BETHEL, NY — The investors of The Chatwal Lodge held a ground-breaking ceremony on December 5. The lodge, developed by the Dream Hotel Group will be established on 26 acres located within the Chapin Estate gated community along the shores of the Toronto Reservoir. The opening is expected in spring 2020, and the facility will have 34 villas and suites. Promotional material says the lodge will feature “farm-to-table culinary experiences by DUCASSE Paris, founded by multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.”

Among the local politicians on hand were assembly-member Aileen Gunther and Town of Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm. Sturm said the project would bring local jobs. “The Chatwal Lodge will bring full- and part-time jobs, both during construction and after it opens,” Strum said. “The new tourists and visitors that will come to Bethel will also bring new commerce and better economic opportunity for all the businesses already located here.”

The man behind the lodge is Sant Singh Chatwal, chairman of the Dream Hotel Group and a majority investor in the Chapin Hospitality Group (CHG). Chatwal has applied for tax breaks to the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency (IDS) listing CHG and a related company NVS Land Holding Corp. as the applicants. The developers seek more than $11 million in tax breaks on a promised investment of $68 million and the creation of 50 jobs.

 The Chatwal Lodge is aiming toward a five-star rating. “Rustic and refined, The Chatwal Lodge offers an elegant and charming play of details literally carved straight out of the woods from which it stands.,” reads a press release on the opening. “The luxurious hideaway features hand-hewn timbers, oversized stone fireplaces and mighty trunks of 40-foot white pine trees towering from floor to ceiling in the Main Lodge. Luxurious meeting and event venues located at water’s edge are ideal for corporate retreats, social events and lavish destination weddings. Harmonizing with nature, its serene spa offerings will also include some of the most desirable wellness services.”

The release says the construction of the lodge is “part of a larger economic development plan for the town of Bethel, New York.” The Dream Hotel Group currently operates 18 hotels now open to the public, with 20 new hotels currently in development.