Historic Inns of the Finger Lakes

Aurora · Inn

Five restored 19th-century buildings on the east shore of Cayuga Lake in the village of Aurora, assembled and renovated by Pleasant Rowland — the founder of American Girl — starting in 2001. The properties span over 60 rooms across the Aurora Inn, E.B. Morgan House, Rowland House, Wallcourt Hall, Zabriskie House, and Orchard Cottage. Each building has its own character and room configuration; the campus reads as a village within the village. Aurora itself is a small college town (Wells College) on Cayuga's longest shore, quieter and less trafficked than the Seneca Lake wine corridor.

Five historic buildings, 60+ rooms, assembled by Pleasant Rowland. Each property has its own character. Aurora village on Cayuga's east shore — quieter than the Seneca wine trail.

Geneva · Resort

A Romanesque Revival castle on the shore of Seneca Lake in Geneva, listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. Three lodging options — the historic Castle, a more contemporary inn, and private cottages — plus Edgar's Restaurant in the Castle and Stonecutter's Tavern for casual meals. The winery produces its own wines, and the estate also makes beer and hard cider under the Mabel's label. Wine Enthusiast named it a World's Best Wine Hotel; USA Today ranked it third among the country's top wine country hotels. The Isabella Spa-Salon handles treatments and hair. A complete destination, not just a place to sleep.

A Romanesque castle on Seneca Lake with its own winery, brewery, and two restaurants. Wine Enthusiast World's Best Wine Hotel. The National Register building. Three lodging categories.

Ithaca · B&B

An 1880 Chateauesque mansion in Ithaca, designed by William Henry Miller — the first architecture student to graduate from Cornell — who went on to design several of Cornell's most significant buildings. The B&B has nine rooms with carved chestnut woodwork, stained glass windows, and fireplaces. Breakfast is a serious affair, prepared daily and sourced locally. On the edge of Ithaca's downtown, a short walk from the Commons. For architecture enthusiasts, the building is the reason to visit.

Designed by Cornell's first architecture student, William Henry Miller, in 1880. Nine rooms with carved chestnut and stained glass. The breakfast. Short walk to Ithaca Commons.

Bluff Point · Inn

Built in 1838 by John Nicholas Rose as a wedding gift for his bride — a 2.5-story Greek Revival mansion with four Ionic columns and 6,000 square feet on a bluff overlooking Keuka Lake. The property later operated as Chateau Esperanza Winery (1979), and reopened as lodging in 2003 as The Mansion at Keuka Lake. Twenty-nine rooms across the historic mansion (8 rooms) and a newer inn building (21 rooms). The vineyard setting, the Greek Revival architecture, and the bluff views over the Y-shaped lake are the selling points.

Watkins Glen · B&B

An 1892 Victorian mansion on 2.5 acres overlooking Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen — the only 4-star-rated property in the area, and the consistently top-ranked B&B on TripAdvisor for the region. Fifteen rooms, including a turret room, sunrooms, and a grand staircase. Views from the hilltop extend across the lake. Complimentary breakfast made with seasonal local ingredients. Short walk to downtown, Watkins Glen State Park's gorge trail, and Watkins Glen International Raceway. EV charging on-site.

Ithaca · Inn

A 10-room boutique inn in the former Mayor's Mansion of Ithaca — which also served for years as the Duncan Hines world headquarters before sitting vacant and deteriorating. Avi Smith purchased and spent four years restoring it, reopening as the Argos Inn in 2013 with LEED certification, geothermal heating, heated stone slab floors, and a collection of original Dali, Miró, and locally commissioned artworks throughout. First building in Ithaca to win the Preservation League of New York State's Excellence in Historic Preservation award. Bar Argos has a zinc parlor bar, floating chandeliers, and a Moroccan lantern patio.

Fayetteville · Inn

A 90-room hotel and conference center in Fayetteville, near Syracuse, with every room furnished in genuine Stickley pieces — the Arts and Crafts furniture manufacturer with roots in upstate New York. The Wood Grille and Tap House restaurant uses a 96-inch wood-fired grill burning maple wood sourced from a local farm. Complimentary breakfast included. Green Lakes State Park is nearby; the location positions it as the practical eastern gateway to the Finger Lakes.

Ithaca · Hotel

A 153-room teaching hotel on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, run in partnership with Cornell's School of Hotel Administration since the 1950s. More than 300 students work alongside professional staff each year, which produces a combination of genuine hospitality training and unusually attentive service. TavernaBanfi is the signature dining room; The Regent Lounge, in-room dining, and a student-operated restaurant round out the food program. Renovated in 2010. On the edge of Ithaca's gorge country.

Ithaca · Inn

The former Rose Inn, rebuilt as the John Joseph Inn and Elizabeth Restaurant after a fire destroyed the original 1851 Italianate mansion in 2004. Chef-owner John Hamilton reopened in 2006 with six carefully appointed guest rooms and a restaurant that has become a dining destination in its own right — Elizabeth Restaurant draws from local farms and changes seasonally. The famous mahogany spiral staircase, completed by carpenter William Houser in 1922–24, partially survived and was restored as part of the rebuild. On 10 acres in Groton, twenty miles from Ithaca.

Watkins Glen · Lodge

Operating since 1948 on Route 419 above Watkins Glen, Seneca Lodge is a cluster of 80-plus units — A-frame cabins, motel rooms, and chalets — spread through a wooded property five minutes from the state park gorge entrance. The tavern is its social core: the walls display laurel wreaths from Watkins Glen Grand Prix winners going back decades, and racing crowds have been coming here since the U.S. Grand Prix era. Adirondack-style lodge restaurant on site. Unfussy, affordable, historically rooted, and consistently full during race weekends.

Trumansburg · Inn

A Victorian inn inside Taughannock Falls State Park on Cayuga Lake, overlooking both the lake and the access trail to Taughannock Falls — at 215 feet, the highest single-drop waterfall east of the Rockies. The restaurant has held a serious reputation for decades, making it a destination for non-guests as well. The park setting means the inn is surrounded by trails and gorge views rather than a commercial strip. About ten miles north of Ithaca, accessible year-round.

Canandaigua · B&B

An 1810 European-style stone mansion on 45 acres near Canandaigua, with beamed ceilings, wide planked floors, walnut and mahogany inlays, and nine fireplaces. Seven guest rooms, each with a private bath and king or queen bed; the mansion’s kitchen and dining areas are available for guest use. Primarily books weddings, so B&B guests typically have the run of a grand estate on non-event weekends.