Waterfront Retreat Center for Health & Wellness

We were so happy to host your wellness retreat and thank you for taking such good care of the property. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

We are so glad that your group enjoyed their stay at the New Dawn. We are grateful when groups take good care of the house and welcome you to return again.

Hi Michael, Thank you so much for taking great care of our property and leaving it clean and in good order. We welcome your family back soon.

Thank you Aly for your support of the New Dawn. We love hosting retreats by local groups who are helping to empower others through connections with the natural world.

We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and that the new furnace kept you warm and cozy. We try to upgrade as much as we can! We look forward to having you come again.

We are so glad you enjoyed your stay and hope you'll come back again! Thanks again for your support of the New Dawn Foundation.

Bibi I apologize for your difficulty understanding the pricing structure. As I explained prior to your arrival, the property is listed as accommodating 20 overnight guests in 14 beds. The per night rate is based on a maximum of 15 overnight guests. There is an additional per person per night charge for guests 16-20. We do not allow booking of more than 20 guests. So yes, the house can sleep 20, but the base price is for 1-15. We do this because we have learned that over time, the average size group we get is 10-20 and it makes sense to offer a price that is more attractive to that size group, rather than have a base price for 20. To avoid confusion with future guests, I have made a note on our property description. Once again, I am sorry for your confusion and hope that your extended family can continue to enjoy the adventure of renting a large rental home.

Thank you Diana for your kind words. Our volunteers work hard to provide a restorative atmosphere. We look forward to having you again.

Anne B’s experience was a perfect storm. They arrived in the midst of a paralyzing blizzard. Prior to coming, I suggested they bring sweaters. Despite this advice, their children were not wearing socks. We keep the thermostat at 74 degrees and provide portable heaters for drafty areas. We are located on the waterfront where high tides and strong winds can result in water settling on the driveway. During the night the snow melted causing flooding throughout the area including The New Dawn. Although this looks daunting, the puddle is never deep and no one has been stranded. A brief call could have cleared this up. We are run entirely by volunteers except for a professional cleaning company that cleans all bathrooms, vacuums, makes beds, mops and dusts. They use EnviroShield®, a product that eliminates 99.99% of household germs, mold, bacteria & viruses. Note however, that the water supply is rusty at times causing stains that cannot be removed in some bathrooms. Regarding the windows – many are original leaded and stained glass from the Tiffany studio. We have restored some, others still need work. This past October we replaced 3 windows in the SV-II bedroom and soon custom storm windows will be installed on the grand staircase. Our kitchen stove is about 8 years old and all burners work. Perhaps the B’s were unfamiliar with turning the knob to the “lite” position and waiting for it to automatically ignite. In October we hosted an elegant 3 course dinner for 35 that was entirely prepared in our kitchen by a private chef. It was unfortunate that Anne B did not reach out with her concerns but chose instead to depart early and write a bad review. Our property description states we are a non-profit humanitarian foundation & retreat center. The interior photos were taken in 2018 and are current. Details about the property, heat & plumbing are included in the Rental Agreement; the terms were agreed to at the time of booking. In sum, we hope to clarify that we are not a boutique hotel offering 5-star services. We have a beautiful, expansive waterfront property nestled along a strip of prime real estate and exclusive beach clubs that is 30 minutes from Manhattan. We cannot provide all modern amenities of nearby hotels, but we do offer old world charm. We hope that guests appreciate the unique setting and convenient location, knowing that their patronage supports a foundation whose mission is “to serve those who serve others.”