Stay at the Minnewaska Lodge and you are almost guaranteed to see owner Jigisha Patel. She has a team of four women who help run the business and keep things humming at the 26-room boutique hotel on Route 44/55 that was built in 2000.
Jigisha moved from upstate New York to take over operations at the Minnewaska Lodge, with its serene location, wonderful views, and proximity to remarkable climbing, hiking, and skiing, both cross country and downhill.
Jigisha took over as the fourth owner of the hotel in December 2021, opening a few months later.
Picture provided by Minnewaska Lodge
With her entrepreneurial experience as a small business owner, she jumped right in. The Patels bought into the hospitality business and made it work. Their first year has been a success.
“This is something I am learning as I am running the business,” she said. Like the boss of every business in the area, finding help has been one of her most difficult tasks. Jigisha plans to grow her team starting in the Spring. She seeks workers for the front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance.
The lodge’s namesake makes the hotel a natural draw. Minnewaska translates from two Native American languages to mean “good water,” according to the Times Herald Record.
Picture by LACE Photo Media
The nearby Minnewaska State Park Preserve encompasses 22,275 acres located on the Shawangunk Ridge. If all that space seems intimidating, there is a much simpler amble right outside the back door of the lodge. Spring, Summer, and Fall were all busy, plus a bit of a holiday rush. Corporate retreats, birthdays, and family reunions have helped fill the place, but production companies have been an exciting boon to the Minnewaska Lodge. “A major TV network bought out the place for two days” she says. “The cast stays here.”
For food, the Minnewaska Lodge relies on nearby restaurants that guests can walk to or order in from New Paltz. The hotel provides continental breakfast. At this point the lodge does not do receptions. Though she hopes to be able to create a larger space for gatherings, Jigisha is protective of her guests and their privacy. “The common area is for the guests who are staying here and enjoying the space that we have,” she says.
Jigisha hopes to have a presence that touches both the local community and visitors alike, and she is proud to be a business owner in Gardiner!
Written by Author, Matthew Silverman
Author of Out of a Dog’s Mouth (under the name McNally Berry),
https://www.outofadogsmouth.com/
Proprietor of Silverman Editing Services
https://www.silvermanediting.com/