A Fabulous Girls’ Weekend at Crystal Springs Resort in NJ!
There is nothing better for the soul than a weekend getaway with your best friend! As a Jersey gal, I’m always on the lookout for awesome girls’ weekend getaway spots in the area and Crystal Springs Resort in North Jersey has always been on my radar for a perfect local mini-vacation.
After spending a weekend there with my bestie, I am happy to report back that it is indeed a really cool spot for your next getaway. Whether you’ve been eyeing this gem for a while or this is the first time you’re hearing about it, in this post I’ll walk you through what a girls’ weekend itinerary at Crystal Springs Resort in New Jersey can look like for you!
Crystal Springs Resort Logistics
Before we jump into what my itinerary at Crystal Springs Resort consisted of, let me tell you a little more about it first! Crystal Springs has two hotels, the Grand Cascades Lodge and the Minerals Hotel. I stayed at the Grand Cascades Lodge so this blog post will cover the amenities and my experience there.
Where is Crystal Springs Resort Located?
Crystal Springs Resort is located in the scenic city of Hamburg, in northern New Jersey. Hamburg is surrounded by mountains and some great nature you can explore. It’s a little over an hour from the George Washington Bridge or the Lincoln Tunnel and you’ll have to drive there as there are no public transport options.
When is the best time to visit Crystal Springs?
While warmer months will be a better choice simply to do the weather, visiting during cooler ones also has its perks. Any East Coast person will tell you that what they love the most about this area is our 4 seasons. So if you visit Crystal Springs in the summer, you’ll have great weather and green trees but if you visit it in the fall, you’ll get your amazing mountain foliage views instead. However, visiting in the winter and being surrounded by the snow while enjoying your outdoor heated pool isn’t a bad option either 🙂
Why Choose crystal springs for your Girls’ Weekend getaway?
Whether you’re looking for a Girls’ Weekend just for yourself and your bestie, an awesome local getaway with your mom (hint, hint, this is a sweet way to treat your mom for the upcoming Mother’s Day), or are planning a bigger group for a Bach party, Crystal Springs Resort is an awesome choice for the following reasons:
- It’s local! You don’t need to travel far to experience an awesome getaway not too far from home.
- Everything is already on-site so you won’t have to plan any logistics of transportation to and from the place. We’ve all been on those trips where organizing Ubers and groups is a major source of unwanted stress!
- There is truly something for everyone, so for example, if half your group wants massages and the other wants to go on a mini-hike, you have tons of options on what to do!
- The food. It was really tasty! No one will be complaining about the options, trust me.
- There is wine. In a giant stunning wine cellar.
Amenities & Activities at Crystal Springs Resort
The key to any successful local mini-vacation is being able to do awesome things right on-site. What honestly impressed me with Crystal Springs is the selection of things to do there. With a little something for everyone, let me tell you some options of things they offer:
- Biosphere Pool: The pool is located under a glass dome which brings in the sunlight and sun rays for an all-year-round tan. The tropical foliage along with a perfect toasty indoor temperature will make you feel like you’ve been temporarily transported out of NJ. Additionally, there are two outdoor heated pools that you can enjoy in the cold months as well. During the summer, there is an outdoor infinity pool too.
- Reflections Spa: If you want to squeeze in a good massage or treat yourself to a beauty treatment, this luxury spa has everything you’ll need.
- Golf Courses: I don’t golf but I imagine it’s a perfect way to send your significant other away for a little if you want some peace and quiet to yourself 🙂
- Wine Cellar: An impressive collection of wines in a stunning cellar that you can tour. They also have really fun wine tasting which was one of the highlights of my stay!
- Scenic Grounds: The surrounding area gives serious mountain vibes and you can explore it on your own as well on the numerous self-guided mini hikes.
- Restaurants: You don’t have to worry about food there as Crystal Springs offers some great food spots on the property!
- Activities: If you’re staying for a weekend, you won’t have enough time to do everything but you’ll certainly have choices. Some of the activities offered include the following: fitness classes like a goat yoga class, a Cabaret Show, a mixology class, and even ax throwing. There is an online schedule that shows you what is offered on what day allowing you to plan and book ahead.
What a Girls’ Weekend Getaway at Crystal Springs Resort Looks like
Now that you have an idea of what Crystal Springs Resort offers, let me show you what a weekend looked like there for me and my bestie! If you can imagine yourself on this itinerary, this is your sign to book this gem.
Day 1: Arrival, Dinner at Springs Bistro & Live Music
We arrived right after our check-in time (4pm) at the Grand Cascades Lodge and were greeted by the stunning mountain surroundings. Our 1-bedroom suite had a large kitchen, living room, fireplace, balcony with awesome views, a king-sized bed, and a bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and heated floors. It had the perfect lodge vibe for this girls’ weekend getaway and was very spacious for two people.
A 1-bedroom Suite at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort
Our first-night dinner reservation was at Springs Bistro, an Italian Restaurant on-site serving a variety of delicious bites. I had a Mushroom Pizza while my bestie enjoyed Gnocchi alla Vodka. Both dishes were exactly what we needed! For cocktails, we had the Paloma Milanese and a unique creation called Figment of Your Imagination. The staff was exceptional and made sure we were well taken care of as well!
After dinner, we headed over to the other side of the resort to the Crystal Tavern for some live music and more cocktails. We enjoyed the music and headed back to the room to watch our favorite shows and then got some much-needed rest!
Day 2: Full Activity Day
The first night was a great introduction to what Crystal Springs Resort offers but Day 2 is when we really explored the property and got to participate in a day full of activities!
Breakfast at the Buffet
For breakfast, you have some options depending on what you prefer. First, you can always cook it yourself if your room has a fully equipped kitchen like ours did. Second, there is a small cafe with quick bites close to the reception where you can grab coffee and small snacks. Third, there is an ala carte menu at Crystal Tavern which I will describe later on. And lastly, there is a breakfast buffet which offers a truly impressive selection of breakfast foods.
We decided to try the buffet option which was priced at around $30 a person. Personally, it was too much food for me to try everything but I’m also not a buffet person to begin with. I’ll say this is a good option if you’re really hungry or if you want to try a little bit of everything.
Relaxation at crystal springs biosphere pool
After breakfast, we headed over to the awesome Biosphere Pool. As I mentioned earlier in the post, this is a really impressive structure in a giant glass dome that brings in the light and sunshine. There are tropical plants surrounding the pool within a nice 85-degree surrounding. You can lay out on the lounge chairs but I recommend getting there earlier in the day as they fill up quickly! The outdoor portion is awesome because you can enjoy a 90 and 99-degree pool on a cold crispy New Jersey winter day.
There is also a sauna on-site and I was shocked that not more people were using it! We had it all to ourselves for a nice sweat session.
The Biosphere Pool also has a small Mexican restaurant on-site which serves small bites along with some delicious cocktails. You can either grab it yourself or have some pool-side drinks served as you’re relaxing in your lounge chair.
Wine cellar tour
While we really enjoyed the Biosphere Pool, the next part of the itinerary was my favorite! I had no idea that Crystal Springs had a $10-million world-famous wine cellar in its basement. When we decided to take a guided wine cellar tour, we had no idea the extent of it. Guided by a very knowledgeable wine sommelier, we learned a ton about the history behind the collection and the most valuable bottles of it. She walked us through interesting facts about different wine regions as we toured this unbelievable place!
Wine tasting at Crystal Springs Resort
After the tour, we also signed up for the Wine Tasting which is also open to guests outside the resort if you want to pop in for a cool local activity! With our generous pours, we tasted sparking, white, and red wines while learning about different wine notes, regions, and things to look out for when choosing a wine. Additionally, we were given two super delicious small local cheese tastings.
While I have done many wine tastings in my life, this was a really awesome experience. My favorite part (aside from the truly amazing wines) was learning about the wines from a professional sommelier. I won’t say that I normally pay attention to wines on the level that we were shown to do, so moving forward, I will certainly have a new appreciation for how I taste wine.
Dinner at Crystal Tavern
Directly following the tasting, we had a dinner reservation at the Crystal Tavern Restaurant. I had the Halibut and my bestie enjoyed the Ricotta Agnolotti. Both were super tasty and exactly what we needed after the wine tasting. We decided to get the Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert to end on a sweet note!
Cabaret show at crystal springs
After dinner, we had a little bit of time to change and get ready for the last activity of the day, the Cabaret Show. The performers vary by the weekend but on our visit we listened to the super-talented musician Hernan Romero play the guitar and sing, a local band playing some classic tunes, and a comedian doing some prop comedy.
The ticket included a glass of a selected drink and a choice of a chocolate or cheese fondue.
Day 3: Breakfast at Crystal Tavern & Check-out
On our last day, we decided to try the ala carte breakfast at Crystal Tavern. I personally preferred this choice over the previous day’s buffet. The views from the restaurant are great as you’re enjoying your morning coffee as well! For our breakfast dishes, we had the Steak & Eggs and Lobster Benedict. A solid 10/10 breakfast.
It was then time to say goodbye to our perfect Girls’ Weekend at Crystal Springs 🙁 We packed up and said that we’d come back during another season to enjoy the additional amenities we didn’t have a chance to explore like the Reflections Spa or the fitness classes that they offer. My best friend and I had a perfect time catching up, bonding over doing awesome activities, and simply relaxing on the beautiful grounds of this local resort!
Final thoughts on a Girls’ weekend at Crystal springs resort
I have lived in New Jersey for the majority of my life yet I’ve never spent a weekend at this local oasis. When thinking about getaways with your girlfriends we tend to default that this trip needs to involve a flight. However, I found a local gem that you can choose for your next mini-vacation with your friends right here in New Jersey!
If you’re looking to splurge a little or what I prefer to call self-invest, look no further but to Crystal Springs Resort! I hope you’ll like it as much as I did and that you’ll truly have the perfect New Jersey Girls’ Weekend!
Thank you so much to Crystal Springs for hosting me and my bestie on this awesome weekend getaway. Stay assured that all opinions are my own.
