8 Best Hotels in Rochester, The Finger Lakes

On a residential street off boutique- and café-lined Park Avenue, this 1905 Tudor dwelling has been the home of owners Ellie and Bill Klein for 50 years. The decor is a jumble of patterned wallpapers; original features (like some claw-foot tubs); furniture from various periods (Italian and French provincial, early American, contemporary); and quirky touches like vintage dresses hung in closets. Guests have access to a library of classic VHS movies.

This 1896 Georgian home is impeccably furnished and decorated in a mix of Victorian and modern country-cottage style, with lovely moldings and fireplaces, hardwood floors, tasteful floral fabrics and antique and reproduction furniture. The two larger rooms are the most impressive, with more completely executed decor. A room with a twin bed called the Sleeping Porch can be tacked onto the Cottage Suite. Breakfast is served in a pretty dining room or on a side patio in warm weather.

This exquisitely restored 1833 mill sits in a rural town en route to Letchworth State Park. Rooms are immaculate and decorated in historic country-cottage style with handcrafted and antique pieces. A bubbling creek with a waterfall runs alongside the inn, in view of the patio and flowering garden. The huge breakfast, with homemade granola and maple syrup tapped on-site is a high point.

Within Letchworth State Park, this country inn overlooks the park's tallest waterfall. Park founder William Pryor Letchworth had used the mansion as a retreat; it became an inn in 1914. Interiors are Victorian in style. Smaller standard rooms have one double or two twin beds, but the suites, with queen beds, are spacious. The Cherry Suite has a whirlpool tub, a private porch, and chevron-patterned hardwood floors. Also available are contemporary lodge rooms and three houses.

Rooms at this downtown high-rise hotel either look out onto some of the city's finest examples of 19th-century architecture or face Lake Ontario or the Genesee River. The hotel is within walking distance of the Blue Cross Arena and Geva Theatre Center. Guest rooms and corridors were completely renovated in 2006 and 2007; beds are topped with down duvets and bathrooms are granite.

Our pick for Rochester's top hotel, the Inn on Broadway is in the East End within blocks of the Eastman and Geva theaters, Strong Museum, and various dining and nightlife options. A private club originally occupied the 1929 building, and refinement lingers in the air. Every room is unique, but all have featherbeds (queen or king), down comforters, and thick towels; some have hardwood floors, gas fireplaces, and two-person Jacuzzi tubs. Deluxe rooms have baths with multiple showerheads. A sitting area with a small library is a B&B–style touch.

The modern hotel is next to the Erie Canal, 6 mi southeast of downtown Rochester. Rooms have doorbells and traditional furnishings, while beds have luxurious sheets, specially washed to preserve softness, and down pillows and comforters. The spa offers massages, facials, body wraps, manicures, and pedicures. The Erie Grill, an intimate candelit restaurant, overlooks the canal, serves a seasonal American menu that emphasizes game meats in cooler weather.

Suites here are either one-bedrooms, with full kitchens and living rooms, or studios, with kitchenettes and living areas separated by shelving units. Every other suite has a balcony, with views toward downtown or the residential neighborhood. Suites are furnished with microfiber sectional sofas, contemporary wood-veneer furniture, and stainless-steel appliances. At the highly regarded Grill at Strathallan, seafood and beef dishes have some Asian influences.