The Castle at Skylands Manor

What a unique experience! The castle was beautiful and full of character as one would imagine. It’s quite literally in the middle of a botanical garden so that adds to the whimsy. Vinny the Innkeeper was friendly and helpful and he went above and beyond. As a solo woman traveler I felt very safe. I will be back!

I loved my experience here. If you want an off the beaten path getaway, and a stay in a castle, this fits the bill. The castle is beautiful, the rooms are comfortable and spacious, and the grounds are lovely. Located in a botanical garden within a state park, nature lovers who want peace will enjoy the surroundings. It has the quirks of a historic structure, but that's the charm! This was my second stay, and the caretakers have always been accommodating and attentive. I am already looking forward to my next stay.

Overall, we had a great time and loved the venue. At the price point of $400 after taxes and fees, we felt like a few things were lacking. The shower in the Gatsby Room had very low water pressure. No Wi-fi was an inconvenience. The TV was from 20 years ago and very small. The biggest issue for us was this…. If guests wanted to leave the manor after 10 pm, they had to disturb the inns keeper to constantly open the front door for them. There really should be a door bell or video monitoring system so that guests can come and go as they please. To feel like you're stuck in your room after 10 pm when you're paying $400 for the room is not ideal. Other than that, we loved the manor, breakfast was great, staff was very helpful, etc.

The treatment you will receive is beyond unacceptable, especially if you're a bride or groom with anxiety. They are rude, will bark at you and make you feel like you are insignificant and just another business transaction--not someone getting married once, having a special day. I could go on and on about the ridiculousness and the horrible treatment that I, myself, my family, my photographer, and my guests received. The only thing it has going for it is that it is beautiful and the food is good. But that is not what a wedding is about. TRUST me, do NOT get married here, you WILL regret it. Suffice to say, the coordinator, Linda, ruined my day. She was wildly uncommunicative beforehand (who needs to plan, right?) and was rude and unhelpful when she did. The manager of the overnight rooms laughed at my MIL when she asked a question, and was unavailable for weeks when we were trying to book. They also tried to raise the prices of the rooms and make us pay an outrageous price when their new wedding packet (which they had a mean reply of ‘how we got a hold of it’) offered a discount. They also never seem to be working or to be available. We had multiple lapses and timelines of hearing nothing, despite multiple attempts. Then the replies would be so grammatically erroneous or mistyped that they were hard to read (what a priority I felt like receiving quick replies from an iPhone). They misplaced things the day of so guests did not even get some of our favors. They rushed me (the bride) so much that I did not even get all of the pictures I wanted, the one chance I had to do so. Linda's rudeness was noticed by all. We had the venue until 9, and they started cleaning up and closing things down as our guests were filing out... it was so embarrassing. The hotel guy made my family, including my 2-year-old nephew and mother who has lung cancer, to wait outside in the cold because "it's my job to get out of here in 15 minutes." They told certain people they could not eat because god forbid they had such a rushed timeline for whatever reason. They told one of our guests that there was no valet parking, even though there should have been, so they had to walk quite far. The day before the wedding we had an emergency and had to change the timeline, and Linda called and barked at me and told me it was alllll about her staff. I suspect that because my photographer was not one of their recommended vendors that she received the poor treatment that she did. I honestly could go on and on and I hope every person considering this place see's this. Not to mention, the rehearsal was a disaster... Linda was not even there because she never seems to work, and they acted so confused and had nothing organized. They also placed the microphone in front of myself and my groom during the ceremony so those pictures are just fantastic, we can only see our officiant. There were surprise fees, increase in prices, and never-ending contention when we tried to be reasonable

The staff is extremely kind, and the grounds are beautiful. save some time for exploring!

Absolutely amazing! I never knew there was a castle in NJ. It was quiet, picturesque and awesome. My husband and I stayed for 2 nights in September, the Innkeeper was friendly and answered any questions. The grounds were beautiful; there were gardens, statues and a koi pond. Breakfast each day had plenty of options. We didn't have any plans on the 2nd day and it was perfect because we spent it exploring everything we could about the castle. I highly recommend, I can't wait to go back.

The grounds are very cool and scenic. There is no bathroom in the bedroom. The bed and pillows are very poor and the room smells like mold.

The front desk person, Vinny, was very kind and helpful. The property itself was beautiful, but the parking lot was a far walk from the manor. My main concern is how they false advertised on *******. They advertise free wifi for all rooms, but there was no wifi whatsoever. I have Verizon and my service wasn’t the best in this area, so it wasn’t a great experience on that end. It said online that there was free breakfast and an ironing board available for use (which I needed in the morning); there was no ironing board to be found and breakfast was an additional charge. Additionally, the pictures of our room varied from the actual room in small ways (different bedding, table instead of ledge in front of the bed, etc.) so I think they may have photographed a similar room on the same floor? Overall the venue was pretty and staff were very kind, but the ******* page is entirely outdated. Make sure to call before you book to make sure they have the amenities you’re looking for.

The castle is a beautiful historic building. They are not providing the kind of amenities and hospitality you expect for the amount of money they are charging. We were welcomed graciously and able to check in early. Our upgraded room had no functioning shower, no heat for the majority of time we were there and one light blanket, only two towels for two people and the lighting was terrible. The tv was set up behind the couch so you couldn’t watch it. There is no dinner served so we went out and when we returned we had to walk back from the parking lot which was down the unlit road so it was pitch dark. Breakfast consisted of ready made pastries, cereal and yogurts, a very roadside motel feel to it. There was not a holiday decoration in the whole place but there were cleaning products and tools in most rooms. I hope if a bride books this place she gets better hospitality.