One of the most unique places to stay in New York City is without a doubt the luxurious Governors Island Glamping tents in the New York Harbor. Imagine waking up without the sounds of cars honking, sirens, or chatter in the streets along with unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty or the Lower Manhattan skyline.
This Governors Island glamping site is perfect for those looking for a unique, serene experience among the chaos in the city, whether you’re a visitor or a local like us looking for a little staycation. We enjoyed our stay here as a couple for a romantic getaway in the city. Plus, it is definitely a more luxury accommodation and not your usual glamping experience.
Collective Retreats is a great choice for anyone celebrating a special occasion with their significant other or a fun getaway with your friends.
Beyond having a few different accommodation types to choose from, this Governors Island glamping retreat has an incredible restaurant at Three Peaks Lodge offering farm-to-island cuisine, nightly bonfires with s’mores, evening entertainment, and a great cocktail bar.
All of this is less than a 10-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan and is seasonal from May through
the end of October.
Overview of Governors Island Glamping Site
Photo by Scott Herder and Megan Indoe of Your Brooklyn Guide
There are a few different accommodation options to choose from including the Outlook Villa, Outlook
Liberty Suite, Outlook Panorama Suite, Outlook Shelter, and Summit Tent.
The Outlook Villa is part wooden structure and part tent that features an expansive indoor/outdoor furnished terrace. It also has bedroom with views from the glass door, a private bathing suite with view of the New York Harbor, and a complimentary stocked fridge with goodies.
Outlook Liberty Suites are stylish wooden shelters featuring floor to ceiling windows, covered
terraces, private restrooms, and incredible views of the harbor. The suites also feature a stocked mini
fridge with goodies.
The Outlook Panorama Suites are luxurious glass and metal structures offering floor to ceiling windows with stunning views, tons of natural light, private bathing suites, and beautifully designed rooms. You also get your own private fire pit and a fridge stocked full of complimentary goodies.
The Outlook Shelter options are stand alone shelters that have two private terraces with incredible views and private bathrooms with a soaking tub in addition to the cozy interior design.
Collective Retreats Summit Tents are luxurious canvas tent stays featuring private bathrooms, a private waterfront deck with a shaded overhang, and a King bed that faces the opening of tent offering incredible views.
All of these options have a view, but if you specifically want a Statue of Liberty view or a view of the World Trade Center, be sure to request that at booking.
The Collective Retreat Experience
The experience at this Governors Island glamping site is a memorable one. First you’ll have to take the
ferry to Governors Island, a former military base that’s now a public sanctuary for New Yorkers. You get to the island in less than 10-minutes from Lower Manhattan.
Governors Island official ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building. Alternately, you can hop on one of the NY ferry routes that stop at Governors Island.
Once on Governors Island it’s about a 10-minute walk to Collective Retreats, but you can arrange a golf cart escort to the site with your bags before getting checked in.
If you arrive early, you have plenty of places to explore on the island. This includes hitting up the
luxurious spa at QCNY Spa for a few hours or exploring the walking trails and scenic vistas. You can also visit the art installations and artists in residence on the island, relax in hammock under the shade of a tree, or check out one of the many dining options on the island.
Once you’re checked in you will want to take full advantage of the property. Enjoy a cocktail at Three
Peaks Lodge with a view of the New York Harbor and the closest front-facing view of the Statue of
Liberty you can get on land. Plus there is an incredible view of the Lower Manhattan skyline.
The restaurant on-site is a great option for dinner. However, if you are coming earlier in the day, consider checking out Gitano Island or one of the other food pop ups around Governors Island.
You also won’t want to miss taking advantage of the free loaner bicycles at Collective Retreats. Getting
around by bicycle is one of the best ways to get oriented. It only takes maybe 15 minutes to bike around the entire island and maybe 30 minutes to walk the entire perimeter. So this is perfect for a one or two night stay with a few hours of island exploring.
Collective Retreats also often offers yoga and other activities you can sign up for and there are occasional live music performances.
Be sure to be back at the retreat by sunset so you can enjoy the best sunset views the island has to
offer. This is when the island really quiets down and you can’t believe how quiet it is in the heart of New York City.
In the evenings there are also communal bonfires you can cozy up to with the twinkling lights of the
skyline and the Statue of Liberty glowing in your backdrop. They have complimentary s’mores to enjoy
fireside too, so be sure to save room for dessert.
The hospitality at Collective Retreats Governors Island glamping is one of the more unique since there’s no other stay like this in the city. The staff ensures your needs are met and can help you arrange your transportation, getting oriented around the island, and give suggestions on where to go and what to see during your time here.
One of the best additions you can add to your stay is visiting the nearby QCNY Spa. It’s just steps
away from the retreat and offers a huge property featuring themed saunas, steam rooms, wet rooms, and relaxation rooms Plus there are two heated outdoor pools open year-round with views of the Lower Manhattan skyline.
Highlights of Governors Island Glamping
Photo by Scott Herder and Megan Indoe of Your Brooklyn Guide
The highlights of staying at Collective Retreats Governors Island are how unique this is. People often
associate New York City with buzz and chaos, but this experience is the complete opposite of that. Even though you’re in the heart of the city, and just an 8-minute ferry ride from the Financial District, you will find here peace and quiet with an epic view of NYC.
All of the accommodation options are luxurious and ideal for a one or two night stay since you can fit in just about everything there is to do here in an afternoon along with an additional half day at the spa.
Once you’re on Governors Island, plan on staying here and not going back to Manhattan until your escape from the city is over to take full advantage of all the amenities at the property and all the offerings Governors Island Glamping has to offer guests.
Conclusion
Staying at Collective Retreats Governors Island is unlike anything else or unlike any other glamping site since its essentially an urban oasis set in the heart of New York City along the harbor.
You can’t beat the views of the Statue of Liberty, as mentioned this is the closest front-facing view of
Lady Liberty you’ll get on land. Plus there are plenty of places to enjoy that view on the island from right inside your shelter or tent while lying in bed, walking around the island, climbing up to the scenic vista points, and while walking or biking around the perimeter of the island.
You also get mesmerizing views of the Lower Manhattan skyline, particularly the World Trade Center
which is beautiful to see go from day to night and twinkle under the night sky.
This is a seasonal New York glamping accommodation from early May to the end of October with peak demand being June through August. If you’re able to visit at the very beginning or tail end of the season you’ll enjoy an even quieter experience.
However, the middle of summer offers plenty of events and happenings on Governors Island. One of the most fun is the Jazz Age Lawn Party where attendees dress as if they’re in the 1920s and enjoy live music and performances while sitting on the lawn surrounded by the old military housing.
In addition to taking the official Governors Island ferry from the Maritime Battery Building in Lower
Manhattan, you can take the NY ferry. On the weekends the Governors Island ferry also operates from
Brooklyn at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
You can learn more about the property at Collective Retreat’s website for a perfect Governors Island Glamping experience.
Author Bio
Megan Indoe – Your Brooklyn Guide
Megan Indoe lives in Brooklyn and is the owner of Your Brooklyn Guide, a travel resource for visitors to Brooklyn and New York City. When she’s not in New York City sharing all the cool things to do, see, eat, and stay you can find her traveling with her husband Scott at Bobo and Chichi, their travel website and channels.
Our guest authors at All About Glamping are from all around the world. Each one exploring glamping sites, glamping resorts and local regions and bringing that information to you through our articles. Enjoying the outdoors with a touch of luxury is what Glamping is all about and we encourage our readers and writers to seek out those experiences and share them with the world!