Reviews

This is my second time visiting Highlands Castle, and I was so fortunate to bring two of my college friends.
We had an amazing weekend away from the stress of college.
This place is beautiful beyond imagination.
A lot of magic hangs in the air around here.

I love John’s phrase about believing that whatever you want, putting it into the universe is how the universe brings it back to you.

All my love,
Maddie Beal

Sarah Lawrence College, New York

This castle was gorgeous!
The owner John was so kind and gave us a great tour filling us in on his story and all of the work that he has done throughout his life.

Every room was so detailed and exquisite.
The castle has an amazing view of Lake George.
We had such a fabulous time and look forward to going back.

Christina Mabb

Middlebury, CT

Dear John & Yvonne,

We had such a wonderful visit and wish we had planned to stay longer.
The view is spectacular, the castle and its endless details are incredible, but the conversation was the best!

Lucas says: “Thank you for a wonderful 13th birthday. I’ve had so much fun at this castle the past 3 days.”
Olivia says: “Thank you for having us!”

We look forward to another visit in the near future. Thank you for everything!


With Love,
Julie, Matt, Lucas, and Olivia Hajduk

Alpharetta, GA

John & Yvonne,

Thank you so very much for opening your home to us. Your hospitality is truly warming.

To walk through the stained glass doors and be presented with the spectacular view was breathtaking!
Not only the view of the lake but the love that was poured into this castle/home is eminent! Truly inspiring!

Congratulations on fulfilling your dream and sharing it with others!
Thank you again and may God continue to Bless your Life!

Patty & Gerry Dally
10 Year Anniversary Celebration

Hackettstown, NJ

John is the ultimate gentleman and a true inspiration to me. I honestly cannot find enough words to describe how incredible it felt to propose to my girlfriend at his castle.

John and his wife are absolute gems. They truly looked out for us, made us feel incredibly special, and gave us an experience I will never forget. I am eternally grateful to both of them.

The castle itself is SPECTACULAR. Every single detail is intentional, from the hinges on the doors, to the artwork, the knights, the architecture, and everything in between. You can feel how much thought, passion, and care went into creating this place.

Beyond the castle, John is simply an amazing man. He took the time to give me life advice that I will carry with me forever, especially on one of the most important days of my life.

I could not recommend Highlands Castle more strongly. If you are considering staying here or celebrating a special moment here, do it. You will not regret it.

John, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget what you and your wife did for us.

Google Review from:
Mike Kolenovic

New York, NY

Dear John & Yvonne,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything.
This day will be one of the most special memories of our lives forever, not only because
we got engaged here, but because you were so incredibly kind and welcoming to us.

It’s rare to meet someone and immediately feel their goodness, and that’s exactly how we felt with you!
You didn’t just feel like a host; you felt like family.

We’ll always remember the castle as the place where we started this new chapter of our lives.

Thanks for this amazing day.
We truly hope our paths cross again someday.

Fernanda & Musho Kolenovic

New York, NY

Dear John & Yvonne,

Thank you for opening up your home and your hearts to us and so many others.
You truly are one-of-a-kind folks with some truly humbling stories!
It’s hard to put it all into words just how special our vacation was at your property.

The mugs touched our hearts! Nate & I collect mugs from all our little trips, and walking in to see a
welcoming note and two of our favorite souvenirs was the cherry on top! Like it was meant to be!

Our favorite part of our brief visit was meeting you three (Yes, Major, too).
My second favorite part was cozying up on the couch with a couple of books from the game hutch!
It was nice to open ‘Jesus Calling’ and read some of the highlights and devotions. God is good! And He shines here.

Thank you so much for having us and for sharing your inspirational story.

God Bless,
The Merritts - Nate, Shawna, Ryker, Azalea, Sophia, and Corwin

Stafford, NY

I chose this spot for my proposal, and it was perfect!
John is an incredibly nice and accommodating man; he played along and helped with all my requests to make it a truly great surprise.
This is the most stunning, breathtaking spot in Lake George. The view is mesmerizing.

When we first drove up, there was a family of deer on the lawn with a few fawns. The place is magical.
We looked at the Sagamore at first, but I am so glad I found this place.
John was so much nicer, and it was even more beautiful, private, and romantic.

I can’t wait to come back and stay here with my soon-to-be wife!
If you have the chance, book it and take the time to relax there.
You will remember this place for the rest of your life!
10 out of 10!!!

Carl 'CJ' Ferdenzi

Kings Park, NY

Dear John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for a wonderful stay at “The Highlands”!
We had a phenomenal weekend celebrating our mom’s birthday.
Staying in a castle made it a memorable and unique experience.
We hope to visit again one day!

Sincerely,
The Palmieri Family
Armando, Catherine, Dillon, and Adriana

Irvington, NY

John & Yvonne,

Thank you for such a wonderful experience with my family.
The castle is so beautiful, so blessed. Thank you!

Kara & Paige - Florida
Craig & Barb Reynolds – Earp, California

August 10th - August 13th, 2026

Thank you for this wonderful birthday gift.
It was so much fun meeting you and your family.
Hope we have a family reunion soon so I can see you again!
The Castle is so beautiful and everything I imagined it to be and more.
Love,
Lynlee

I also had such a wonderful visit with you and found great peace in your space.
Much love always,
Lynn Henderson (Lynlee's grandmother)

Doraville, GA

Dear John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for making our stay at Highlands Castle so special!
From the very 1st email, you were incredibly kind, welcoming, and accommodating, and that warmth continued throughout our entire stay.

The Castle Cottage was absolutely wonderful, and the whole property is truly magical.
You can truly feel how special Highlands Castle is to you, and that warmth comes through in the way you welcome and care for your guests.

Thank you for our magical stay!
Anna, Artem, Tatiana & Baby Jack

Nesconset, New York, and Ukraine

John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us.
You have done an amazing job creating this gorgeous home.
Your attention to detail is noticeable and creates an awesome grand atmosphere.
The view is stunning and your hospitality is outstanding!
We take with us amazing memories of our time here.

Thank you!
Ed & Lynn Schneider
Stayed in 'The Royal Bedroom' in Highlands Castle

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Dear John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for a wonderful stay in the Castle Gatehouse!
You were so welcoming, and the weekend was an amazing experience.
Thank you for sharing your piece of heaven on earth with us!

Jen Byrnes, Barb, Patrick, and Lisa

Rochester, NY

John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality.
My family and I had a great time in your castle, and I enjoyed this trip very much.
I hope we will come back and have an incredible experience again!

Zimo and his family: Huihuang, Yuxuan, Jian, and Xia

Family from China and Staten Island, NY

John & Yvonne

Thank you for the absolutely beautiful stay here at Highlands Castle!
This place and you both are truly one of a kind. It was such an incredible surprise to get to stay here for a few days!
The beauty of this place is truly complete by the story behind it and the love you both continue to pour into it and into your guests.
Thank you and God bless you!
We will be back!

Sincerely,
The Apelian’s
Heidi, Dave, Kate, and Sabi

Boonton, NJ

'The Castle Cottage' overlooking Lake George!

We had a fabulous stay at the castle.
John and Yvonne are exceptional hosts and are on site to make sure everything is perfect.
This will be our go-to rental at Lake George after staying at multiple other rentals in the past.
Can't say enough about this beautiful property and the amazing hosts.
Very clean and the beds were extremely comfortable.
The owners aim to please in every way.
Highly recommend this beautiful place!!!

VRBO Review from Dave & Heidi
Date of arrival - August 2, 2026

It's not possible to recreate the beauty of your house, but I tried my best.

Thank you!
I'll miss this place.












Drawing by Alexandria
Sammy, Star & Ashwin Sohi, and Alexandria

Louisville, Kentucky

Thank you for everything. It was a great stay, and we loved everything!
And thank you for taking us into your home and showing us around.
(Stayed in the Castle Cottage on our Anniversary)

Beth & Josh Schoen

Highlands Mills, NY

John & Yvonne,

WOW! Your Highlands Castle exceeded everything that Linda and I expected.
From the million-dollar view to the thoughtful visions that you have put so much time and effort into.
Your hospitality was to the moon and back.

Our 40th wedding anniversary was so great, in part to meeting and spending time with John & Yvonne.
And we can’t forget Major!



Bolton Landing will always be a special place for myself & Linda.
A quaint little town with Highlands Castle as the cherry on top!

Thank you for letting us share your dreams.

Sal & Linda Maio

Tully, NY

Our family typically vacations at the ocean, but we decided to visit the area so close to where we live. Turns out it was a great idea! Bolton Landing is pretty central to several places that we wanted to check out, so we made it our home away from home for a few wonderful days. We were able to visit Ticonderoga, Lake George village, Saratoga Springs, and so many other places of interest easily from our home base. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and from many places in town you can look up the hill and see John & Yvonne’s castle nestled among the trees. We had great meals, found nice shopping, and had plenty of places to walk and explore the town. Highlands Castle really is straight out of a fairy tale. The rooms are decorated beautifully, the views are stunning and the peace and quiet was wonderful. John & Yvonne are very attentive and welcoming, they couldn’t have been better hosts. This stay was absolutely amazing.

Trish Blouin
Google review

Torrington, CT

John & Yvonne,

I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the magical retreat we found at Highlands Castle.
You should be immensely proud of all you have accomplished here. There is nowhere like it.
The unique beauty and personal touch to every detail are hard not to notice and appreciate.
Your hospitality was memorable, and I am so glad to have learned the rich and humble tale of Highlands Castle.
We hope to return!

The Murrays
Tim, Shannon, Eamon, Aislinn, Cadence & Katiemae

Long Island, NY

What a beautiful escape! Everything was just perfect… the views, the lodging, and the hosts.
Thank you for sharing your slice of heaven with us, John & Yvonne.

The Blouins
Trish, Bill & Nick

Torrington, Connecticut

John and Yvonne,

Thank you again for another amazing vacation at The Castle.
Our fourth visit was just as amazing as our first three.
The girls still love our annual visit to your breathtaking home.
Your one-of-a-kind experience is the highlight of our East Coast vacation.

See you next year!
The Della Penna Family
Nick, Julie, Soaren and Olivia

Las Vegas, Nevada

'The Castle Gatehouse' of Highlands Castle

My family loved our visit to the Highlands Castle! The owners John and Yvonne gave us a tour of their castle and the history behind it which made it even more special. There are several choices of castles to stay in and we chose the gatehouse which is a very private castle nestled in the woods. We woke up in the morning and saw a deer eating right outside of our window. The castle is meticulously decorated to make you feel like you are really in a castle. There are several nooks and crannies and overlooks. My daughter said she felt like Rapunzel living in a tower. The location is wonderful nestled on top of a mountain yet close to the bustling downtown and the Sagamore resort. The view of the lake and the mountains is amazing. We enjoyed having cocktails and watching the fireworks display on the 4th of July. I can't say enough about our amazing visit to Highlands Castle and our wonderful hosts John and Yvonne.

The Gauta Family

Naples, Florida

Dear John & Yvonne,

It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for your warm welcome and gracious hospitality.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay; the breathtaking views of Lake George, the peaceful surroundings, and the impressive Fourth of July fireworks made it truly memorable! Thank you as well for your thoughtful keepsake mugs. We will remember our stay here fondly.

With much love and gratitude,
The Bhatta Family

Summit, New Jersey

Dear John & Yvonne,

Thank you so much for hosting our family at your castle. It will be such an amazing memory spending the 250th Anniversary of the USA with you!

Thanks again,
Joe & Sue Gauta
Spencer, Samantha, Stephen, Meghan

Naples, Florida

If you ever went to Disney World and paid to eat at the castle you owe it to yourself and your love to spend a couple of nights here. Unlike the Disney Castle there is not a single piece here that is mass produced or that caters to the masses. This GORGEOUS CASTLE is a moment in time! Unlike Disney It's NOT going to last forever. This is not a corporation, or a chain. This is a BEAUTIFUL hand built (with love and purpose) BREATHTAKING Castle that greets you with open arms from the moment you arrive with the most beautiful wonderful people you will ever meet, John and Yvonne. Unlike most pictures here where the focus is on how beautiful the castle is as a whole I took these pictures to show the love and detail in every space at Highlands Castle. Obviously there are thousands of things more to see and experience here. But I just wanted to focus on a few to give you an Idea of the difference in detail when comparing Highlands Castle to any other. When you look at these pictures I took, you will realize that pretty much everything is handmade, or unique. Down to the towels. The incredible hardwood floors the amazing hand built wooden doors, hinges, railings, one of a kind ornaments and all things found in every single inch of this Castle are screaming love and purpose. When is the last time you took a bath in a hand built copper bathtub? Or washed your hands in a hand built copper sink with water that flowed from a lion's mouth? Not to mention every evening view from the Highlands Castle was breathtaking. It had the most beautiful view of Lake George and surrounding mountains. My wife and I celebrated our 24th anniversary here and we're definitely coming back. You owe it to yourself to feel like a King and Queen. You won't be disappointed.

Google review written by
Claudio & Michelle Laraia

Mohegan Lake, NY

Dear John & Yvonne,

It was so nice staying in the castle. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Having this magnificent experience atop the mountain and seeing the lake every day was so lovely!
It reminded me of my childhood in the mountains and shows many of the glories of God’s creation.
We all loved the castle, the details (on everything, especially the wood carvings), and your story.
It was a delight spending time with you all! We truly appreciate everything you did for us and your kindness.

We hope to come back again!

Love,
Jenna, Jayla & Jahzara Wiles

New Jersey

Dear John & Yvonne,

From the moment we arrived, I was filled with excitement. I could feel the big smile on my face, waiting for my husband to get out of the car.
Your home is beautiful & enchanting. We see your hard work & attention to detail. We so much appreciate you sharing your amazing home with us.
We loved our time here at your castle & very much enjoyed our time spent with both of you & Major. Your warmth makes the experience complete.

Michelle & Claudio Laraia

Mohegan Lake, NY

John is an incredible, down-to-earth person who has a true passion and lifetime commitment to making his dreams come true.

The property is immaculate, and no detail was without proper thought or purpose. It was absolutely stunning.
It truly was like stepping into another time, where passion, taste, and elegance shone, and where passion met creativity.
We booked the walking tour, and it’s an absolute must when staying in the Lake George area - especially for couples.

His wife, Yvonne, was lovely as well, and I couldn’t have been happier with the experience.
We will definitely be returning to stay a night or two in this special little corner of paradise.
Thank you, John and Yvonne, for a wonderful experience.

Robert Brett

Piermont, NY

John - I wanted to thank you again for yesterday's Site Visit.
This was Eric's second Father's Day without his dad after losing him unexpectedly in October of 2024.
So last year and this year, I've tried to plan something a little extra special for him to make the day memorable.
Your time and kindness are so appreciated... it truly turned out to be the perfect kind of day.

Thank you and we hope to see you again, 🤍
Stefanie, Eric, Tanner, and Grason Ackernecht

Canajoharie, NY

John & Yvonne,

Thanks so much for a wonderful 10 Year Anniversary stay in your wonderful home. We’re not far away and look forward to coming back.

Happy Father’s Day,
Roy & Amy Hadden

Waitsfield, Vermont

John & Yvonne,

Thank you for sharing your home and castle with Jevon & me.
It was a weekend full of adventure and amazing memories.
Don’t change anything.

Until next time, be well,
Jodi Sellie & Jevon Garrett

Schenectady, NY; Troy, NY

John & Yvonne,

What an absolute pleasure it was to stay at your beautiful castle!
This place will remain special in our hearts forever.

We got engaged with the most amazing view and ended our perfect night watching the stars, meeting Major, and seeing the New York Knicks win the NBA finals!!!
Talk about a perfect weekend!

Thank you again for everything you did to help make it happen.

XOXO. We’ll see you again…
Kevin Bodell & Sandra

Brooklyn, New York

My husband and I stayed here to enjoy & renew our 20th Wedding Anniversary! The owners were delightful & down to earth.
They showed us the entire property & it was beautiful (just like the view of Lake George, the beautiful mountains, and tiny islands).
Our preacher went along with us during the tour; he stayed on the top terrace & enjoyed the weather & scenery.
When we went back to get him for dinner, he hadn’t moved. He told us that he could spend the rest of his life there!

I’m glad that I chose this wonderful place for such a wonderful occasion!

John & Yvonne,
Thanks for all the phone conversations and for helping us plan this significant 20th Anniversary vow renewal.
Your hospitality is second to none!

All the Best,
Travis & Henrietta Locklear

Lumberton, North Carolina