It was the trip that almost didn’t happen. Three times. First, I was injured; second, one of us had COVID. I can’t recall the third. I do, though, recall arriving at Woodloch when a staff swarm greeted us, took our luggage to storage until our rooms were ready and immediately escorted us in to register. We then were seated for lunch in the dining room, where we’d consume all our meals.

Friendly, welcoming and attentive service is what we found in the dining room. Guests wore casual, active workout clothes or terry robes for breakfast yet dressed for dinner. We only needed reservations for dinner.

We squeezed a four-night trip in before I headed to Hospital for Special Surgery to repair my rotator cuff, a surgery I had put off for decades. Literally.

Woodloch is all-inclusive other than alcohol. Next time, we know to bring libations, as we learned from those we met. We could have enjoyed the wine on our balcony or at one of the many outside areas on their 500 acres. There’s a body of water (I learned it was once a cranberry blog) with Adirondack chairs on the dock. The resort also has a small market on the property, offering snacks and some wine options.

The food at Woodloch was fine; the kitchen tried hard and gave attention to presentation details, so it looked good. Service is outstanding.

Breakfast included a buffet with fruit, yogurt, eggs, oatmeal, pastries and a full menu. Lunch offered soup, salad makin’s and pre-made wraps in addition to the menu. Dinner is menu only with specials. My favorite app was the grilled rosemary lamb chop.

The hardest part is choosing from over 35 daily classes. Day one, like the energizer bunny, I took back-to-back fun cardio classes, including pole dancing in the pool, ending in the outdoor hot tub meeting new friends. By our last day, I had slowed down to include ukelele instruction, art classes and meditation before heading home, taking my inaugural watercolor — produced in an hour — to frame.

I’ll return for sure and highly recommend. A wonderful respite!

The Lodge At Woodloch
The Poconos
109 River Birch Lane
Hawley, PA 18428