Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We just spent a week at the Blackthorn Resort for Irish Arts Festival Week and had a great time. You have to realize this is the Catskills! The resort offered a warm, friendly environment with great food, music and activities. The fireworks show every Tuesday night was amazing, as was the free horseback riding on Wednesday. It was fun interacting with all of the other guests, many right from Ireland. Look beyond the surface here and you will have a great time. I do recommend going for the level B room over a level C though.
I as well just stayed at the Black Thorn in my side for a week with my wfe and kids. It is a DUMP!!!!!!! The rooms are gross stained and broken. You have to time your showers when no one else is taking one to get hot water. The grounds are great, the staff is very nice. The rooms are a DUMP! It is a great place to camp (it has to be cleaner than the rooms). There was a family reunion during our stay, they were lower working class and a bit loud. The fishing pond is smaller than the sink, but there is good fishing in the river near by. If you stay at the Black Thorn do not expect the Hilton. The staff is nice the rooms are just old and wore out. Breakfast is great if you can get past the dirty dishes.
I as well just stayed at the Black Thorn in my side for a week with my wfe and kids. It is a DUMP!!!!!!! The rooms are gross stained and broken. You have to time your showers when no one else is taking one to get hot water. The grounds are great, the staff is very nice. The rooms are a DUMP! It is a great place to camp (it has to be cleaner than the rooms). There was a family reunion during our stay, they were lower working class and a bit loud. The fishing pond is smaller than the sink, but there is good fishing in the river near by. If you stay at the Black Thorn do not expect the Hilton. The staff is nice the rooms are just old and wore out. Breakfast is great if you can get past the dirty dishes.
The next time try: www.ResortsandLodges.com (http://www.ResortsandLodges.com - broken link), Villa Roma, 356 Villa Roma Road, Calicoon, NY, 12723. Excellent place, fantastic food! And you will not be disappointed. It is also in the Catskills...........
After the O'Neil House closed (down the road from Blackthorne) we found ourselves at the Blackthorne. The staff is nice and caters to both adults and children. There's plenty to do: rock climbing, hiking, tiki bar at the pool, live music, haunted house, magic show, playground and more. My favorite is the happy hour $1 bottles from noon to 6pm!
Anyone know about this Resort? Friends of ours are thinking of staying there this coming fall. Can anyone give me the pros, cons? Any one camped there?
Thanks!
I have been going to the Blackthorne for 10+ years and it is truly the best place in East Durham. We always stay at the resort but befriend the campers all the time and i have NEVER met a camper that did not say it was the best place to camp, you can use the pool and facilities and everyone blends so nicely, it is a family owned place that truly keeps the tradition of east durham alive, also the camping grounds are huge.....I highly recommend it.....
After the O'Neil House closed (down the road from Blackthorne) we found ourselves at the Blackthorne. The staff is nice and caters to both adults and children. There's plenty to do: rock climbing, hiking, tiki bar at the pool, live music, haunted house, magic show, playground and more. My favorite is the happy hour $1 bottles from noon to 6pm!
I couldnt agree more, we started at the oneil house 20 years ago, then the shamrock house and found our way to the blackthorne and never turned back....they make everyone happy...and they have horseback riding too (I saw you didnt mention that) want to make sure you knew and send a van out for you and your family to go to tanglewood ranch), it is a tradition for my friends and now husbands and kids and it is our favorite part of the summer....we just got back today and they put a firework show on yesterday for the 4th of july that could not be beat --- sitting poolside with an outdoor band and dancing.....i watched the oneil house deteriate and it was very sad for us but to watch the blackthorne rebuild the town gives me hope my kids now will have the wonderful memories we do from east durham...what a great post I just had to reply
BlahBlah seems to be named appropriately! I detect a young punk who ran his mouth and caused trouble there, and was straightened out. One of the great things about Blackthorne Resort is that it is an unpretentious, fun-loving, relaxed atmosphere, but a high degree of safety is assured. If someone gets out of line, the staff is prepared to take whatever action is necessary to make sure everyone's stay isn't ruined by one dirt bag.
Blackthorne appears to be the most successful resort in the area. My guess is that there are many reasons, equally important, but for us:
1) GREAT value for the money. Great food, plenty of it, and the variety is amazing. They set off their own professional fireworks shows weekly in season.
2) Family-friendly resort, but there are plenty of unattached young people staying and frequenting the place. More male and female hotties than anywhere else up there—so even if you can’t touch, you can at least enjoy the view!!
3) Best pool---see #2 above
4) The best music in the area.
5) In general, more fun than anywhere else up there.
As a result, I wouldn't be surprised if owners and family members of a couple of the old-fashioned and very boring surrounding resorts weren't posting negative reviews here and other places. We've been going up there for years, and I can tell you there is a great deal of jealousy of the Handel family, because of how much more popular their place is than the other places. However, check them out on line, and call to ask about their many theme weekends, that no one else up there hosts. You'll find out there is no place better to go upstate, no place to have more fun. However, if you're a snooty, uppity snob, go to Europe or somewhere else. Blackthorne offers entertainment from mild to wild, and you probably can't handle it! After all, as a friend of ours likes to say, there are people who get invited to a spectacular orgy, and complain about the cheese dip......they just can't seem to focus on what is important!
I just had to reply because your post was just so on target....and I can see you are a biker, I am a business woman with young children and a husband that wished he was a biker lol and we have spent many nights at the blackthorne resort bar having a great time with all the bikers, families, elderly, and everyone else who enjoys this gem in the catskills. I would like to add one more thing to why the blackthorne is successful to your post and that is the family who owns it.....The dad and two sons and their families have dedicated their life to restore the east durham pride and what had been lost over the years, they go above and beyond their duties as resort owners to make sure everyone is happy, greet you by name and with open arms regardless if you are staying in an A room, C room, camping or a biker coming to check out the great enetertainment. My kids have grown up there, I enjoy everything about it and only once did I see someone get out of hand there like you mentioned and was so impressed with how professionally and quickly the management handled the situation. those who post negative about the blackthorne cannont know east durham well because it is truly like the four seasons of that area and they take such good care of the property....I thank you for your post because i was very sad when i read some negative things about this resort that is single handedly keeping east durham alive....I love the diversity and enjoy every camper biker family person i have ever met there, we go up annually and everyone knows our name...it is truly our home away from home....your post really touched me as we just got back from there today from yet another incredible weekend....
It's interesting to see the two extreme views of this place, but having just been there a few weeks ago I would have to say that the positive reviews are likely to be coming from family or friends of the "resort" owners. I actually had reservations, but when I got there I decided that there is no way that I would ask my family to stay in a place like that. Now I'm not used to being a guest at the finest of establishments, but neither am I willing to allow my family to stay at the worst. What's worse is when I asked for my deposit back, the receptionist/co-owner refused (even though their website promises customer satifaction) and got downright hostile. In addition, on our way out we ran into another couple who had lost their deposit because they were unwilling to stay there after taking a look at their room.
I definately would suggest to anyone considering staying there to simply take an extra 20 min, drive to a nearby town, and stay at a safe/sanitary establishment. Oh yeah, and never make reservations there unless you've already been there to check it out and have decided that it is good enough for you.
Wow, as a long time visitor to this establishment I find it hard to believe anyone would think this family is posting positive fake blogs on websites, they are a hard working family that take hours to keep their propery in pristine shape, satisfy customers, provide vans for free horseback riding and go carts and have never had trouble with any requests to the management or office. They are definately not on computers and creating fake blogs....And funny you mention the receiptionist as a co owner as there are two new receiptionists there now and the previous one who was amazing just retired but was affiliated with Mullins before the blackthorne owned it.....
And in regards to the rooms, some are not so great, but for an extra $20 a night there are A rooms that are pretty incredible especially for east durham.....I actually am a frequent visitor of fine establishments having travelled for business in some of the best hotels in the country but who would go to east durham for a fancy hotel?? they do an amazing job of trying to keep everyone satisfied and happy and are restoring the wonderful memories i have of the town having gone there for 25+ years, something none of the other establishments could do (which by the way i was big fans of many years ago)....everyone is entitled to their own opinions but having such great experiences up there I could not resist responding to your post and please understand it is with the respect of everyone has a different opinion....
I as well just stayed at the Black Thorn in my side for a week with my wfe and kids. It is a DUMP!!!!!!! The rooms are gross stained and broken. You have to time your showers when no one else is taking one to get hot water. The grounds are great, the staff is very nice. The rooms are a DUMP! It is a great place to camp (it has to be cleaner than the rooms). There was a family reunion during our stay, they were lower working class and a bit loud. The fishing pond is smaller than the sink, but there is good fishing in the river near by. If you stay at the Black Thorn do not expect the Hilton. The staff is nice the rooms are just old and wore out. Breakfast is great if you can get past the dirty dishes.
I just want to make sure you realize there are different grade rooms, if you stay in an "a" room for not that much more money (depending on how many people) you would be surprised how upgraded the rooms are. The rooms I am speaking of are right across from the office and have brand new ac, tv's, even one upstairs with a balconly that cant beat....you should really check it out as these rooms are really nice...trust me on this...
My husband , I and dog "Kyla" just got back from the most heart warming weekend we have ever had! In the face of tradgey- the Handel family are simply amazing. We were greeted by Patti, with a big hug and "thank you" when we arrived.Their daughter Nichole, makes her presence known , by waiting on you hand and foot , with the most beautiful smile When I told her that her Mom & Dad must pay her well for all her hard work, her reply was " they provide a roof over my head, and clothes on my back." Not once did I see text messaging or chatting on a cell phone. She is a beautiful young lady, with great morals. Which brings me to the true meaning of this post. I will agree with the comments that this is "no HILTON", because at a Hilton you will not get this kind of special treatment and feel like you are part of the family.You will not get greeted by your first name, or a heartfelt hug.You will not walk away feeling like someone really cared that you were there! We have another reservation next month, and can't wait to see them all again!!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Reply to Camping Mom
Our weekend at the Black Thorn/ 9/26/10
When I told her that her Mom & Dad must pay her well for all her hard work, her reply was " they provide a roof over my head, and clothes on my back." Not once did I see text messaging or chatting on a cell phone. She is a beautiful young lady, with great morals. Which brings me to the true meaning of this post. I will agree with the comments that this is "no HILTON", because at a Hilton you will not get this kind of special treatment and feel like you are part of the family.You will not get greeted by your first name, or a heartfelt hug.You will not walk away feeling like someone really cared that you were there! We have another reservation next month, and can't wait to see them all again!!!!
