Pocono Resorts

01/04/2015 2 albums Share: Facebook , Twitter , Google+ Album RSS

The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania are dotted with old resort hotels, which were Honeymoon destinations, as well as fairly quick vacation getaways for people living in New York City. These resorts were the first "all inclusive" type destinations, often offering a variety of outdoor activities like golf, tennis and other sports, as well as indoor activities like movies, and games. As travel tastes changed many of these resorts fell on hard times and ultimately closed. Just think "Dirty Dancing".

Mountain Manor - With only a golf course still remaining open (it closed due to Hurricane Irene in 2011, but appeared to be operational during my visit, and only closed for the off season), Mountain Manor sits abandoned in the mountains. It featured an indoor and outdoor pool, several par-3 9 hole golf courses, tennis, bocce, hiking and skiing near-by and an ice rink. There was a tv room, game room, they held a talent show, softball games, and bonfires. Apparently prices were "fantastic", $1000 a week for two including golf and 3 carts for the week. It seems to have been opened from the 50s to the 90s.

Penn Hills - Built in 1944, as a tavern, it expanded in the 60's and reached its heyday in the 70's and 80's. Originally designed as a family destination, the getaway evolved during its first decade of existence into a honeymoon resort. It offered many of the same amenities as other area resorts - golf and skiing, activities, games and other sports. It featured an ice rink and outdoor wedding bell shaped pool. But Penn Hills also had it's own romantic waterfall. Guest villas featured floor-to-ceiling carpeting, round beds, and heart-shaped bathtubs. Distinctive, modernist streetlights from the 1964 World's Fair were installed on the resorts pathways. The economic decline of the industry as well as a lack of repair caused the resort to slowly disintegrate. In 2009, Penn Hills co-founder Frances Paolillo died at the age of 102. The resort closed less than two months later. Many of the World's Fair fixtures were sold, or were attempted to be sold, on the internet in 2011 by...someone...Locals claim the last owner, Charles Paolillo Jr, stripped the resort when he realized he was going to lose the property. An entity called Penn Resort Investments LLC purchased the property in 2012, and are offering it for sale, dropping the price another $40,000 in March 2014. Have a commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tep528ZMSmE

A personal note. I planned to visit these 2 places on my trip through the area, and I recruited a friend in Wilkes-Barre to join me to Penn Hills. I knew she had gone on her honeymoon to a Pocono resort but kept forgetting to ask where. I told her where we were going and she burst out laughing. Yep, it was Penn Hills, in 2002. She didn't remember much of it, but was able to point out a few things, like the type of cabin they stayed in. She remembered having terrible weather, and having a bad time, and she is now divorced. It turns out friends of my parents also spent their honeymoon at Penn Hills in the 80s, and it was already gross then. Fully carpeted bathrooms meant constantly wet carpets near the tubs. Also not a good time, but they are still married. haha.