The Feathers Tavern — Restaurant in Town of Rosendale

I rarely write reviews anymore, but this experience was so unexpectedly disappointing that it deserves to be shared.

From the moment we entered, what was meant to feel like a charming boutique hotel-restaurant revealed itself as something entirely different — over-branded and soulless. The small shop inside was meant to evoke a “quaint Vermont mom-and-pop” charm, but every product was stamped with the hotel’s own logo. Worse, some labels had clearly been removed from well-known artisanal brands I recognize from my design work and re-packaged under the hotel’s name. It was branding overload — down to the bathroom, where a newspaper featuring the hotel’s logo was literally draped over the toilet tank.

Visually, the restaurant photographs beautifully online — even appearing in high-profile publications — but in person, it was a completely different story. It’s a perfect example of design that was styled for a photo, not built for an experience. There were “design moments,” but no cohesive vision — feature walls with nothing tying them together, cheap finishes, and uncomfortable proportions that made the space feel flat and lifeless.

Our table seemed inviting at first — a cozy booth — until I sat down. The seat cushion sank nearly three inches, offering no support. I had to lift my arms to reach the table. The wall in front of me? A blank yellow panel with Amazon-quality stenciling. The custom banquette fabric that looked beautiful in photos felt like the cheapest 1970s foam sofa — no structure, no quality. Then, despite the restaurant being half empty, another party was seated so close that their chairbacks touched our table.

Still, I tried to let the design go and enjoy the food. The server initially assured me there were no seed oils used in the restaurant — a huge relief given my allergy — only to return multiple times to correct herself. Eventually, the manager came over and insisted that grapeseed oil “is actually healthy and not a seed oil.” It was surreal — full-on gaslighting over something so simple and factual. Grapeseed oil is, quite literally, made from seeds and is one of the most processed oils available.

They eventually offered to cook my dish in olive oil, which I appreciated, but when it arrived — a $45 piece of over-salted salmon, served plain on a plate — it was inedible.

This place is a perfect example of how heavy marketing, good photography, and clever PR can disguise an experience that is, in reality, poorly executed and disheartening. It’s as if the entire concept was built around its own image rather than hospitality or design integrity.

For a hotel that has received so much praise and even a “key” distinction, I was stunned by how little authenticity or substance it offered. Two stars — one for the heat being on, and one for the waitress who genuinely tried to...