Review: Pendry Natirar: First In

Why book? If you’re Northeast city dweller looking for an alternative to the increasingly homogenous Catskills hotels, you’ll be delighted by this authentic and historic farm estate in central New Jersey, about an hour away from lower Manhattan. The early 1900s mansion, 10-acre farm, and acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant alongside it have been beautifully transformed into a full-on luxury resort by Pendry Hotels and it’s bound to be the East Coast’s hottest weekend getaway.

Set the scene A historic brick mansion with an adjacent farm nestled inside a 500-acre park calls to mind places like Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, Twin Farms in Vermont, and the mansion featured in the game of Clue…except this is New Jersey. Although Pendry Natirar, located in horse country of Somerset County, is only about 60 miles away from the state's best known vacation destination, the Jersey Shore, it couldn't feel more different. While the hotel is brand new, the private club, farm, and beloved restaurant Ninety Acres have been around for more than a decade. This means there is a built-in clientele of local, well-heeled Jerseyites who are already populating the wood-paneled Great Room, Library, and Billiards Room (see, it really is like Clue!) and Ladd’s Tavern, the new restaurant inside the hotel. Now, New Yorkers and Philadelphians looking for a city escape are also joining the guest pool. When I visited, there guests skewed slightly older (plenty of Burberry and Ralph Lauren to be found), but there were also a couple of chic, young families and given the robust kids and family programming that Pendry is bringing, that will surely only increase.

The backstory The original estate goes back to 1912, when the Tudor-style mansion was built for Walter Ladd and his heiress wife, socialite/philanthropist Kate Macy Ladd, who soon opened a convalescent facility on the estate for sick and needy women. Fifty years after Walter’s death in 1983, in accordance with his will, Natirar was put up for sale. It was purchased by King Hassan II of Morocco, when his sons were attending Princeton, and his son who inherited it sold it to Somerset County in 2003. 90 of the 500 acres were leased to local resident and developer Bob Wojtowicz, who put the wheels in motion to create the farm, restaurant, cooking school, private club, and now hotel and soon-to-come residences, for which he partnered with Pendry Hotels. The farm is a major focus, and feels well-thought out and authentic—it supplies both restaurants and the cooking school. And although the new addition containing the guest rooms sticks out quite a bit, the original brick structures have been carefully preserved.

The rooms Although the 66 rooms are in a building wing added on to the original brick structure that, from the outside, is very modern, the interior design of the rooms manages to recall the 20^th century Tudor style while simultaneously encompassing contemporary touches. This means heavy, dark wood headboards and dressers, mirrors with antique washes behind the mini bar, and moody still-life paintings depicting flowers and fruits coupled with airy white-marble bathrooms containing fluffy robes and custom bath products by Min New York, teal-painted accent walls and closets, and in the suites, clean-lined sofas and dining tables. Somehow, it all comes together perfectly, presenting a welcoming, comfy room with all the modern amenities yet with touches of Old World, understated glamor. One-bedroom suites are massive, and can be connected to neighboring rooms making it a perfect family set-up. Ask for a room on the back side and you’ll be rewarded with expansive views of the open park meadows backed by a beautiful forest that was bursting with autumn colors when we visited.

Food and drink Expectations are high when you can literally see the farm outside the restaurant window, but thankfully Ninety Acres exceeds them handily. Located across the road from the mansion and inside what was the original carriage house, the restaurant and Executive Chef Peter Rudolph have been garnering accolades since it debuted in 2009, cementing its reputation as New Jersey’s version of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The menu switches with the seasons and what’s growing on the farm, which when we were there meant fall bounty like honey nut squash with freshly popped popcorn from the farm, roasted chicken from nearby Griggstown Farm (the Ninety Acres farms has dozens of chickens that provide the restaurant’s eggs) with flageolet beans, escarole, and acorn squash, and a gorgeous salad consisting of a rainbow of thinly sliced beets, crispy shiitake mushrooms, hazelnuts, and shaved truffle. Save room for the deservedly famous butterscotch pretzel ice cream sundae.

Also part of Ninety Acres is a cooking school, and hotel guests have the opportunity to join public and private classes. The instructors are patient and knowledgeable, and the kitchen is spacious and modern, offering an ideal set-up for classes. My kids, husband, and I took a private class where we made fresh pasta, meatballs, and Caesar salad and I was blown away with how well the teacher interacted with and guided my kids, managing to keep a 9- and 2-year-old fully engaged for more than an hour.

A second restaurant inside the hotel was added when the hotel launched, called Ladd’s Tavern. It currently serves breakfast and lunch, and provides the snacks at cocktail hour in the Great Room and room service. Dinner service will begin soon. The offerings there lean British tavern style, with items like a shatteringly crisp fish and chips, Irish soda bread, and curry on the lunch menu, while breakfast has those farm-fresh eggs in various preparations, including a sandwich with a slice of Taylor Ham, a New Jersey specialty. There is also a large outdoor patio for the warmer months, and panoramic views of the park below.

Cocktails are a mix of classic and inventive, with a carrot-ginger-turmeric juice laced with tequila gracing the Ninety Acres menu for fall and a martini paired with caviar in the Great Room. Non-alcoholic options are creative and robust as well.

The spa Spa Pendry is located in the new wing of the hotel and comes in at a whopping 19,000 square feet. The entrance is on the ground floor with a retail space and then guests descend a grand spiral staircase with green marble steps to the main wellness area. There are 12 treatment rooms, each named after a flower, and in addition to men’s and women’s lounges, an indoor pool with a view to nature. On one side is a Himalayan salt room with comfy lounge chairs and cozy blankets, and the other has two mud rooms with showers that can be reserved for an apply-it-yourself mud treatment. The custom-made mud by Red Flower is crafted from herbs like jasmine grown on the farm.

The neighborhood/area The hotel is set inside a 500-acre park and guests can easily access the surrounding parkland and its three nature trails. Beyond that lies the equestrian and agricultural country of Somerset County, including Moorland Farm, home of the annual Far Hills Race Meet horse race for more than 100 years. For those looking for more farm activities, Alstede Farms in Chester is about 10 miles north and has a large pick-your-own area, plus a petting zoo, in-season corn maze, and farm store. For a restaurant outside of the hotel, Gladstone Tavern offers American fare in an 1847 colonial farmhouse.

The service The Pendry brand, a sister to Montage, is at this point known for excellent luxury service, and Natirar is no different. There is an eager front desk and concierge team and guests receive a welcome text that they can use anytime for any needs, questions, or requests, always with a quick response from the front desk team. Everyone is kind and at the ready for any guest, although not in a heavy-handed way.

For families Aside from generous room and suite sizes, there are the simple things like kids menus at the restaurants and a cute farm animal stuffie for children to select at check-in. The farm is instant fun for kids, and my kids couldn’t get enough of exploring the greenhouse, fields of corn, and feeding the chickens and sheep. And when we returned to our room, an adorable amenity of chocolate field mice, with a note thanking my children for visiting the farm was waiting. There’s also an outpost of the Montage and Pendry brands’ kids club, Paintbox. For now, it’s in a temporary location in one of the suites, but it’s still filled with fun and interactive STEM-based toys and games. Plus, the Paintbox kids also spend time outside with an archery and kid-friendly axe-throwing set (no real axes, although there are for adults) and at the farm for various activities. Next year will see the launch of the Village, which will include the permanent Paintbox location as well as Compass Sports, which will have things like bikes, fishing poles, and other outdoor gear for rent. There’s also a family outdoor pool open in-season (the indoor spa pool is adults only).

Eco effort The on-site farm makes it easy for the restaurants and spa to utilize local, seasonal ingredients and cut down on food waste with things like compost and farm animals to feed. There are only full-size bath products in the rooms.

Accessibility ADA standards are met and there is an elevator, although aside from the rooms and spa, most things are on the ground floor.

Anything left to mention? The farm here truly is a highlight and guests can join a complimentary morning farm tour with farm manager Melinda Hopkins, or schedule a private farmer-for-the-day program or beehive experience at the farm’s apiary.