NewVida Preserve Connects Community Through Experiences

New Lodging, Dining and Outdoor Exploration Business Opens Doors

Essex County Community News & Sun article by Alana Penny - June 30. 2023

Richard Vidal stands next to the bar. All of the skis affixed to the wall are from when the property was Paleface Ski Area.

JAY | NewVida Preserve wants to break away from the typical hospitality industry model of hotel, restaurant, spa. Instead, owners Richard and Matthew Vidal want it to be an experience. It also isn't meant to be tourist-centered.

“It is equally a clubhouse for the local community as it is a tourist destination,” Richard Vidal said. “We're doing a membership because we don't want this to be a place of transient tourism where you crash here, you drink here and leave and we never see you again. We want it to be all community-driven and experience-driven.”

One example of community-driven, experience-driven hospitality they will provide is a dinner club. This will be a three-course meal that changes nightly. Every month, the entire menu will be swapped out. Each night there will be three seatings in their 50-seat dining area, allowing 150 people to participate in the dinner club each night.

About 35 years ago, this property was Paleface Ski Area. When the Vidals bought it in October 2022, they had their work cut out for them. Vidal said that although the family who owned it before them cherished it, for the past five years, not much was done to it. “So, it wasn't deteriorating, but there was a lot of deferred maintenance,” Vidal said.

Matthew and Richard Vidal also own Cascada Farm down in the Hudson Valley. They are going to connect the two properties by offering members of NewVida Preserve a special deal when they visit Cascada.

Vidal grew up in Miami but has fond memories of visiting the Adirondack region as a Boy Scout. His love of the outdoors has continued into adulthood. That is why he and his husband have put the last few months into getting the preserve in pristine condition.

The room that transformed the most is the bar area. “None of this was here,” Vidal said. “This was just a wall with a basketball pole, believe it or not.” The lane line and the free throw line is still slightly visible on the floor. The bar is triangular, coming to a point in the middle to complement the A-frame architecture of the building. The bar wall is decorated with vintage skis they found on the property. "We really tried to capture the history everywhere,” Vidal said. The bar room seats 30 and their liquor license extends to the lawn outside. Bar-goers can also spill over into the game room, where there are going to pool, ping-pong and card tables.

The first floor also has a gym and pool that are being converted to accommodate guests. Upstairs is the spa area. One room is for classes like yoga, another room is for more one-on-one therapies like massage. The oils they will use will all be derived from wildflowers on the property. Most of the experiences will be provided by contractors who work with the preserve.

“Yesterday we had a geologist, a wilderness survivalist and a bird expert that are going to be doing outdoor experiences,” Vidal said. “We had an artist the other day who does outdoor art installations and performance art. So we wanted those are people that won't be 100 percent on staff; there'll be contracted experienced providers, they create their own schedule, we market their services, and when you're a guest member, you can just take advantage of (those services).

In the lodging area, most of the rooms are two-room-suite style. They kept some of the original furniture and sink tiles from when it was the ski resort. Outside, the property is about 2,000 acres with 25 miles of trails. There are some signs of the ski mountain still remaining, like chairlift wheels. Although they won't be rebuilding a chairlift, Vidal said they will put up T-bars and rope tows for alpine skiers next winter. Another remnant from the ski hill is what was called “the skate house.” It is a small structure by a pond where people would warm up after ice skating. They hope to use it again when the pond freezes over.

The NewVida Bistro is open now, but the rest will open staggered over the course of the next few weeks. Vidal is Cuban and Head Chef Amy Gonzalez is Puerto Rican, so many of the bistro menu items are Latin-inspired.

The bistro is currently open Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The spa and bar will be open the week of July 10, and the lodging will open July 15. They will start accepting members on July 5. Members of the community will get a discounted membership for the first year. They will also provide day passes."