The building may be showing its age but it is delightfully comfortable and filled with rural charm.
The Book Village Inn (760 Main St, Hobart, NY) is nice, old, and the only place to stay in this sleepy region of the northwestern Catskills. It’s a large converted house, definitely showing its age but charming nonetheless. There’s no staff onsite and for a moment I thought I was the only one in the building. I soon heard signs of life but maybe just two or three other people. The management is very attentive and quick to respond to concerns via texts and the housekeeping service was very helpful as well. One missing feature of the inn during my stay was its area favorite bar and restaurant. It was closed due to staff restructuring and maintenance. So that took a bit away from the experience of my stay.
The building was built in the 1830s. Originally known as The MacArthur House, it began as a stagecoach inn for local traders and travellers. It later became a private residence and eventually an inn once again. After a some down time, the old house was restored and reopened as Book Village Inn & Bar in 2025. There are five rooms, each named after a famous author. The Austen Room, The Dickinson Room, The Fitzgerald Room, The Hemingway Room, and The Twain Room. I stayed in The Dickinson Room. It’s rustic yet bright with books galore (of course). The heavy, wooden floors are solid even if a bit uneven. The walk from the bathroom door to the sink is downright downhill (as shown in the photo on page 2) but there’s plenty of light, a huge shower, and ample hot water. The bed is large and lushly comfortable (I slept very well).
There’s a small desk and chair in one corner of the room and a cushioned bench in front of large bay windows. At first I thought the lights were very dim but there are teeny, tiny faders somewhat hidden next to each switch. It took me almost day to discover them. Other amenities include a decent sized mini fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, electric kettle, and a large flatscreen TV. There was an AC in one of the windows, but I didn’t it thanks to the late summer cool weather. Although not cool enough to turn on the heat, so I can’t attest to it’s quality.
The grounds are well maintained with massive trees and grass, but it’s unused at this time. I’m guessing that’s due to the closure of the restaurant and being late in the season. You can see the character that I’m sure shines during the peak of summer with plenty of space for dining, a bar area, and what appeared to be a platform suited for live music. There are chairs, tables, and benches along the wrap-around porch of the inn, perfect for reading.
Though the restaurant is closed, there is a cafe onsite. Sadly, it is currently only open on Saturday and Sunday, so I missed my opportunity to check it out. There is also a bookstore in the barn behind the inn. Despite signs saying it was open, it was locked during my stay. The hours of the bookstore do change with the seasons, so I must’ve just missed the cutoff. And of course, the inn is in very close proximity to the handful of bookstores and gift shops that give the Hobart Book Village it’s name and character. All are in very easy walking distance.
Ironically, the immediate area is not as quiet at night as its sparseness would have you think. There’s a surprising amount of traffic that rolls along Main Street. Cars and motorcycles but especially large trucks. This is due to the close proximity of the Hobart Industrial Park (home to a very large pharmaceutical facility) and lots of heavy trucking in general in the area. Thankfully I come from notoriously loud Hoboken NJ so this didn’t bother me at all, but it’s something you should be aware of.
Around the corner from the Book Village Inn on Cornell Ave — just before the industrial park — is the entrance to The Catskill Scenic Trail. A 26-mile, multi-use trail following the historic path of the former Ulster & Delaware Railroad. While I only walked a couple of those miles, I found it very rejuvenating. Surrounded by trees and greenery, crowing roosters in the distance, babbling waters of a small headwater stream of the West Branch Delaware River, open skies above, and mountains in the background.
Conclusion:
If you’re looking for a quiet getaway for a few days, I highly recommend The Book Village Inn in Hobart, NY. Just be aware of the current lack of local amenities (the only two restaurants are currently closed as is the local grocer) and be prepared to venture into neighboring townships. This is not a city, it is a rural village and has the sleepy, laid-back personality to match. And that’s fine. There are plenty of places in the Catskills region to party or seek adventure. However, Hobart is the ideal place to relax. Since that was my intention, my trip was a success.
Kudos the the Inn and I hope they resolve the restaurant issues in time for my next visit.
Website -> bookvillageinn.com
