5 Best Hotels in Chautauqua and Mayville, Niagara Falls and Western New York

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.