I’ve been to the Catskills workshop a couple of times. Have stayed both in town at the central, but rather rustic Shamrock, and at outlying campsites and motels. None have been exactly what I would call 5 star (or even 3 star), but they are convienient to the classes and even more important the endless sessions.
There is so much good music going on there that it is easy to get overwhelmed. I never seemed to have enough time to practice what I was learning in classes, so my advice is to dial it back a bit and possibly either stick with taking two classes in the same instrument in the morning and afternoon or taking a dancing or craft class at one time so you don’t get overtaxed.
The class ratings were a bit problematic for me as well. The beginner classes, especially in whistle, can fill up with under 10 year olds. While this isn’t always a problem (though at times it seems the parents are just dropping them off for “free” supervision, and the workshop does have an excellent childrens program for that), and they can often learn faster than us old folks, they aren’t all that good in sitting still and quietly listening to an instructor talk about technique. While the guide indicates that you are supposed to have at least a couple of tunes under your belt to attend a beginner class, I’ve also attended some where the participants still hadn’t worked out how to hold their instrument, much less work out “Mary had a little Lamb”. The intermediate classes are often at a rather high level, and I’ve never attended an advanced class. I believe that they desperately need to reassign class ratings as: Beginner (for rank beginners who are just learning the very basics of an instrument: scales, note placement, correct hold, embochure…), Tyro (still having only a handful of ITM or the like tunes learned, but the basics of tone production and note placement are worked out and are ready for actual jigs, reels and the begining of ornamentation), Intermediate (already playing tunes up to speed, but ready to work on advanced ornamentation, variation, playing in sessions…), Advanced (if you have to ask, you probably shouldn’t be there…).
Other than that, the experience is fantastic. Great concerts, interesting lectures, extremely talented folks everywhere you turn around, sessions lasting right thru the night at more locations than anyone can get to, nightly ceillis, singing sessions, getting the chance to meet some of the “heroes” of the ITM scene and finding them very approachable, humble and generous people. A real total immersion in the idiom. I highly recommend it.