The Darby — Hotel in Damascus Township

If I could rate this place below zero stars, I would. This so-called "boutique hotel" is a disgrace — a health hazard masquerading as hospitality.||A friend and I booked two rooms for the July 4th weekend, expecting at a well-appointed hotel, given the website and Instagram. What we got instead was a revolting, neglected motel that should honestly be shut down by the health department.||Let’s break it down:||First impressions? Vile. When we arrived around 4 PM, the parking lot looked like a landfill. Trash was scattered everywhere, clearly torn out of the dumpster by animals — and no one had even attempted to clean it up. This wasn’t just unpleasant; it was filthy. Not what you expect when you're paying to stay somewhere, even at $20 a night. Frankly, I’ve seen cleaner gas station rest stops.||Security? Nonexistent. The front desk was completely unmanned until 9:30 the next morning. Our room keys were just left out in the open, with our names on them. Anyone walking in could have grabbed them. Zero regard for guest privacy or safety — a complete breach of even the most basic standards.||The rooms? Disgusting. Mold was growing in the kitchen. The walls were stained with who-knows-what, the bathroom floor was coated in someone else’s hair, and the lighting was broken. Every inch of the place reeked of negligence. How this place is even operating is beyond me. Between the mold and the filth, it’s hard to believe this hotel hasn’t been cited for health violations.||False advertising. No breakfast. No coffee. No tea. Nothing but lies and grime.||Customer service? A joke. We had a family emergency and had to leave early. I called to explain the situation and was met with total indifference. The person on the phone might as well have hung up mid-sentence — that’s how little they cared. No refund. No understanding. Just apathy.||Follow-up? Nonexistent. I emailed after our stay to share how awful the experience was. No reply. No apology. Not even a generic acknowledgment. Just silence — which tells you everything you need to know about how this business is run.||Bottom line: this is not a hotel — it’s a neglected, unsafe, unsanitary mess with no staff, no service, and no standards. Avoid it...

If I could rate this place below zero stars, I would. This so-called "boutique hotel" is a disgrace — a health hazard masquerading as hospitality.

A friend and I booked two rooms for the July 4th weekend, expecting at a well-appointed hotel, given the website and Instagram. What we got instead was a revolting, neglected motel that should honestly be shut down by the health department.

Let’s break it down:

First impressions? Vile. When we arrived around 4 PM, the parking lot looked like a landfill. Trash was scattered everywhere, clearly torn out of the dumpster by animals — and no one had even attempted to clean it up. This wasn’t just unpleasant; it was filthy. Not what you expect when you're paying to stay somewhere, even at $20 a night. Frankly, I’ve seen cleaner gas station rest stops.

Security? Nonexistent. The front desk was completely unmanned until 9:30 the next morning. Our room keys were just left out in the open, with our names on them. Anyone walking in could have grabbed them. Zero regard for guest privacy or safety — a complete breach of even the most basic standards.

The rooms? Disgusting. Mold was growing in the kitchen. The walls were stained with who-knows-what, the bathroom floor was coated in someone else’s hair, and the lighting was broken. Every inch of the place reeked of negligence. How this place is even operating is beyond me. Between the mold and the filth, it’s hard to believe this hotel hasn’t been cited for health violations.

False advertising. No breakfast. No coffee. No tea. Nothing but lies and grime.

Customer service? A joke. We had a family emergency and had to leave early. I called to explain the situation and was met with total indifference. No refund. No understanding. Just apathy.

Follow-up? Nonexistent. I emailed after our stay to share how awful the experience was. No reply. No acknowledgment. Silence — which tells you everything you need to know about how this business is run.

Bottom line: this is not a hotel — it’s a neglected, unsafe, unsanitary mess with no staff, no service, and no standards. Avoid it...

The Darby is a remarkable story of a comeback and is a lovely getaway that we hope to return to for years to come. The hotel has under 40 rooms I believe, creating a real community atmosphere. It felt like old school catskills. Guests are encouraged to hang out in the common spaces, and I had many pleasant conversations with folks around the bonfire and in the bar on site, Delphine - a callback to the property's original proprietress. The rooms have been thoughtfully appointed and the beds and linens are very comfortable. This would be a perfect place to host a retreat - it's got plenty of common spaces, 15 acres of walking trails, is a 2 minute walk into narrowsburg, and it does have a full professional kitchen which may bode well for a future dining option. The real highlight of this place though, is the manager Leóne, an absolutely lovely person who also has a plant store in town. Leóne's warmth, kindness, and attentiveness to the guests and the vibe are unsurpassed. If you're lucky you may get to meet his giant doodle named Seamus, who is as sweet as he is large. This hotel is dog friendly, by the by, and families are welcome. That being said, I will note that the walls are very thin, and sound transfers. I solved this for myself with ear plugs and white noise from my phone. Guests were well behaved though, and nobody was noisy late at night. The place really does have the atmosphere of a fun boarding house, with people greeting each other in the hallways and striking up conversations in the common spaces. This once-derelict building has been lovingly restored into a place that encourages people to come upstate to get away, slow down, and reconnect. I was delighted to find there were no TVs in the rooms, both because it encourages leaving your room and because of the sound transference. This place is continually changing and upgrading, I can't wait to see what they've done when we come back - which we will be as soon as possible. Many thanks to the Darby for being an excellent landing pad for our annual...