As odd as it may sound, the initial idea for one of Catskills’ most anticipated new hotels is all thanks to a towel. Of course, this was no ordinary towel, but the first direct-to-consumer [DTC] product launched by Nolan McHugh and Trevor Briggs, co-founders of homewares brand Piaule (pronounced pee-AWL).
The two college friends created the company in 2014, a time when DTC brands were launching in seemingly every category, and pieces of the consumer pie seemed limitless. “We saw a need for a homewares brand that sat somewhere in between the big box stores like Ikea, and the high-end designers that were out of reach for most people,” says McHugh.
The duo, who studied business in college, had no formal training in design. But it soon became evident that they both possessed a keen eye for a sleek, modern aesthetic. That talent coupled with their marketing savvy kept the company going.
Even so, Piaule was not yet profitable; McHugh and Briggs began listing their New York City apartments on Airbnb to generate more income. They designed their spaces with sleek, but affordable furniture and soon were making more money as accidental hoteliers than with their day jobs.
“We got this weird exposure to hospitality and design totally by accident,” says Briggs. “Then we thought, ‘What if we could just combine these worlds?’”
That seed of an idea became Piaule Catskill a luxury hotel and spa property in the town of Catskill that opens on July 1. It is the culmination of many years of work that started with pitching investors in 2017, then touring hundreds of sites in the Hudson Valley area, and, finally, the arduous process of creating an eco-friendly resort from the ground up.
And while some would-be hoteliers have been stymied by local opposition, McHugh and Briggs were careful to only look in areas that would be amenable to a hotel project.
“Municipalities have varying levels of enthusiasm when it comes to developments of this kind. A lot of places already have really great places to stay,” says McHugh. “But, Greene County, specifically Catskill, was super open to the idea. So, we felt welcome and encouraged by that.”
And while the town of Catksill does have a handful of lodging options, they all have a traditional feel. Nothing will come close to the luxury offerings at Piaule.
The duo eventually bought land from local musician Simone Felice, who was willing to part with the mountain-view parcel for the right sort of project. “He was born and raised in Catskill. So, he was a super careful steward of what was going to happen,” says McHugh.
Felice approved of Piaule’s sustainable design and ethos, which do not just pay lip service to the idea, but run through every facet of the hotel. Eco-friendly initiatives on property included putting the cabins on piers to allow water and nutrients to permeate the soil underneath, disturbing only five out of the 50 acres when building, and creating a closed-loop water system by constructing an on-site water treatment facility and natural well.
The eco-chic hotel was built on 50 acres, but only five acres were touched during construction.
Sean DavidsonAnd, just as Piaule the homewares line was meant to appeal to a consumer that appreciates elegant and sustainable design at a price point neither dirt cheap or staggeringly high, so too does Piaule the hotel. The property, whose rates start at $399 a night, consists of 24 modern cabins, spread over 50 wooded acres. There is also an on-site restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a kitted-out spa with multiple treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, and temperature-regulated pools that can be used year-round.
For now, these are open to guests only, but McHugh and Briggs would eventually like to open the property to locals looking for a few hours of staycation as well. And of course, you can also buy Piaule products on site, including glassware, limited edition pieces, bath products, and collaborations with the likes of Kati von Lehman and Village Common.
The founders worked with Garrison Architects to realize their modernist, yet sustainable designs: “We were interested in prefab, panelized, or modular construction, and Jim Garrison is really a pioneer in that category,” says McHugh. “He’s tried every single industrialized building method you can imagine, and just has such a depth of knowledge. We felt this guy understood what we're trying to do on a really deep level.”
While Garrison was in charge of the actual building, the interior design – which includes many pieces of bespoke furniture – is all McHugh and Briggs. “It’s a combination of many influences – Scandinavian, Japanese – that we felt fit within the context of what a landscape retreat would be in the Catskills,” says McHugh.
And indeed, there are elements of both Japanese ryokan design and Scandinavian modern within each cabin. The walls, floor, and ceilings are all clad in blond wood, with one entire wall given over to a window with verdant views of the grounds (a favorite feature of both owners). The furniture is minimal, yet cozy, like the blue-and-white quilt that covers an otherwise all-white duvet on the bed. The idea was to make each cabin as unobtrusive within the natural environment as possible.
But, more than just allowing guests to unplug and delight in the arboreal surroundings, McHugh and Briggs also hope to have a bigger impact. “We look at [our sustainability ethos] as a way to influence consumers’ habits,” says McHugh. “We want people to look at what they've experienced at Piaule and apply it to their own lives in a way that could be beneficial for the environment in the long run.”
And while they won’t know just yet how they’ve changed their guests’ habits, the demand for the property is already apparent: they’ve been sold out for their grand opening for weeks. “We hope, obviously, to continue the momentum,” McHugh says. “We’ll certainly hit the ground running.”
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