Before & After: Siblings Turn a Neglected Victorian Into a Dreamy Catskills Hotel

The couple behind Field Theory help their brother reimagine a dreary 1890s estate as the irresistibly chic Hotel Lilien.
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Sometimes, it’s in your best interest to ignore professional advice. At least that was the case with Hotel Lilien, a newly opened 18-room boutique hotel and cocktail bar in the Catskills. The first time David Harmatz, cofounder of The Lost Boys Hospitality Group, asked a builder to check out the 1890 Victorian estate he hoped to renovate in Tannersville, New York, he was warned not to take it on.

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Jenny Xie
Dwell Contributor
Jenny Xie is the author of the novel Holding Pattern, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree. She’s received fellowships from Bread Loaf, Yaddo, and MacDowell, among other organizations.