist, New York City itself boasts two kosher hotels, reflecting both the desire of the kosher traveler to see New York, and the fact that many visiting relatives prefer not to stay with family.
Kutsher's Country Club has a full array of recreational activities, including indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, basketball, a large fitness center, an 18-hole golf course and a spa. Of course, there is shuffleboard, as well as handball, bocce and horseshoes; kids can climb at the playground or play mini golf. The dining room offers kosher specialties like smoked fish at breakfast, borscht and blintzes at lunch, and veal or flanken at dinner.
Kutsher's Country Club
Kutsher's Road
Monticello, NY 12701
(800) 431-1273
www.kutshers.com
The Avenue Plaza Hotel, in Borough Park, a heavily Jewish section of Brooklyn, offers large rooms, all with balconies and kitchenettes. If you have a big family, adjoining rooms keep the kids close at hand. The Avenue Plaza provides a free breakfast to go along with its reasonable room rates. The hotel is in walking distance of countless synagogues and the Borough Park shopping district.
The Avenue Plaza Hotel
4624 13th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
(718) 552-3200
www.theavenueplaza.com
The Blue Moon Hotel is in the heart of the Lower East Side, the first stop for many Jewish immigrants from Europe. The converted tenement, with 22 rooms, has pillow-top mattresses and luxury linens. Rooms, large by NYC standards, also have free Wi-Fi and refrigerators. There is a free breakfast, with kosher specialties from the neighborhood.
The Blue Moon Hotel
100 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 533-9080
www.bluemoon-nyc.com
