Gabrielle from New York wrote the line that gets quoted: “The views of the lake (both inside and out) are spectacular and very romantic.” Of the 22 reviews on Airbnb, 10 came from couples. Five-star, four-star, all of them. Here’s why this property works for couples and what kind of getaway to expect.
Why couples come here.
Three things, in order of how often they show up in the reviews:
1. The remoteness is real. Multiple guests describe Shehawken as “quiet,” “peaceful,” “a gem,” “secluded.” The cabin sits on a 54-acre private lake where the entire shoreline is family cottages on two large farms. There are neighbors, but it doesn’t feel like a development. Caz from London called it “a great place to chill and relax.” Multiple reviewers compared it favorably to busier parts of the Catskills and central Poconos.
2. The interior design earns the trip. The cabin has the kind of details that make a getaway feel like a real getaway: birch wallpaper in the main bedroom, fern wallpaper in the bathroom, vintage-feeling fixtures, an actual stone fireplace, deep wood floors, a screened-in dining porch over the lake. Every couple who reviewed mentioned the look. Ewa called the dining area with the coffee nook “my favorite part of the house.” Melissa called it “spotless and well decorated to boot.”
3. The lake itself becomes the activity. Couples don’t need much programmed activity here. The dock + paddle boards + row boat + kayak setup means a couple can spend a long weekend without leaving the property and still feel like they did things. Sunset from the gazebo, morning coffee on the porch, an afternoon on the water — that’s the entire itinerary, and it’s enough.
What a couples weekend actually looks like.
Friday evening
Most couples arrive between 5pm and 8pm after the drive from NYC or Philly. Stop in Hancock for groceries on the way in — Peck’s Market has decent wine, a small but solid produce section, and pre-made foods if you don’t feel like cooking. The Friday night move is to settle in, light the fire pit, pour something, and watch the lake go dark. Most couples don’t leave the property the first night.
Saturday morning
Coffee on the screened-in porch with the lake view. Some guests reported sitting there from 7am to 9am, just watching the lake. The dock is usually warmer by 9am. Paddle boards are clipped along the gazebo — one paddle around the lake’s perimeter is about 45 minutes if you’re moving. The lake is calm enough for first-timers; it’s spring-fed and electric-motors-only, so no waves.
Saturday afternoon
The split: half of couples report leaving for an afternoon trip (Hawley waterfront, Honesdale browse, a hike at Promised Land State Park). The other half stay on the property the entire weekend. Both work. The afternoon hammock-and-book pattern in the gazebo is the highest-rated single-activity in the reviews.
Saturday evening
Two main patterns: dinner at the cabin (the kitchen is fully stocked with cookware and the grill is on the patio), or a 35-minute drive to Honesdale for dinner at Native — the best meal in 40 miles. The food guide covers options. Either way, the night ends at the fire pit. The cabin has a stocked firewood supply.
Sunday
Slow morning. One more paddle. Pack up by 11am. Most couples report wishing they’d booked an extra night.
The romantic specifics.
- Main bedroom: queen bed, birch wallpaper, sliding door directly to a lake-view deck. Multiple reviews single this room out
- Screened dining porch: cantilevers over the lake. Built-in coffee nook
- Gazebo on the dock: shaded, with the lake on three sides. Adirondack chairs
- Fire pit on the lawn: stocked with wood, lake view, no neighbors visible
- Fern-wallpaper bathroom: black-and-green pattern, vessel sink, surprisingly photogenic
- Walk-out basement: rainy-day room with a couch and a separate lake view
The honest part.
1. The kitchen is small. Ahmad’s 4-star review specifically called this out: it’s a couple’s kitchen, not a chef’s kitchen. Workable, but you’re not making coq au vin. 2. The stairs. Lots of stone steps from the parking pad down to the cabin and again from the cabin to the dock. A romantic feature for most couples; an obstacle for guests with mobility issues. Ovidiu noted there’s very limited late-night dining nearby — if you’re used to city restaurant culture, plan to eat earlier or cook in.
The other couples reviews.
Best months for couples.
Late September through mid-October is the under-rated peak: foliage, no crowds, fire-pit weather, the cabin’s romantic side at its best. Mid-June through August is the swimming-and-paddling sweet spot. Late February is also strong — ski Elk Mountain by day, fireplace and wine by night. April-May is the cheapest window with the lake just barely warm enough to use.
For the area context, the Starrucca area guide covers everything outside the cabin. For dinner planning, the food guide and Honesdale day-trip post are the next reads. See Airbnb availability — couples weekends fill fastest June through October, often 6 weeks out.
