The Lake House on Canandaigua

Style

Still waters, sleep deep

Setting

Shores of Canandaigua

Give a hand to the Lake House on Canandaigua’s spectacular Finger Lakes setting in Upstate New York. In native Iroquois, this lacustrine paradise’s name means ‘chosen spot’, and being placed right by the water amid wineries, toytowns and a landscape that redecorates seasonally, feels very select indeed. The house itself, a former motel remodelled and run by a drinks dynasty, is the cosiest of retreats with a New England air: Adirondack chairs by fire pits, barrel saunas with views, artisan-crafted decor, true local flavour and lively late-night s’mores sessions. Ski and skate by winter; swim, sail and sip by summer, the Finger Lakes have us firmly in their grasp.

Facilities

Quartos

124, including 16 suites.

Checkout

11am, but flexible, subject to availability (1pm early check-in or late check-out can be guaranteed for $200; after this time, a charge equal to half the room rate may apply). Earliest check-in, 4pm.

Mais detalhes

Rates don’t include breakfast ($25 a person). Some wellness classes and a shuttle to the nearest city are free.

Also

The Lake House has a range of ADA-compliant rooms and suites, plus elevators and easy to navigate public spaces.

Academia de ginástica

Acesso gratuito à Internet

Lavanderia

Aceitamos animais de estimação

Piscina

Restaurante no local

Serviço de quarto

Spa

At the Hotel

Access to the lake, gardens with lounging areas, terrace with a fire pit, deck, spa with barrel saunas, library with a chess board, Tokyo bikes and snowshoes to borrow, concierge, charged laundry service, high-speed WiFi. In rooms: 55-inch HDTV with Sonifi streaming, Nespresso machine, bathrobes and slippers.

Our Favourite Rooms

There’s a hint of New England to rooms and suites, with their white walls, hardwood flooring and generally peaceful air. Everything is high-spec, with Waterworks bathrooms, custom furnishings from the Brooklyn Home Company, and artisanal rugs – we especially like the sculptural four-poster beds carved by artist-in-residence Fitzhugh Karol. You’re here for those waterfront views, so choose any room or suite with ‘lake’ in its name – they all have balconies or patios, suites have bath tubs, and the Premium has a working fireplace, too.

Poolside

Swimmers have several options here. You can go wild in the cooling waters of the lake (swimmable in summer), or take the cushtier route of splashing in the hotel’s heated pool (opening times vary depending on the time of year) – it’s right by the waterfront, so you get the same effect, and it’ll pick up the slack when the lake gets too chilly for dips. Choose the former and you’ll find clear waters, leafy borders and vigilant lifeguards; while the latter has a hot tub at its head, bookable soft white day-beds (with SPF, lip balm and beer koozies), and a seasonal bar steps away.

Spa

Nature works as one of Willowbrook Spa’s therapists, after all she’s present in the custom herbal tinctures and massage oils you choose at the start of your session, the relaxation gardens and the botanicals used to revive and restore. Holistic healing takes the form of tailored massages, bodywork to straighten iPhone-slumped spines, amethyst bio-mat energy aligning, CBD pain alleviating, skin smoothing, naturopathic facials, hydro-dermabrasion and mani-pedis. But, the tonic you really need is in the great outdoors, in one of the Nordic-style barrel saunas, that blinker you to everything else but soothing lake scenes. And the hotel gym has all you need for a full work-out, including treadmills, ellipticals, streamed exercises and Peloton bikes.

Packing Tips

Pack seasonally. In summer, you’ll need all the swim gear and any boating attire, plus trusty trail boots. In winter bring skates if you have them, ski pants and boots, and all the layers. Year-round, you’ll need something stretchy for yoga classes.

Also

The lake makes a very picturesque wedding backdrop – and you could make an entrance via speedboat…

Crianças

Very welcome, the Lake House is built for quality time, and swim-or skate-confident kids will have plenty to occupy them.

Galeria

Food & Drink

Top Table

Haul the Sand Bar’s five-beer bucket out to the pairs of Adirondack chairs on their lake deck; after dark, when the fire pits are lit, ask for a s’mores kit. Or picnic in the gardens.

Dress code

Dress for the sailboat you want to own.

Hotel Restaurant

Get your teeth into all the farms, dairies and orchards of the fertile Finger Lakes region – or at least their superior produce. The Rose Tavern has a seafaring-barn feel, with its Hague blue, corrugated-metal panels and white wood vaulted ceiling. There’s a long bar, cosy wood booths and cushioned banquettes. And a large window into the kitchen lets you see chefs fuss over the steaks, lamb racks, Berkshire pork chops and shoyu-glazed hamachi on the wood-fired hearth’s grill, and dabble in deliciousness; say, the house sausage with goat’s cheese and pumpkin on poblano cornbread; salmon with farro, figs and pepperonata; and spiced coffee cake with roasted apples and chai cream. Morning-ish people can enjoy burritos and maple créme anglaise-drizzled French toast at breakfast, and hot-honied biscuits and gravy, or waffles with lemon curd and espresso streusel at Sunday brunch. More casual eatery the Sand Bar is a sophisticated salty dog, with its white wood beams and boat hanging from the ceiling. Stop here for a frosty Three Heads’ IPA or toasty hot toddy, and more classic bites: mignonette-sloshed oysters, clam chowder, lobster rolls and crab cakes.

Hotel Bar

The Library Bar is the hotel’s dedicated drinking den. Written-word connoisseurs will love the books and leather sofas, and those of wine, whiskey and more will love the themed tastings. Experts hone in on global appellations; crack open crates from Young Lion, Frequentem and more local breweries; measure out shots of whiskey from Utah’s High West or Casa Noble tequila; and deep dive into a city’s cocktail history. In fact, Constellation, the family-run hotel owners, have a bit of a past with the drink – from humble beginnings as a sacramental and kosher wine producer in Prohibition-era New York, to a beer, wine and spirits superbrand – so they’re reliable for exciting rounds, whether you’re on the chilled Finger Lakes riesling, cult small-batch beer or cider, or the surprisingly cheesy house martini (served with a wedge of manchego and blue-cheese-stuffed olive). And, in season, the Pool Hut bar serves post-swim sippers.

Last Orders

Breakfast in the Rose Tavern is from 7am to 10.30am, lunch from noon to 2.30pm, and Sunday brunch from 7am to 2pm. Dinner starts at 5pm and finishes at 10pm, Monday to Thursday; 11pm Friday to Saturday, and 9pm Sunday.

Room Service

Want to wake up to waffles? Have your own cheese and charcuterie platter party? Munch midnight chips and dip? The room service menu runs through the day and night (with a limited late menu).

Planes

The closest airports are Rochester and Syracuse, both around an hour’s drive away (transfers can be arranged for $100 each way), and Buffalo is just under two hours away by car. However these only serve domestic travellers, so if you’re arriving from further afield, you’ll need to transfer from JFK, LaGuardia or Newark. By plane, the journey’s about 90 minutes to Rochester, or you could road trip it if you have five hours to spare – you’ll see lots of tree-furred scenery along the way.

Trains

Amtrak trains stop at both Rochester or Syracuse, on a route that links up with Buffalo, Boston and New York. Transfers can be arranged for $100 each way.

Automobiles

New York State is the polar opposite of New York City, with no subway, few taxis and journeys by foot that tend to ramble on for miles (by choice). So, you’ll need a car for exploring Canandaigua’s sister lakes and the intrigues surrounding them. There’s free parking and valet parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

The Finger Lakes is a fitting name for the group of slender bodies of water in Upstate New York’s wilder west (between Rochester and Syracuse), even if there are 11 in total. Alongside the lacustrine beauty, there’s greenery galore (all the fierier for leaf-peeping come fall), prestigious colleges (including Ivy Leaguer Cornell), and dozens of top wineries. But first, start your day serenely with yoga, meditation or gentle stretching, which should clear your mind enough for itinerary-planning. What you do here is largely weather-dependent; in summer, Lake Canandaigua is a watery wonderland for wild swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding through Canandaigua Sailboarding, or hiring out a pontoon or speedboat for two hours at a time (half- and full-day bookings available too) through house partners Seager Marine (with picnic lunches included); you can also sail out to see the foliage when it turns hue or take a guided sunset cruise where you’ll learn about the native Iroquois tribes and the plutocrats who built the area’s mansions. Sunbathe on beachy banks (Kershaw Park is prettily landscaped); try your hand at beekeeping at a local farm; wander the historic pier, lined with quaint clapboard cabins; or go on a floral odyssey through Sonnenberg Gardens’ globally inspired green spaces, lushly planted greenhouses, Roman baths and mansion house. For an adrenaline hit, Bristol Mountain has aerial adventures and ziplines, while in winter, its snow-coated slopes are wintersports heaven with 1,200 vertical drops for all levels. The lake freezes over in cooler months, so you can skate across; there are snowshoes to borrow onsite so trails through the diverse terrain aren’t limited to summer (aside from those by bike) – trek through gorges, or drive to Cumming Nature Center to shuffle into tree clusters, browse their science museum, and catch a planetarium show. The Lake House gets all the cosier too: ‘class with a glass’ sessions let you get crafty and drink (say, whiskey while you burn patterns into wood or jewellery-making with wine); at ‘tea and apothecary’ mix essential oils while tucking into cakes and finger sandwiches; listen to live music and get prizes at the trivia nights and après-ski parties in the Sand Bar; and get to know the locals, drink in an ice bar and watch fireworks at January’s Winter Carnival. Year-round, you can shop along Main Street, play and ride at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, or take cookery classes at the New York Kitchen next door.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .