The Proposed Project
The location is the former site of Blackhead Mountain Lodge, which abuts Catskill State Park and residential properties in Round Top, NY. It is 102 acres of land on three parcels. Currently the land use is approximately 6% buildings and roads; the applicant proposes to triple that number and develop approximately 70% of the property in total. You can view the official application documents here:
1. Cover Letter [Updated cover letter submitted 2/16/24]
2. Full Environmental Assessment
3. Special Use Zoning Permit Application
4. Updated Site Plans submitted 2/16/24
5. A review letter from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation 2/15/24
This redevelopment proposal is almost entirely brand-new construction that will replace green space. These are some of the proposed structures and land-use changes:
87 new buildings that will be approximately 320,000 square feet in total
91,500-square-foot lodge that will be 40 feet tall. It will have a spa, dining for 300 people, hotel rooms, and a bar
264 guest bedrooms in total—a 25% increase from the original application which had 212 bedrooms
127 lodging “units” spread across about 90 individual structures that range in size from 1,200 to 4,200 square feet. These are not glamping tents—they will be luxury chalets. 43 of these units will be sold for separate, individual ownership to be held “in fee simple.” They will come with HOA fees and can be rented out; similar “branded residences” start at $2.7 million. According to a 2022 industry report, these “residential projects” are an increasingly popular investment strategy for high-end hotel developers. Think of it as a dense subdivision of investment properties that each cost thousands of dollars a night to rent!
200-300 full-time staff, depending on the season, with on-site staff housing
288 parking spots
A helicopter pad for guest transportation (May 2024 UPDATE: The helipad has been removed because it is not allowed per Cairo zoning laws)
4 existing buildings (the former Blackhead Mountain Lodge and Maassmann’s Restaurant) will be converted into operations facilities, staff housing, and a staff cafeteria
An on-site sewage treatment plant that will discharge into local streams, including the Shingle Kill, which feeds into the only source of drinking water for Cairo
At least 11.5 acres of forest will be cut down. According to the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), this “intensive tree clearing” involves “significant natural communities”
Adding 3.1 acres of water storage by reengineering existing ponds and streams into a giant detention basin. Such proposals to modify streams “are not likely to meet DEC permitting standards.” Further, the DEC states this action will involve “a significant amount of earth work, yet the applicant did not include a stormwater pollution prevention plan or details on where the spoil disposal locations will be located.”
Tennis courts, walking trails, a “destination restaurant,” a “destination bar,” pools and other amenities (only the spa and one restaurant will be accessible to non-guests)
To get a sense of the enormous scale of the project, compare images of the existing land survey to the proposed site plan. Both of these images were submitted to the Cairo Planning Board on December 21, 2023. In total, 73.2 acres of land will be “physically disturbed.” Look closely to see how all of the existing ponds will be re-engineered into an expanded “water feature.”
The existing property survey
The proposed site plan
Who is the developer?
The Cairo Planning Board Chairman has told several of us Six Senses (part of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC) will ultimately brand and operate this property. The names on the application, however, are two individual real estate consultants: R. Henry Courtemanche and Donald Chick. So what’s going on?
R. Henry Courtemanche, otherwise known as R House Hotel Group, is a hospitality developer based in California. He is principle of RCBG Blackhead Owner LLC, which is currently the sole owner of the property. Courtemanche has only 3 projects in his portfolio, all of which are renovations of historic hotels in California that range in size between 14 and 38 rooms, none of which are in rural regions. The Round Top project is a significant departure from his previous projects.
Donald Chick is a real estate investment consultant. His LinkedIn states he has a company called DC Hospitality—it does not appear to have an online presence. His experience includes consulting on urban commercial projects and restaurants, primarily in Texas. He does not appear to have hotel development experience, nor experience in rural regions.
According to the Cairo Planning Board Chairman, Six Senses is guiding the development plan for this project. Rumor has it they will take over operations if the project is approved. According to this illuminating report by JLL, a global real-estate services company, this strategy is an increasingly popular business model for real-estate developers who have limited hotel experience (like Courtemanche and Chick!) to partner with an established luxury hotel brand (like Six Senses!). Here’s now it works:
A 2023 article in Business Traveler explains that Six Senses is on an aggressive push to develop properties in the U.S. They already attempted—and failed—in NYC. They are currently trying to develop a hotel in Dutchess County, NY that involves the towns of Hyde Park and Clinton. (Check out the Hyde Park citizen group fighting back.) On Dec. 21, 2023, the town board of Hyde Park rejected the Six Senses application, although it is still under review in the town of Clinton. (On that same day, the Cairo Planning Board received the application to develop Blackhead Mountain Lodge into a massive resort.)
The Six Senses name does does not appear on the application to Cairo, and until we see official evidence from the developers or the Planning Board, we can’t confirm Six Senses is involved. However, the project application to Cairo and the project application to Hyde Park have significant overlap. They were both prepared by the same consultancy (KARC), and use the same civil engineer, utility engineer, traffic consultant, etc.
Further, there is visual evidence in the official paperwork: One of the structures on the developer’s site plan for Round Top (see image below) is labeled as an “Earth Lab.” “Earth Labs” are a hallmark of Six Senses properties. They are marketed as educational experiences for guests to learn the cultural practices of the locals who live outside of the hotel walls.
It is not uncommon for developers (like Courtemanche and Chick) to serve as investment partners. According to county records, Courtemanche closed on the property in April 2023. Courtmanche and Chick now are perhaps serving as the management group to shepherd a Six Senses site plan and operational plan through the application and permitting process. At some point Six Senses would come in to brand the project as a Six Senses resort and manage it accordingly. If this project does not get approved, or if Six Senses/IHG drop out for any reason, it’s likely Courtemanche and Chick would look for another brand partner.