Why Hengarth Became a Place for Group Getaways

When we first started building Hengarth, the idea was fairly simple. Create a quiet place in the Catskills where people could spend time outdoors without sacrificing comfort. A handful of stargazing tents [important: not too many!] a beautiful piece of land, good design, good beds, and the kind of setting that makes it easy to slow down for a few days. Oh, and killer mountain views - obviously!

Like most ideas at the beginning, it was clear enough in theory. In practice, something slightly different happened.

It didn’t take long before we started noticing a pattern in the bookings. Friends booking several tents at once. Families arriving across multiple cars. Small groups planning long weekends to celebrate birthdays, or simply the rare opportunity to get everyone in the same place at the same time.

It soon became clear that Hengarth works differently when people arrive together.

The group dynamic

There’s something about being outdoors that changes how people spend time with each other. At home or in the city, everyone tends to disappear into their own rhythm. People drift off to separate rooms, separate plans, separate screens.

At Hengarth the opposite tends to happen. Our shared spaces are full. People cook together. They linger around the fire. Conversations stretch later into the evening than anyone planned. Someone suggests a walk after breakfast and suddenly the whole group is somewhere in the woods.

As we know from personal experience, being here day-in day out, the best moments here are usually the least structured ones.

The last glass of wine. The kids running the meadow. Someone telling a story while everyone else (actually!) listens. 

From an operational perspective, it also became clear that the property itself lends itself naturally to groups.

Hengarth is small by design - we didn’t want to build  a large resort or a campground filled with hundreds of guests. It’s a handful of thoughtfully spaced-out accommodation, shared outdoor areas, and a landscape that feels private and calm.

When a group books the space together, something shifts - the property comes alive and starts to feel like their own temporary village -  there’s a real sense of shared atmosphere. And it feels like exactly what I wanted for the space.

Leaning into what was already happening

So rather than treating group bookings as exceptions, we have leant in - we are now a space for small gatherings.

Friend groups escaping the city for a long weekend. Families celebrating milestone birthdays, reunions that hadn’t happened in years,  small teams looking for a place to step away from the usual work environment.

The common thread wasn’t really “glamping.” It was time together.

A different kind of getaway

There are plenty of places to stay in the Catskills. We know that - hotels, cabins, inns, rental houses.  Hengarth  aims to offer  something slightly different - a place where a small group can gather, spend time outdoors, and slow down without having to plan every moment.

In the end, the shift toward group getaways wasn’t a grand strategic decision, it was simply the result of paying attention to how people were actually using the space. What started as a glamping escape for individuals has quietly become something better. A place where people come together.

We may still open up the glamping tents for individual bookings across  a few weekends a year, but for now -  we’re here for your intentional gatherings. Grab your people, head to the mountains - and let the weekend unfold.

Plan your group getaway, here.