Across the Hudson Valley, a new generation of hotels is being shaped not only by sweeping landscapes and thoughtful design, but by the women whose personal stories, creative instincts, and entrepreneurial spirit are woven into the guest experience. From interiors inspired by Scandinavian minimalism and Catskills scenery, to boutique properties that feel like a community living room, to transforming open land into a luxury farm retreat, these women are redefining what hospitality looks and feels like in the region.
Travelers, it turns out, are ready for exactly this kind of experience. Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26 report notes that 84% of travelers are interested in staying on or near a farm as the slow travel movement gains momentum. Booking.com’s 2026 travel predictions similarly found that 69% of travelers would be interested in a hotel where they can forage in local nature and wilderness for their meals. The Hudson Valley — with its forests, farmland, and creative communities — is uniquely positioned to meet that desire, and many of the properties leading the way are guided by women with backgrounds far beyond traditional hospitality paths.
These founders, creatives, and operators bring experience from fashion, media, finance, and design. They are also mothers, partners, and entrepreneurs, balancing personal and professional lives while shaping some of the region’s most compelling places to stay. Their perspectives are helping establish the Hudson Valley as a destination that attracts independent boutique hotels and globally recognized brands.
At Eastwind Hotels & Resorts, Creative Director Julija Stoliarova channels her Scandinavian roots and the Catskills’ natural palette of golds, browns, auburns, and blues into spaces that feel serene, intentional, and deeply connected to place. Born in Lithuania, Julija began her career as an international model, walking runways in Milan, New York, Tokyo, Paris, and London before enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her path into hospitality began in New York nightlife, managing the lounge at The Standard and later serving as Assistant General Manager at Sunset Manager, where she met her future husband and Eastwind co-owner, Bjorn Boyer. Today, across Eastwind’s locations in Windham, Lake Placid, and Oliverea Valley, her aesthetic vision is evident in clean lines, natural hues, and minimalist interiors that mirror the surrounding landscape.
In nearby Tannersville, Hotel Lilien has become affectionately known as the “unofficial living room” of the town — a reputation shaped in large part by Liz Narins, the property’s Director of Content and Communications. A former fitness and health editor at Cosmopolitan, Liz brings a storyteller’s sensibility to hospitality. She crafts partnerships, programming, and brand voice that extend far beyond the walls of the hotel, fostering a sense of familiarity and belonging for guests and locals alike. Alongside her work at Hotel Lilien and as a freelance writer and content strategist, Liz is also a mother of two, balancing family life with creative leadership.
Further south in Gardiner, Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection offers a different but equally personal vision of Hudson Valley hospitality. Co-Managing Partner Kristin Soong Rapoport helped transform a former tree nursery into a luxury, nature-driven retreat that encourages guests to slow down and reconnect with the land. Before entering hospitality, Kristin spent years in finance, serving as a Senior Vice President at Fortress Investment Group and working in Institutional Securities at Morgan Stanley. She and her husband, Phillip Rapoport, were inspired by their own visits to the Hudson Valley and by their young son, who influenced the creation of the property’s natural playground and family-friendly outdoor spaces. Today, Kristin continues to shape guest experiences rooted in nature, wellness, and discovery.
Individually, these women bring distinct perspectives to their properties. Collectively, they signal a broader shift in how hospitality is imagined in the Hudson Valley: less transactional, more personal; less about spectacle, more about connection to place, community, and nature.
As travelers increasingly seek destinations that allow them to slow down, forage, explore, and feel at home, the Hudson Valley’s women-led hotels are not only meeting the moment — they are helping define it.
