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

Built in the 1860s in the Second Empire style, this beautiful mansion was thoroughly renovated for the hotel's opening in 2001. The decor is classy yet up-the-minute: hand-carved original walnut pocket doors paired with midcentury-modern sofas and contemporary paintings by local artists. Beds are dressed in down duvets and Frette linens. Some rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Complimentary cocktails are served in the evening.

One of few options within the Chautauqua Institution gates, this Victorian hotel faces Chautauqua Lake and is steps from the amphitheater. Opened in 1881, the Athenaeum frequently hosted Thomas Edison and was one of the first electrified hotels in the country. These days, however, modern advances (like central air-conditioning) are lacking, furnishings are threadbare, and the building is in dire need of restoration. It's pricey for the quality of rooms, though three meals a day are included. We've included the hotel in this book not because we strongly recommend it but because it is one of only two hotels on the grounds of the institute, and for some, location trumps quality and cost. Dinner (for those not staying at the hotel) is a five-course prix-fixe affair.

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.

Stay at this five-story hotel in a 1920 building just off Chippewa Street for spacious, updated rooms and suites with views up busy Delaware Avenue. Rooms have traditional decor with fluffy white duvets; some have whirlpool tubs (some in the bedroom rather than the bathroom) or gas fireplaces.

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).

Fronted by a fountain and incorporating some of the original 1923 facade, this contemporary theater-district hotel connected to the convention center has an '80s-chic glass atrium with a café and great views of surrounding historic buildings. Rooms were upgraded in 2008 and 2009, and are contemporary, with earth tones and warm woods and ergonomic desk chairs. Suites have whirlpool tubs and CD players. Until the new gym opens in late 2009, guests can use the health club across the street. E.B. Green's restaurant (named after the architect of the building) earns high marks for its steaks, in particular.

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.

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.

Established in 1923 and modeled after an old English inn, the Tudor-style building has spectacular views of Niagara Falls' upper rapids from street-facing suites. The size of apartments, suites have full kitchens and living rooms, one or two bedrooms, and some have a second bathroom. Rooms and suites are furnished with antiques, gas fireplaces (some), and four-poster beds with toile duvets. Champagne and cheese is served upon arrival. The dark-wood restaurant ($$), with three meals daily, has snug seating, plush chairs, a stone fireplace, and a patio. Rib-sticking dinners might include sirloin with garlic-herb butter or an 8-ounce lobster tail.

This 11-story hotel is in a casino complex with restaurants, bars, a deli and two cafés, plus a spa-salon, large fitness center, and a rooftop pool with a great view toward Allegany State Park. Rooms include corner suites with 46-inch plasma TVs, standard king or queen rooms, and suites. All rooms have Jacuzzi tubs.

This 26-story glass hotel, opened in 2006 as part of the Seneca Niagara Casino complex, is a beacon of rainbow-LED-light glam in downtown Niagara Falls. Rooms are spacious and contemporary in design, in caramel tones, with floor-to-ceiling windows (some with views of the river and the skyline of Niagara Falls, Ontario), big flat-screen TVs, and large bathrooms with oversize showers. Suites have stand-alone Jacuzzis at the foot of the bed. The hotel has four restaurants (Asian, Italian, steak, and Southern), a 24-hour café, and the requisite buffet, here the size of a basketball court.

Rooms at this Victorian hotel are individually decorated and named for great authors. The decor varies considerably from room to room. The Agatha Christie room is decked out with fern-print wallpaper that has a sort of psychedelic effect; the Isabel Allende room has cactus murals on the walls and a desert-hue theme. Some rooms are small and cramped, whereas others are quite capacious. Many have hand-painted murals or faux finishes on the walls or ceilings. Gardens surround the inn, which stays open all year. During the Chautauqua Institution season, the minimum required stay is a week.