Hotel Fauchère Milford

Beautifully restored and supremely welcoming, the Hotel Fauchère effortlessly blends historic authenticity with contemporary technology and comfort.

We are proud to offer our guests an exceptional experience simply by upholding our own high standards of innovative dining and stylish innkeeping. We breathe fresh life into the highest levels of luxury, comfort and culinary excellence, gently reawakening the subtle art of hospitality.

In-room amenities include flat-screen television with AppleTV, Nespresso machines, telephone, climate control, Frette linens, MOLTON BROWN bath amenities, radiant-heated bathroom floors, warming towel racks, hair dryer and more.

Fauchère’s guests also enjoy priority reservations in The Delmonico Room and in Bar Louis. The Hotel Fauchère offers guests an exceptional and memory-making experience, with fine dining in The Delmonico Room, the stylish modern brasserie Bar Louis, a private conservatory and enclosed garden.

The Fauchère Meeting Center is our newest venue, perfect for small meetings, retreats and conferences. Parking in the hotel’s private lot is included in your room reservation. Please note that the Hotel Fauchère is exclusively a non-smoking hotel.

LOUIS FAUCHÈRE
Hotel founder Louis Fauchère was born on March 4, 1823, in Vevey, Switzerland to a family that had been chefs and hoteliers for 13 generations. At the age of fifteen, he began his apprenticeship as a cook, and later took employment at several prominent hotels in Switzerland.

On November 16, 1846, he married Rosalie Perrochet in Switzerland; they had one daughter, Marie, who was born May 4, 1848 around the time Fauchère immigrated to the U.S., where he found employment as a Master Chef at New York’s famous Delmonico’s.

In his early career in the U.S., he also worked during the summer at Delavan House in Albany, and at the Fort William Henry Hotel on Lake George before taking over a small hotel and restaurant, once known as “The French Hotel” owned by his wife’s relatives, who had come to Milford as part of the French settlement in the early 19th century.

Although Fauchère was a native of Switzerland, his mother tongue was French and he was thus known in Milford for years as “the crazy Frenchman”. It is unknown whether he earned his nickname for tempestuous behavior befitting a mercurial master chef, or because of the crazy dream he had for the Fauchère, or for some other reason.

One thing that is known: Louis Fauchère’s innovative cuisine and stylish inn-keeping was a hit in Pike County. By the late 1870s, he had plans for a larger and grander building. The original building (since demolished) was moved to the rear of the property, and he set about constructing the elegant classic Italianate building that today remains the heart of the Hotel Fauchère.

Fauchère maintained “personal charge” of the hotel until a year prior to his death, on September 11, 1893. His daughter, Marie Fauchère Tissot, took over and is remembered as, “a lady of marked executive ability and pleasing manners, under whose administration the house more than maintains its old popularity”, according to a biographical sketch of Louis Fauchère.

The hotel was subsequently owned and managed by his descendants until closing in 1976, an impressive 124-year run under the same family’s ownership. Today, we are proud to uphold the high standards of hospitality – innovative cuisine and stylish innkeeping – that have become synonymous with Fauchère.

THE HISTORY
The Hotel Fauchère was, like virtually all hotels in Milford, originally a summer business. During the winter months, Louis Fauchère worked as a master chef at Delmonico’s in New York City or, in later years, traveled to Europe.

The present Italianate-style building opened in 1880, with 18 sleeping rooms and a beautiful, glass-enclosed dining room at the rear of the house. No record exists of the present building’s original architect, although it is likely that Fauchère, a master of detail, was heavily involved in the design.

Even at that early date, the Fauchère complex consisted of adjacent properties. The large, red brick, gothic-revival house on Catharine Street, located to the east of the present Fauchère complex, became known as Delmonico’s Cottage.

Named for its honored guests, the cottage housed the famed Delmonico brothers and their families, when they visited their friend and former Master Chef, Louis Fauchère, at his elegant country establishment.

The Delmonico connection was important to the success of the Hotel Fauchère, as Delmonico’s was the first and most famous restaurant in America in the mid-19th century. Any chef would value the credentials of working in Delmonico’s, but to enjoy the friendship of its famed proprietor was a rare honor, which contributed greatly to the cachet of the Fauchère.

Next door to the hotel, the site of the Fauchère Meeting Center and Patisserie Fauchère, was known for years as the Fauchère Annex and was used as a residence by the Fauchère family as well as for guest overflow.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Beautifully restored and supremely welcoming, the Hotel Fauchère is a European-style boutique hotel that effortlessly blends historic authenticity with contemporary technology and comfort. Stylish and well appointed, the hotel’s cozy 16 Non-Smoking rooms offer a getaway from the hustle and bustle.

With plush Frette linens, Carrera marble and Pennsylvania bluestone bathrooms, Molton Brown hair and body care amenities, walls of windows, small-town views and within walking distance of a 70,000 acre national park, your stay at Hotel Fauchère will be both peaceful and luxurious.

SUITE
The hotel’s suite (Non-Smoking) is located on the first floor and includes a glassed-in sitting room separate from the sleeping chamber. It includes a marble and bluestone wheelchair-accessible bathroom and the sitting room is large enough to accommodate a roll-away bed if required.

DELUXE ROOMS
The Deluxe Rooms (Non-Smoking) are the corner rooms in the hotel, offering views through two walls of windows, with ample bathrooms composed of Carrera marble and Pennsylvania blue stone.

PREMIUM ROOMS
The Premium Rooms (Non-Smoking) are the largest rooms in the hotel with a sitting area, ample bathroom composed of marble and Pennsylvania blue stone and a balcony overlooking the private garden.

DINING
Dinner service is currently offered in Bar Louis and on the Porch Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays from 5pm-9pm, Fridays from 5pm-10pm, Saturdays from 5pm-9pm. Dinner service is not currently available in the Delmonico Room.

BAR LOUIS
Located on the ground level of the hotel, Bar Louis is an elegant, stylish and contemporary environment for casual dining, serving an eclectic menu of food and cocktails from lunch to dinner.

Bar Louis’ innovative menu features signature dishes like Sushi Pizza and Malanga Chips, but also includes classics from Onion Soup to Steak Frites, in addition to burgers, fish, fowl, hand-made pasta and vegetarian entrees.

The sleek space was designed by architect William Reue to be “subtle, timeless and elegant.” One of our guests’ favorite details: an enormous photograph that sits behind the bar of Andy Warhol and John Lennon, taken by Christopher Makos.

Additional Makos’ photographs entitled “icons of the 80s” are featured in Bar Louis, including Andy Warhol with Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson, Debbie Harry, Jean Michel-Basquiat, Liza Minelli with John Lennon, Andy Warhol with Elizabeth Taylor, and Andy Warhol with Salvador Dali.

THE DELMONICO ROOM – OPEN FOR BRUNCH ONLY
The Delmonico Room at the Hotel Fauchère features fine regional American cuisine in an elegant and traditional setting.

The Delmonico Room is named after Louis Fauchère’s friends, the Delmonico brothers, who owned the famous Delmonico’s restaurant in New York in the mid 19th century, where Louis Fauchère was a master chef before opening the Hotel Fauchere in 1852. Like Fauchère, the Delmonicos were French-speaking natives of Switzerland.

Until the early 19th century, what we think of today as “fine dining” was only available in private homes or private clubs. A hotel or tavern might serve food, but it was offered as an accommodation to their guests or travelers. After the French Revolution, enough of a middle and upper-middle class emerged to support free-standing culinary destinations.

The Delmonico brothers brought this emerging Parisian “a la carte” dining trend to the U.S., opening in New York in the late 1820s. Delmonico’s established one of the first truly American culinary traditions, and introduced many dishes that are well-known today.

They “invented” the hamburger as a sandwich, as well as Lobster Newburg, Lobster Thermidor, potatoes au gratin, Eggs Benedict and, of course, the famed (and mouthwatering) Delmonico cut of steak. A portrait of Louis Fauchère hangs prominently in the Delmonico Room, overseeing every dish served.

OUTDOORS ON OUR PORCH
In warmer months or the chillier months, there’s no better place than the front porch of the Hotel Fauchère – one of the most popular dining venues in the region. Alfresco porch seating, offers a front-row seat to the busy life of a small-town and historic main street. The Porch serves the same menu as Bar Louis.

We’ve revamped our porch dining to accommodate diners throughout the year, even during the chilly months. We’ve installed powerful 6,000-watt infrared heaters on the ceiling, and we’ve installed plexiglass wind blocks to help keep diners warm. Our outdoor tables are set with blankets to help keep diners cozy. Fresh blankets are rotated through service and sanitized after use and laundered nightly.

CONSERVATORY
Reserved exclusively for our guests, the conservatory is a comfortable area located at the rear of the hotel, overlooking the fountain housed within our private garden. Originally known as the Summer Dining Room, today the conservatory is a comfortable place for guests to relax, read or enjoy afternoon tea.

ENCLOSED GARDEN
Located on the hotel grounds, the enclosed garden enhances your guest experience. Unusual for an in-town hotel, our garden provides an open-air extension to the hotel and serves as a popular venue for weddings and other special events. A fire pit is available for an evening s’mores party or just to keep warm in the chilly months.

GALERIE FAUCHÈRE
The first-floor hallway of the hotel is an exhibition space that features a variety of artists. The current show is work by Paul Solberg, titled Service. Service is a limited edition of 20 digital pigment prints using flatbed scans of SX 70 Polaroids, produced in New York to the highest archival standards.

The Technical influence on the Conceptual Process Solberg began experimenting with the Polaroid SX-70 camera and film process in 2009, testing temperature extremes and the response of various films. Freezing film, heating film, searching for a particular characteristic he didn’t know until he saw it.

A year later, during “Fleet Week”, when the military annually sails into the Hudson River to visit Manhattan over the extended Memorial Day weekend, he discovered a particular film stock the same day the military and sailors arrived in May 2010.

The fragility of this particular damaged film, while manipulating the tone by manipulating the film’s climate, was the narrative solution Solberg was seeking.

He got on his bike and threaded through the streets of Manhattan- mainly Time Square- to seek out any service person walking past a clean white building façade, a challenge in the dense walls of electricity. As the first portraits and conversations were experienced, the project was obvious and immediate. It was four 20 hour days until the film ran out.

Solberg’s intention of putting together a large body of such works was interrupted when in just days most of the faces abruptly vanished from the developed film. The chemical instability of the film, abruptly, left a blank space where the faces had existed. Many of the images were immediately scanned after photographing, and many vanished with no record.

Of the men and women he photographed, these images are what remain. Left with the surviving pictures, Solberg decided to follow the story instead of control it, understanding the missing faces, like in war, is the inevitable true story.

The process began with Solberg’s curiosity to capture faces of the young heroes. He saw in his subject’s eyes, and learned through their conversations, something of the magic and trepidation of youth. He gained a deeper understanding of their world, and respect for their dedication.

Solberg harnessed chance events in his technical process to ultimately produce images of depth and resonance. The faces in Service look almost haunted by early experience, innocence lost too soon.

In their world, courage and fear, invincibility and vulnerability, are close companions. The fading, ephemeral quality of Solberg’s images speaks to the often unseen trials and sacrifices made, and burdens borne, in the name of service.

WEDDINGS
Each wedding at The Hotel Fauchère is as unique as the couple it celebrates. Nestled in the quaint town of Milford, PA surrounded by woodlands and the dramatic beauty of the Delaware River, we are just 75 miles from New York City and 130 miles from Philadelphia.

Hotel Fauchère is a beautifully restored historic hotel with 16 guest rooms, 3 restaurants, and elegant reception spaces. The property’s expansive and beautifully landscaped lawn is a natural choice for an elegant outdoor wedding, allowing couples to exchange vows in the intimate garden with the serene backdrop of a babbling fountain nearby.

The Delmonico Room Sunroom with an abundance of natural light streaming in through floor to ceiling windows is an ideal place to celebrate with a reception of up to 60 people. Custom seasonal menus are created by our talented chefs with your palate in mind.

Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or an extravagant wedding our beautiful spaces and private garden are yours to fill with guests and loved ones for any social event. Hotel Fauchère caters to discerning couples who are drawn to the hotel’s sophisticated ambiance, artistic spirit and the natural beauty of its surroundings.

With individual attention and a picturesque setting, our dedicated and experienced staff works closely with you to help bring your dream wedding to life. From the moment you arrive for your wedding until you depart, The Hotel Fauchère surrounds you in a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS
From an elegant occasion to a special birthday, the Hotel Fauchère is a memorable choice for your next event or celebration. The beautifully restored, historic hotel offers both indoor and outdoor event venues, for everything from intimate parties to seated dinners.

Steeped in a tradition of hospitality, attention to detail and culinary excellence, we’ll help you plan the perfect event. With a promise of superior service, our exceptional (and expert) staff works with you to arrange, confirm and perfect every detail.

GROUP HOTEL BUYOUT
For the ultimate meeting experience and privacy, we welcome you to buyout Hotel Fauchere. This arrangement offers your group complete and total access to our amenities and our service. Buyouts include all guest rooms, function spaces and most areas of the hotel.

WALKING TOUR
This self-guided tour commemorates Milford’s founding father, John Biddis: The Historic Preservation Trust of Pike County. Take a leisurely stroll through the Historic District of Milford. In just 20 blocks, you’ll discover more than 50 Victorian buildings (circa 1814-1914) of architectural and historic significance.

All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and feature a variety of Victorian styles including Gothic, Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne. You may pick up a tour map at the Hotel Fauchère reception desk.

THE COLUMNS MUSEUM
The Columns Museum, operated by the Pike County Historical Society, is two blocks from the hotel and housed in a Neo-Greek Revival mansion showcasing a fine collection of art, artifacts, and ephemera from generations of ancestors, with a special focus on Pike County and the surrounding areas.

Exhibits include the famous “blood-stained Lincoln Flag,“ which cushioned the dying president’s head moments after he was shot at Ford’s Theater in April of 1865. The flag is part of a large collection of memorabilia that tells the story of that tragic night from the perspective of a family of actors working in the theatre that evening.

Civil War artifacts, historic farm tools and firearms, Native American artifacts, the Hiawatha stagecoach, vintage gowns and uniforms, photo albums and period letters, musical instruments, and kitchenware are also on display. Additionally, the museum hosts special seasonal exhibits.

GREY TOWERS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Grey Towers is the Richard Morris Hunt-designed Normanesque bluestone chateau that was built by James Pinchot and was the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the U.S. Forest Service and twice-Governor of Pennsylvania.

House and garden tours are offered every day, from Memorial Day weekend through October 31. Natural resources-related groups also use the newly renovated facilities for conferences and meetings. Other Grey Towers activities include short hiking trails, on-site programs, and conservation education programs for all ages.

THE UPPER MILL
The Upper Mill still has an operating wooden water-wheel that can be visited by the public on a self-guided free tour. Run for many years by the Rowe Brothers, the mill had wood and metal shops, a blacksmith, and a grist mill; today it is home to attractive boutiques, a café/bakery and bar, and a music shop.

ZANE GREY MUSEUM
Home to the “Father of the Western Novel,” this historic building sits on the banks of the Upper Delaware River. Zane Grey lived in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, from 1905 until 1918; the town always held a special place in his memories and was chosen as the site of his final resting place. Today, Grey’s home (1914-1918) is preserved by the National Park Service as part of Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

GILLINDER GLASS
Gillinder Glass was founded 156 years ago by William T. Gillinder. Born and raised in England, William T. relocated to the colonies where he opened his first glass factory in Philadelphia in 1861. In 1876, Gillinder built an operating glass plant in the nation’s Centennial Exhibition, a major component of the first Worlds Fair held in the United States (in Philadelphia).

In 1912, his three grandsons purchased a glass plant in Port Jervis, NY, formerly known as the Orange County Flint Glass Works. The plant opened as Gillinder Brothers in January 1913 and continues on this same site today, operated by sixth generation Charlie Gillinder.

POCONO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER (PEEC)
The Pocono Environmental Education Center is, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in a national park. The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is located within the 77,000 acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, along the Delaware River.

PEEC is one of the most respected and recognized environmental education centers in the northeastern United States. PEEC advances environmental education, sustainable living.

This non-profit advances environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Park. Plus there are over 12 miles of hiking and trails.

HIKES AND WATERFALLS
In 1872, Philadelphia’s Daily Evening Telegraph described our region’s fluviarchy — a network of waterfalls flowing into the Delaware River — as “precipitating themselves over cataracts of great heights, plunging into miniature lakelets, and noisily bubbling through miniature gorges or moss-hung glens.” Several of these “noisy bubblers” are located within the Delaware Watergap National Park (DWNRA).

RAYMONDSKILL FALLS
Located in the DWNRA, less than four miles from the hotel, is this breathtaking, year-round sight. The roaring, 105-foot Raymondskill Falls includes three tiers of cascades; visitors may view each unique water feature from a different section of the hiking trail. The total roundtrip hike to all three falls is less than one mile.

DINGMANS FALLS
The 75-foot Dingmans Falls is the DWNRA’s most popular waterfall. Novice hikers will enjoy the short trek, which wends by Silver Thread Falls. A flat boardwalk trail, accessible to wheelchair-users, passes through a hemlock ravine and delivers hikers to the base of Dingmans Falls, where a steep climb of 240 steps will take you to the top.

SHOHOLA FALLS
Here, the Shohola Creek races nearly 100 feet over numerous steep ledges, causing an awesome series of raging waterfalls. Behind the falls is a 26-foot-high dam, which creates 1,100 acres of lake and marshlands. This spectacular scenic site, managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, is located within the Shohola Waterfowl Management Area on Route 6.

TUMBLING WATERS TRAIL
This scenic trail provides some magnificent views before descending into a hemlock ravine highlighted by a section of waterfalls.

BIKING
Pennsylvania designates routes for long-distance biking, usually on lightly traveled roads. Bicycle PA Route L follows a north-south route through the mountains, with segments on the D&H and Lehigh Gorge trails. Bicycle PA Route Y generally follows PA Route 6, but it also includes some lightly traveled country roads in this region.

FISHING
The Delaware River Highlands area offers hundreds of places to fish for a variety of species, including trout, bass, walleye and American shad. Fishing licenses, available at most sporting goods stores and some town halls, are required for anglers 16 and older. An additional permit is required for trout.

Boat accesses are plentiful and most are free. Please note that not every ramp is suitable for every craft, as not every body of water is suitable for every craft. Pay special attention to signage.

The Delaware State Forest has 11 lakes and ponds. Peck’s Pond has two launch sites. Large power boating is available on Lake Wallenpaupack. Smaller powerboats and watercraft, like canoes and kayaks, are ideal for most other waters. Milford Beach, about a mile from the hotel, offers a launch for canoes, kayaks and small watercraft.

RIVER ACTIVITIES
The Delaware River, the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, is steeped in history and offers days filled with fun. The River reveals exceptional opportunities to fish, raft, canoe and kayak. Numerous outfitters in the area supply gear and offer guided tours. We’re happy to help you arrange a tour; please contact our concierge for details.

Website: www.hotelfauchere.com

Rooms: 16

Price: from 215 EUR per night