16 Best Hotels in Niagara Falls and Western New York, New York

The house dates from 1840 and the carriage house was a late-1800s stagecoach stop. The five rooms are individually decorated with a mix of antique furnishings like a pair of Bishop chairs and replicas. One room has a private entry. Breakfast is served at 8:30 sharp in the handsome dining room with a big stone fireplace.

Built in 1851, this Italianate brick Victorian mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has inlaid flooring, leaded- and stained-glass transoms, paneled pocket doors, and ornate fireplaces. The owners are antiques dealers, and rooms are crammed with Civil War– to Victorian-era pieces. The four-suite Captain Storm House, an 1892 Queen Anne revival next door, follows much the same style. Stores and restaurants are within walking distance; the Chautauqua Institute is a 20-minute drive.

Just up the street from the Chautauqua Institute, this reasonably priced hotel opened in 2007 and still looks new. Though it has a chain-hotel feel (albeit an upscale one) and is not as quaint as other choices nearby, it offers consistently clean and updated rooms, a full slate of hotel amenities, and a bit more anonymity than at the inns and B&Bs. All rooms have two bathrooms (one full, one half). Rates include shuttles to the Chautauqua Institution and the Chautauqua Golf Club.

The brick four-story chain hotel overlooks Lake Erie's Chadwick Bay. Rooms are standard, with contemporary furniture; some have in-room whirlpool tubs. In the Windjammer's restaurant, a boat wheel, a fish tank, and huge windows overlooking the marina create a nautical theme. Menu options include Delmonico steak, salmon, and chicken Alfredo.

At the entrance to Niagara Falls State Park, this is the closest hotel to the falls in the United States. Some rooms overlook the Niagara River on its breathtaking tumble; others have views of the Canadian skyline, the state park, or the city. The rooms are standard, but with such scenery about 500 feet away you won't spend much time in them.

The decor is contemporary and spaces updated at this better-than-average, two-story Holiday Inn a half mile from the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. Rooms have desks and high-speed Internet access; some suites have dining areas, kitchenettes, and whirlpool tubs. There's round-the-clock shuttle service to casino (provided by casino).

The large, six-story riverfront hotel is adjacent to a golf course and a marina. All rooms have balconies or patios, which are larger in the east-facing river-view rooms. All rooms will be completely renovated, with new furnishings and flat-screen TVs, by the end of 2009. The hotel has a pubby lounge, an arcade room, massage treatments, and a larger-than-average fitness room. Grand Lady cruises leave from the hotel's back door.

White rockers sit on a wraparound porch of this Victorian house just off Ellicottville's main strip, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and bars. The B&B rooms are homey, with simple furnishings; the suite has a sitting area with a fireplace. The efficiencies are suitable for those with children or pets. A three-course breakfast is served at a communal table (not included for efficiency guests).

New-built but mimicking Federal-era design, this stone hotel faces the Niagara River. Many rooms have four-poster beds; all have detailed moldings, heavy draperies, reproduction Greek Revival armchairs, and more-contemporary luxuries such as electric fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, and some whirlpool baths. Ground-floor rooms have hardwood flooring. The hotel has a full spa and salon with multiple massage and beauty treatments. The Whirlpool Jet Boat tours leave from right across the street.

The 1895 Victorian B&B, facing the tree-lined main square, has original oak, mahogany, and maple woodwork, including parquet floors, and stained-glass windows. Guest rooms, which vary considerably in size, are generally outfitted in a country look, with period antiques and some brass beds; new mattresses were installed in all rooms in 2008. The Old Library restaurant is next door.

A quiet retreat for golf lovers or skiers, Peek'n Peak also has a nice spa. Lodging options range from inn rooms with two queen beds to detached, multistory Clubhomes with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, full kitchens, and two-car garages. With the exception of units in the Inn at the Peak, which are dated (but share a building with the dining room, pub, spa, and pool), lodgings are updated, clean, and spacious, with large windows and some fairways and slopes views.

This eight-story chain hotel is in Jamestown's business district. Rooms have luxurious mattresses, large windows, cushy leather desk chairs, granite-countertop bathrooms, and traditional furnishings in muted color schemes. The hotel was completely renovated in 2008.

Antiques, quilts, hand-painted furniture, and stenciled walls give this turn-of-the-20th-century Victorian B&B its folksy charm. Honeymooners love this spot; a wedding chapel on the premises lets them have the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon all in one place. The Honeymoon Suite has an antique fireplace and a porch with a swing. Note that there are cats on the premises.

Original and reproduction Roycroft Arts and Crafts furnishings fill the rooms at this lovely three-story inn on the old Roycroft Campus. Most accommodations here are three-, four-, or five-room suites. Some have two twin beds or a queen-size bed and a pullout queen sleeper. Bursts of bright color—in a throw rug or pillow or a bedcovering, for example—play off the straight lines of the Mission furniture and the neutral walls.

The family-owned and -run complex across the street from Chautauqua Lake includes a two-story motel, Webb's Captain's Table restaurant, a candy store dating from 1947, and an 18-hole miniature-golf course. Rooms have traditional-contemporary furnishings; a couple have fireplaces. Furnishings are outdated and bathrooms smaller in the older portion of the hotel. All rooms facing the road have whirlpool tubs and balconies.

Victorian frills and florals are in full effect at this handsome inn, originally the White family residence. Some of the building dates from 1868; it became an inn in 1919. Victorian antiques and reproduction pieces furnish the rooms, which have wall-to-wall carpeting and (very) floral wall coverings and may have white-wicker furniture or carved-wood four-poster beds. The restaurant serves mostly Continental fare that includes entrées such as pecan-encrusted chicken and prime rib (Friday and Saturday only).