I'm planning a fall excursion and hoping to find a couple of really upscale hotels or inns in the Hyde Park and Rhinebeck areas. Have looked at websites, but that's p.r. Would love to get feedback from other travelers in the area. Thanks!

The only places that I can recommend are The Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck which includes Delamater House and the Belvedere.

Belvedere Mansion. Wonderful accomodations, surroundings, views. Pool, lawn, excellent restaurant. Very dreamy. It's not in Rhinebeck, just outside. Beekman Arms might come up as a rec. but I found it to be tired, a bit run down and not nearly as nice. It is, however, situated right in the middle of Rhinebeck.

Here:

http://www.belvederemansion.com

http://www.top10inns.com/inns/beekmanarms

another vote for Beekman Arms - we LOVED it and didn't find it tired out at all.

Thanks so far! What abt Buttermilk Inn (Milton, I think?) and Inn at the Falls (Poughkeepsie)? I think well probably want to eat at CIA one night, and I'd like to be close by (don't want to drive and drink)-- but I don't think anyplace really really nice is as close as I wish.
Another question: My husband has business to do at Bard College. Does it make sense to Amtrak (from Wilmington) all the way to Rhinebeck, or maybe better to Amtrak to Poughkeepsie, rent a car there, and drive the rest of the way-- so that we can do the mansions in that area rather than backtracking? What we're most interested in is gardens and hiking and great views. Any do-not-misses that guidebooks may not point out?
Thanks so much!

How about the Mohonk Mountain House? Views, gardens, hiking--all waiting for you.

This isn't the question you asked, but be sure to check out the schedule for the Bard Summerscape. If you're in town when that's going on, it's definitely worth getting tickets.

Wilmington Delaware? or NC?
Personally, I would go to Poughkeepsie when I have to and stay in Rhinebeck. Inn at the Falls looks and sounds good but (this is a couple of years ago) friends stayed there for a weekend and were unhappy. It did not turn out to be as posh as they wanted..so I have no idea how nice it really is.
But I do know that the Beekman Arms is very old ( tired?) and you can walk downstairs in the evening to the pub/bar ( the oldest part of the building-reeeally old) and have cocktails, if it is chilly, sip by the fire in the lobby.
Walk across the street the the Petit Bistro for a great dinner, walk up the street for breakfast or eat at the Inn. You are closer to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Rhinebeck than in Poughkeepsie..P is huge .
I think if you google Rhinebeck NY you will get some Chamber of Commerce sites, see where the houses are that offer Garden Tours etc. We used to take a picnic to the Vanderbilt Mansion and just find a spot on the grounds (overlooking the Hudson or in the woods by a stream) , we could spend most of a day there. No charge to be on the grounds, only for house tours..that is the way most of the houses are .. Do go see Olana..beautiful and worth seeing the interiors too.
If you don't want the Rustic part of staying in the Inn, get a room in Delamater House..newer, fireplaces in the rooms, both have a small decanter with some port and a couple of glasses to make you feel welcome.
Enjoy your stay, we were really contemplating moving to that area not long ago.

Thanks everyone!!

There are plenty of "nice" places in the Rhinebeck area, but not much of what I'd call "really upscale" Further south by Hyde Park is worse--more motels than inns.

Two places that seem nice--but I can't vouch for personally are:
http://www.lakehouseinn.com
I've looked at this place before, but could never stay there --way out of my budget. It's nearer to Rhinebeck, but even a little off the beaten track from there.

http://www.bullishall.com
This place, also a little out of the way is another place on my "maybe someday" list

If you want to eat at the CIA, you better make a reservation soon. I've been shut out there a few times. Either they are booked up or closed because of school breaks. They have a good website so I'd check it out. It really is wonderful and such a beautiful setting.

Again-- thanks. We do want to eat at CIA (I checked: reservations for the month of October open on July 1). Problem is that we don't want to stay in a mediocre place overnight-- and we don't want to be far away (because we enjoy wine with dinner; in fact, can't imagine enjoying dinner without it...) So unless I can find a really lovelyplace nearby, I guess we'll have to forgo those restaurants.

the closest regular hotel that I can remember , to the CIA, is the Holiday Inn Express on Rt 44 (I think) just where the miles and miles of strip malls and hotel/motels begin.
Everything runs along Rt9, so even if you are staying close, it is not a difficult drive and in NY you have to be careful no matter how far you are driving, if you are having a drink at dinner.

http://www.bearsystems.com/hydepark/hydepark.html

One more site for you to look through