Our Estate
a building with a lawn and trees

A Legendary Hotel in Tarrytown, NY

A Storied Residence Steeped in Lore

“In the bosom of one of those spacious coves…there lies a small market-town by the name of Tarrytown.” So begins Washington Irving’s classic tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” published just two decades before our sprawling estate opened its doors. Perched high on a hill above Sunnyside, the famed author’s home, this quaint, seemingly unsuspecting hotel in Tarrytown, NY has long been the destination for intellectuals, bon vivants, and trendsetters.

26 Acres of Elevated Living

  • A Range of Outdoor Spaces 
  • Reimagined Historic Guest Rooms
  • ADA-Accessible Accommodations
  • Meetings & Events Spaces & Amenities
  • Acclaimed On-Property Dining
  • Complimentary Coffee and Tea in the Biddle Mansion daily 7:00 am – 10:00 am.
  • Pet Friendly
wine glasses and food on a table

From Residence to Estate Hotel

“Uplands” was the name of the white-porticoed Georgian home now called the King Mansion, which was built around 1840 by J. S. Cronise. The luxurious home had numerous owners until Thomas M. King, Vice President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, purchased it around 1900 (the B&O Railroad is most well-known today for appearing in the game Monopoly).

In 1895, William R. Harris, founder of the American Tobacco Company, bought the home sitting on the site of the current Biddle Mansion. He spent a small fortune taking granite from the surrounding area to create the structure seen today. Years later, Thomas King’s son Frederick married Harris’s daughter Sybil, who reigned as “queen” of both estates until 1921. In the same year, Mary Duke Biddle, of the Duke tobacco family from North Carolina and one of America’s richest women, purchased the granite mansion from the Harrises. She renamed her new estate “Linden Court,” in honor of the beautiful linden trees that adorn the property.

An avid sportswoman, Mrs. Biddle imported pink clay from France for her indoor tennis court. Today, this building is still covered by the glass roof placed over the court in 1933. She also had a bowling alley installed on the lower level of the mansion and a golf tee built off the West Terrace. Mary Duke and her fun-loving husband, Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle (United States ambassador to Belgium and Spain), entertained dignitaries and close friends with lavish parties.

Sybil and Frederick Harris lived in the King House as neighbors to Mrs. Biddle until Sybil’s death in 1955. Then, Mrs. Biddle purchased the King House and reunited the two estates in 1959. She passed away in 1960 and her children, Nicholas and Mary, took control of the property. They sold it to the African nation of Mali, which used it for a short time as a diplomatic retreat.

The property was acquired in 1964 by Robert Schwartz, a visionary and journalist who had served at one time as Editor for Time magazine. Schwartz saw that corporate America needed a new type of lodging designed exclusively for business meetings. With encouragement from supporters at IBM and AT&T, he purchased what would be named Tarrytown House and invented the nation’s first conference center.

Schwartz’s client list soon read like a “who’s who” of American business, attracted by a winning combination of excellent service and a tranquil environment that fostered ideas and problem-solving. He built a reputation for Tarrytown House as an intellectual center, bringing in luminaries, such as artist Andy Warhol, actors Jack Lemmon and Charlton Heston, cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, and film critic Judith Crist. The innovation closest to Schwartz’s heart was a school for entrepreneurs with Tarrytown House as the campus and he himself as the professor-in-charge.

a white house with columns and a staircase

Our Gracious Ghost

Purported to be Sybil Harris, who died here in 1959, an apparition in white has been witnessed walking through the halls on the second floor of the King House, lingering near room 293, where she was rumored to have been staying at the time of her passing. She has even been known to show herself through sounds and orbs.

Our Amenities

a gym with exercise equipment

Fitness Center

Stick to your workout regimen—or begin a new one altogether—with state-of-the-art equipment, including Peloton® Bikes, as well as a dedicated yoga studio and sauna.

a pool with chairs and umbrellas by it

Pools

Enjoy a dip during the summer at our outdoor pool or heated inside pol. Children under 16 years are welcomed but must be accompanied by an adult or adult guardian at all times.

The outdoor pool opens on May 24, Memorial Day weekend and will stay open through Labor Day weekend and beyond, weather permitting.

a couple of men laughing

On-Property Sports

Hit the racquetball, bocce ball, volleyball, corn hole, life-size chess and sports courts. Try your hand at tossing horseshoes, or simply just venture out for a walk around our manicured gardens, which offer incredible views of the Hudson. We’re also conveniently located just a few miles from some of the top courses in the area.

a person holding a phone

Tesla Charging Stations

Ideal for the modern traveler, these charging stations are adjacent to the Carriage House in Parking Lot 3 and will keep your vehicle prepared for exploration—both planned and unscripted.