Guesthouse
Our Guesthouse & Meal Practices
Lodging
Our guest rooms, formerly monks’ cells, are modest and comfortable. Your room will have a single bed, dresser, desk, and lamps. We also provide an alarm clock, pillow, linens, and blankets. We’ve renovated each floor’s group bathroom into private sections that include a sink, toilet, and shower. You can expect cozy heating during the winter. During the summer, we provide electric fans. We do not have air-conditioning in guest rooms.
- Check-in is on or after 2:00 p.m.. Please do not arrive earlier than 2:00 p.m., so that our staff has time to make your room ready for your arrival.
- Check-out by 10:00 a.m.. Please strip your bed, remake it with fresh linens, and say a prayer for the next guest in that room! Cluster your packed belongings in as small a space as possible to help our cleaning staff prepare the room for arriving guests.
Your reservation includes dinner (12:30 p.m.) on your day of departure.
Internet & Use of Electronics
Please note: we no longer offer WiFi for guest use. We encourage you to use your time of retreat as a time to disconnect from meetings, work, and other commitments so that you can be fully present to your time away with God. If your group needs to show a video that requires access to the internet, please notify the guesthouse office.
As a monastic guesthouse, we are not able to accommodate space for guests to join Zoom or other video calls during their retreat time. Nor do we allow the use of cell phones in the building. The walls in the guesthouse are thin, and sound travels easily. We also need to leave our meeting rooms available for groups, for spiritual direction, and for folks looking for quiet areas to read, pray, and enjoy their retreat time. You are welcome to listen to audio books or music with headphones.
Massage Therapy
Appropriate Dress While at the Monastery
We encourage you to bring clothes that are comfortable and modest for your time of retreat. Specifically, we ask that you observe the following guidelines for clothing while at the Monastery:
- Shorts, skirts, and dresses should reach near or below the knee.
- Shoulders should be covered.
- Clothes should not be tight or revealing (please do not wear leggings).
- Gentlemen, please do not wear hats in the church or the refectory (kufis and kippas excepted).
- Robes should be worn to and from the showers on the upper floors of the Guesthouse.
- Shoes or slippers must be worn at all times.
Parking
Guests may park in the monastery’s upper parking lot, which is paved and a short walk to our main building. Handicap and four-hour maximum parking is available next to the guesthouse. The parking next to the guesthouse is not for overnight guests except in handicap-designated marked spaces. A ChargePoint charging station is available for hybrid/electric vehicles.
Meals
Our delicious healthy food is prepared by a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who also prepares a vegetarian option when meat is served. Food selections are labeled so people with allergies can make choices.
Please let our guesthouse office know if you are allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, or peanuts. We are not able to accommodate food preferences. If you have food preferences or allergies beyond the eight listed above, you will need to bring your own food to supplement the food provided. We offer a refrigerator near the refectory for guests who wish to bring their own food. We do not guarantee a vegan option at the meals, though often the vegetarian option is also vegan. Our kitchen is neither gluten-free dedicated nor certified. Coffee, tea, and fresh fruit are available throughout the day.
Meal Schedule
- Tuesday: supper at 5:40 p.m.
- Wednesday to Saturday: breakfast ongoing from 6:30 to 8:15 a.m., dinner at 12:30 p.m., supper at 5:40 p.m.
- Sunday: breakfast and dinner at the regular times
- Monday: closed
Please arrive a few minutes before scheduled meal time to join the community in praying grace when we gather in the refectory.
Holy Cross Monastery was originally built in 1902…for monks! You can expect a mix of historical charm and contemporary comforts while experiencing centuries-old practices.
Directions
By Rail
Poughkeepsie (POU), the train station nearest to West Park, is served by several Amtrak routes (Empire Service, Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf) as well as Metro-North Railroad (Metro-North Hudson Line). Visitors from the New York City area usually take Metro North because of its frequent service to and from New York’s Grand Central Terminal as well as the 125th Street Station of Metro North.
Taxi drivers typically wait outside the Poughkeepsie station, most are familiar with Holy Cross Monastery, which is about 15 miles from the station. Taxis aren’t metered, so confirm pricing before getting on the road. Lyft and Uber also operate in this area. Check the UCAT bus schedule if you’d prefer public transportation.
By Plane
- Stewart International Airport (Newburgh, NY) is around 40 miles from us. Taxis are available but expensive.
- Albany International Airport (Albany, NY) is around 90 miles from us. Renting a car is more economical than taking a taxi. Or, you could take Amtrak from the Rensselaer Station to Poughkeepsie.
- LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport (Queens, NY) are around 90 miles from us. Each airport has taxi service to Grand Central Terminal where you can then connect with Metro-North train service to Poughkeepsie and a taxi from there to the monastery.
By Car
We’re located around 8 miles north of the Mid-Hudson Bridge on Route US 9W.
From the New York State Thruway (I-87):
- Take Exit 18 from the New York State Thruway (I-87).
- Turn East onto Route 299.
- Drive around 5 miles to the T-intersection of Route US 9W and turn left (North)
- Drive into the village of West Park (5 miles) and slow down so you don’t miss our entrance on the right side of the road (past Stonehenge restaurant).
From I-84:
- Take Exit Route 9W and drive north toward Kingston, NY.
- Pass the Mid-Hudson Bridge at Highland, NY and then, follow directions above.
