Ithaca lodging suggestions?
December 25, 2018 5:43 PM Subscribe
Where should I stay in Ithaca in winter?
Planning to go to Ithaca for a weekend in mid-February, and I’m looking for pleasant places to stay. Priorities: pretty nice (up to $200/night), nice tub or jacuzzi, and an indoor pool would be a treat. Going to a show in town that night, prefer not to drive out a very long way after.
Is staying in town worth the seemingly higher cost? I’ve only been in summer when it’s fun to wander.
Planning to go to Ithaca for a weekend in mid-February, and I’m looking for pleasant places to stay. Priorities: pretty nice (up to $200/night), nice tub or jacuzzi, and an indoor pool would be a treat. Going to a show in town that night, prefer not to drive out a very long way after.
Is staying in town worth the seemingly higher cost? I’ve only been in summer when it’s fun to wander.
Best answer: If you're seeing a show right downtown at the State or the Kitchen Theatre, then staying near the Commons will make your experience better. This is especially true in February when it's cold; you'll appreciate the quick walk to bars & restaurants all the more. Your Commons-area hotel options are:
- Argos Inn - beautifully renovated historic building with a hip bar downstairs and only a handful of rooms upstairs. No pool, but I believe some of the rooms have tubs -- you'll probably want to check out the specific room descriptions on their website to pick a room that suits. Because of the bar, some specific rooms can get a bit loud -- it's noted in their room descriptions & worth paying attention to if you're an early-to-bed type.
- The Marriott and the Hilton Garden Inn. Similar middle-of-the-road quality & equally convenient locations. They each probably have some rooms with jacuzzis. I don't think the Marriott has a pool; the Hilton has a pool but it's currently closed for renovations.
- Hotel Ithaca - it's perfectly nice and it's the only downtown hotel that currently has a pool. That said, they're currently building a new wing and the construction is rather loud. That might not matter if you're going to be there on the weekend, though.
- All manner of B&Bs, both traditional and AirBnB. This doesn't sound like what you're looking for, though -- some of them are really lovely and unique, but I don't think they're likely to have amenities like those you describe.
If your show is at a venue farther from the Commons -- like the Haunt, the Hangar Theatre, or anything that's not easily walkable from downtown -- then it really doesn't matter if you stay at one of the more expensive downtown hotels, since you're going to have to drive to and from your venue anyway. In this case, you can look at any of the hotels in the area to see what has the amenities you want at a price and location you like. Some only-in-Ithaca options you might want to consider:
- La Tourelle, a quirky luxury hotel with an on-site spa and a few very unique rooms in addition to their normal rooms. Since it'll be the off-season, you should be able to get a decent price.
- New Park Retreat Center is like a posh hotel + quirky art installation + Hobbiton. I've never seen anything else quite like it.
posted by ourobouros at 6:20 AM on December 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
- Argos Inn - beautifully renovated historic building with a hip bar downstairs and only a handful of rooms upstairs. No pool, but I believe some of the rooms have tubs -- you'll probably want to check out the specific room descriptions on their website to pick a room that suits. Because of the bar, some specific rooms can get a bit loud -- it's noted in their room descriptions & worth paying attention to if you're an early-to-bed type.
- The Marriott and the Hilton Garden Inn. Similar middle-of-the-road quality & equally convenient locations. They each probably have some rooms with jacuzzis. I don't think the Marriott has a pool; the Hilton has a pool but it's currently closed for renovations.
- Hotel Ithaca - it's perfectly nice and it's the only downtown hotel that currently has a pool. That said, they're currently building a new wing and the construction is rather loud. That might not matter if you're going to be there on the weekend, though.
- All manner of B&Bs, both traditional and AirBnB. This doesn't sound like what you're looking for, though -- some of them are really lovely and unique, but I don't think they're likely to have amenities like those you describe.
If your show is at a venue farther from the Commons -- like the Haunt, the Hangar Theatre, or anything that's not easily walkable from downtown -- then it really doesn't matter if you stay at one of the more expensive downtown hotels, since you're going to have to drive to and from your venue anyway. In this case, you can look at any of the hotels in the area to see what has the amenities you want at a price and location you like. Some only-in-Ithaca options you might want to consider:
- La Tourelle, a quirky luxury hotel with an on-site spa and a few very unique rooms in addition to their normal rooms. Since it'll be the off-season, you should be able to get a decent price.
- New Park Retreat Center is like a posh hotel + quirky art installation + Hobbiton. I've never seen anything else quite like it.
posted by ourobouros at 6:20 AM on December 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Ourobouros, thanks! I had looked at listings for some of these, and was drawn to La Tourelle, so we’ll do that.
posted by Riverine at 5:10 PM on December 26, 2018
posted by Riverine at 5:10 PM on December 26, 2018
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posted by aspersioncast at 7:57 PM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]