Kutsher's Hotel facts for kids
Kutsher's Hotel and Country Club was a famous resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. It was located near Monticello in Sullivan County. For many years, it was a very popular vacation spot, especially for Jewish-American families from the northeastern United States. This area was often called the "Borscht Belt" because of the many Jewish visitors.
Many famous performers got their start or played at Kutsher's. These included David Brenner, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Woody Allen, and Joan Rivers. The hotel closed in 2013. Most of its buildings were taken down in 2014. A new health and wellness resort opened on the same land in 2018.
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How Kutsher's Started
The Kutsher family began their business in 1907. It was first called the Kutsher's Brothers Farm House. They started making it bigger in the 1920s and 1930s.
In the 1940s, Milton Kutsher took over the hotel. He helped it grow a lot from the 1950s to the 1980s. It became a huge vacation place. The property covered 1,500 acres. It had a hotel with 400 rooms, condos, and two summer camps. There was also an 18-hole golf course and a lake. Milton and his wife Helen ran the hotel together. Helen was in charge of reservations. Their son Mark took over after Milton passed away in 1998.
Sports Fun at Kutsher's
Milton Kutsher loved sports. He made Kutsher's a favorite place for sports stars. Famous basketball coach Red Auerbach and player Wilt Chamberlain often stayed there. Wilt Chamberlain even worked as a bellhop at the hotel!
Many boxing champions also trained at Kutsher's. These included Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, and Leon Spinks. Milton Kutsher believed sports could attract young people to the resort.
- Maurice Stokes Benefit Game: Kutsher's helped host a special charity basketball game. It was called the Maurice Stokes Benefit All-Star Game. This game raised money for Maurice Stokes, a basketball player who was injured. It also helped other former players who needed support. Many top professional players came to this game. Some even said it was as good as the NBA All-Star game! Later, a golf tournament was also started to raise money.
Kutsher's also had its own sports camps. These were called Kutsher's Camp Anawana and Kutsher's Sports Academy.
In the 1950s, Milton Kutsher decided to build a golf course at the hotel. This was different from other hotels that were building indoor pools. His choice paid off. The hotel's golf course became one of the best on the East Coast. It brought many guests to the resort.
Activities and Entertainment
Kutsher's was known for its amazing entertainment. Many famous comedians and musicians performed there early in their careers. These included David Brenner, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Woody Allen, and Jerry Seinfeld.
The hotel offered an all-inclusive vacation. This meant that meals, entertainment, and activities were all part of the price. All the meals served were kosher.
Guests could enjoy many activities:
- Golf
- Tennis
- Indoor ice skating
- Indoor and outdoor swimming pools
- A health club
- Special programs for kids and teens
In winter, there were also snow sports like tubing and downhill skiing.
Why Kutsher's Closed
Over the years, there were talks about building a casino at Kutsher's. However, these plans never worked out.
In 2007, Kutsher's told its guests it would close for renovations. In 2008, the Kutsher family made a deal with Louis Cappelli. The hotel reopened as 'The New Kutsher's Resort & Spa' after some changes.
Kutsher's also hosted music festivals, like the All Tomorrow's Parties festival from 2008 to 2010.
Helen Kutsher, who helped run the hotel for many years, passed away in 2013.
Kutsher's Hotel officially closed in 2013. The property was sold for $8.8 million to a company called Veria Lifestyle. The new owners took down the old hotel buildings. They built a new health and wellness resort instead. This new resort focuses on the Indian practice of yoga. It opened in June 2018 and is called YO1 Luxury Nature Cure.
Kutsher's Legacy
A documentary film about Kutsher's Country Club was released in 2012. It was called Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort. The film showed three generations of the Kutsher family.
Kutsher's in Movies and TV
Kutsher's helped inspire the famous 1987 movie Dirty Dancing.
The hotel was also mentioned in the movie Wet Hot American Summer. In that film, the talent show host used to work at Kutsher's. Kutsher's also appeared in the second season of the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
