The Rex

New York’s Catskills get the lion’s share of the press, but the Poconos of northeastern Pennsylvania have been due for a resurgence as well. Perhaps a bit overlooked during the boom in air travel, places like the aptly named Promised Land State Park are once again finding favor with East Coast urbanites, and the local hotels are modernizing to meet demand. This is where the Rex comes in. With just ten units it styles itself a “micro-hotel,” but it’s more simply a small and stylish boutique hotel, combining the charms of the country with the comforts city dwellers are used to.

In the suites and cabins that means the knotty pine construction is contrasted with subway-tile bathrooms and furniture and linens by well-known modernist-inspired brands: Joybird furniture, Brooklinen bedding, Smeg coffee makers and fridges, and Ruggable rugs. Local roasters Black & Brass provide fresh coffee, and while there’s no restaurant — this is a micro-hotel, remember — your suite has a perfectly functional kitchenette, and if you’ve booked a cabin, you’ve got a full kitchen. After all that, you’re located right at the edge of the Promised Land, whose hiking trails connect directly with the Rex’s property.