THE STORY

The primary structure on our 7-acre property dates back to the 1890s, when the Manhattan-based Lilienthal family set out to create an upstate escape. They named their home “Villa Meta” after their only child Meta, a writer who recalls trips to the region in her memoir titled Dear Remembered World. 

The estate was operated as a family-owned inn for several generations before it was acquired by The Lost Boys Hospitality Group, a team of long-time friends from California whose Panama properties earned a “cult-like following” among backpackers, according to The New York Times. They came to be known as “The Lost Boys,” a reference to the Neverland-like experiences they’ve long crafted for their guests. 

After returning home, The Lost Boys purchased, restored, and reimagined the bed and breakfast operated most recently as Washington Irving Inn, then renamed it “Hotel Lilien” in homage to the structure’s initial owners. Furnished by the San Francisco-based design firm Field Theory, the original structure maintains the wood panelling, stained glass windows, and many of the trims, hardware, and architecture built by the Lilienthals more than a century ago.