Glamping Retreat to Open on NYC's Governors Island This June
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
New York City has plenty of options when it comes to accommodations; at last count, there are more than 700 hotels listed on TripAdvisor in Manhattan alone — but most are pretty lackluster or prohibitively expensive. That made this latest NYC property's advertised $75 nightly rate especially attractive. Of course, there's a catch.
First, that $75 rate at Collective Governors Island is only available for New Yorkers, only on select weeknights and in limited quantity. Oh yeah, and you won't be staying in a hotel — you're paying $75 for a luxury tent, which actually doesn't look half-bad. But that tent is located on Governors Island — which, while technically in the borough of Manhattan, is actually located in the middle of New York Harbor. Getting to and from your accommodations requires taking a short ferry, available between the hours of 10:00am and 5:30pm Monday-Friday, and until 6pm on the weekend.
In other words, plan to spend some quality time in your tent, which might look something like this:
I'm actually a big fan of Governors Island. I've been visiting on weekends for years and the prospect of spending the night there for an incredibly easy city getaway does sound appealing in theory.
"Since the inception of Collective Retreats, it has been our dream to have a presence in New York City," said Peter Mack, founder and CEO of Collective Retreats, in a press release. "We are thrilled to serve as the first hospitality brand to create an opportunity for New Yorkers and visitors to stay overnight and experience the beauty of Governors Island more deeply."
My favorite hangout is Hammock Grove, which is home to 50 hammocks. There's even one hidden away under a tree around the corner — it's all mine, so I won't tell you where it is, but it does exist ... and it's awesome. It's my happy place. Wheeee!
Collective Governors Island, the fifth opening for experiential travel company, Collective Retreats, opens on June 1 and bookings are available through October 31. As of this writing almost all dates are available, with the exception of the latter half of June.
Rates appear to start at $150 for select dates in September and October, $175 in June and $200 during the peak summer months. Weekend and holiday bookings require a stay of at least two nights, and while I do love Governors Island, it might be difficult to justify spending an entire weekend there.
(Very expensive) Luxury Tents include en-suite bathrooms, though Bell Tents have shared facilities, which include flush toilets, hot showers and environmentally friendly amenities. There's also on-site dining at the Three Peaks Lodge, which offers picnic lunches and "BBQ-in-a-box" dinners, along with "table-side farm-to-table dinner, served under the stars with views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor."
Eventually, you may be able to book the property via a third-party booking portal, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, which, if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, would allow you to redeem points at 1.5 cents apiece. Collective isn't showing up on the site yet, though, nor was it available via a phone agent, so I'd recommend checking back in a few weeks.
Ultimately, due to the remote location, I wouldn't recommend Collective Governors Island for first-time New York City visitors. It could make for a great weekend escape for locals, however, and return tourists looking for an affordable, off-the-beaten-path stay.