The Lake House Canandaigua Review

Last Updated on May 23, 2023 by Jane

Back when we did our summer road trip down to Hilton Head and back we stopped in the Finger Lakes Region. We had toyed with the idea of driving home after hiking in the morning but decided against that because no one wants to sit waiting around at the border. Instead we stayed one more night at The Lake House Canandaigua and crossed the border early the next morning. Even though we only stayed one night the beauty of this property deserves sharing. This is my Lake House Canandaigua Review.

The Lake House Canandaigua Review

Voted one of the Worlds Best Hotels in 2021 by Travel and Leisure this luxurious property is found at the top of Canandaigua Lake part of the Finger Lakes region of New York State. About 4 hours from our southwestern Ontario home it isn’t that far of a drive to take you to another world entirely.

One thing that struck me as soon as we pulled up to the property is how much this hotel embodies that old time New England feel. It is a brand new hotel but it wouldn’t be out of place in turn of the century New England catering to wealthy families of the time. Or the setting of a Nancy Drew mystery. Instead it is a new property that has only been open a few years catering to Torontonians and New Yorkers escaping the city.

There are 124 Guest rooms. We stayed in the rooms above the spa and all I can say is the rooms are gorgeous. We had the Town Queen room with two queen beds. We did not have a balcony as these are the town facing rooms. The Lake facing rooms have balconies.

If the outside of the property evokes nostalgia for vintage lake side escapes the interior is fresh and more modern without being Avant Garde. The rooms are a mix of creams and whites providing a clean look without being too sterile. The bathrooms are a gorgeous take on the whole modern farmhouse trend. More whites, creams and greys with gold accents; this is a bathroom I would like to recreate for our home. The large shower was a dream after spending the morning hiking in Watkins Glen.

The property was once more of a road side motor inn. I find many of these old motels are getting a new lease on life with renovations but this was a complete transformation of the entire property.

On site there is a spa, yoga center, boat rentals, bike rentals and restaurants. Close by you have a ski resort, wineries and breweries and loads of gorgeous hiking.

It wasn’t really hot enough to sit by the pool while we were there, especially after having just come back from Hilton Head. And we found the restaurants to be on the pricey side. Since we had our kids with us we wanted something easy and affordable. We drove over to Charlies for burgers. This was a great place for an old timey American burger joint. It was busy, super affordable and tasty. We then had the largest ice cream at the ice cream place across the street from the Lake House. We didn’t read that a large was 5 scoops. It was excessive but good. If you are worried that the amenities are out of your price range (we used points to pay for the room) there are plenty of alternatives in the vicinity.

While we didn’t spend much time at this hotel I can say it was a gorgeous space and the beds were very comfortable. Maybe a bit high end for a pit stop on a road trip but I am still glad we stayed that extra night before crossing back into Canada. I really think the Finger Lakes area needs more time to be explored and I really want to go back. Not only that I would like to go back to this hotel in particular and experience more of the amenities. Perhaps a spa weekend is in order.

For my EV drivers there is EV charging on site at the Lake House Canandaigua.

Have you stayed at this hotel? Did you enjoy your stay?