Dec. 29 - 30, 2018 (2D1N):

For Christmas this year, I wanted to treat us to something different such as a quick getaway from NYC.  I came across an article on Top Things To Do in Long Island This Winter and decided to spend a night at Oheka Castle. To my surprise, it is only an hour away from Manhattan…who would have thought you can escape to a chateau without getting on a plane!

The Chateau Room at the Oheka Castle is listed at $399 on all the major booking sites but I found a great deal on Groupon for $229, which included a mansion tour for 2 and $10 dining credit at the restaurant (and don’t forget to use Ebates to get your extra cashback!)

We embarked on the journey at 9:20 am and arrived at the castle without any traffic in under one hour. 

The mansion tour started promptly at 11 am as we walked up the famous grand stairs that appeared in Taylor Swift’s Blank Space music video.

We then sat inside the beautiful library to learn about the history of the castle and how the current owner spent $30MM to restore and renovate the castle after it went through many different owners.  The tour continued with a stroll through the dining room, the Chaplin room, and 3 other ballrooms.  It concluded with coffee/tea & cookies.

Checking-in time was 3pm so we went to the gym and Deer Park Tanger Outlet in the meantime.  If this is your first time in the area, you can also visit other mansions in the Gold Coast of Long Island: Sagamore Hill, Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, and Old Westbury Garden.

We were given room #305, which was few doors down from the owner’s apartment.  The room had a very interest layout as the shower, vanity, and toilet were all individually sectioned.  The bed was very comfy with lots of pillows but the TV was awkwardly positioned.

After settling in, we quickly got ready for our dinner reservation at OHK Bar & Restaurant - it is situated inside the castle and you get $10 dining credit with the Groupon reservation.  Our dinner selections were delicious (mini lobster rolls for an appetizer, pine nut crusted sea bass, and blackened ribeye) but the price was on par with Manhattan rate! Service was very attentive and what is more romantic than dining in a castle?!  The only thing I thought they could improve on was the cocktail - I had the lychee sangria and it wasn’t all that special.  Might be a good idea to get yourself a bottle of wine from the nearby liquor store and drink it later in the library. 

After dinner, we walked over to the library to relax a bit.  It was empty when we first got there but few guests figured out the secret spot as well so it was time to call it a night!

The next morning, we enjoyed the hotel’s complimentary breakfast overlooking the beautiful lawn.  I was a bit surprised to learn that the hotel offered continental breakfast only (no hot food), but they do provide you with lots of fresh fruit and a good selection of bread, cereal, and yogurt. We ate more bagels than we should’ve because the cream cheese was so delicious!

After we stuffed ourselves with food, we walked around the garden to snap some photos before the crowds started coming in.

​The valet came over and showed us to the secret pool that was not opened to public.

We concluded our trip to Oheka Castle by strolling through the cute town of Huntington.  If you do stop by, sample some olive oils at "The Crushed Olive”