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March 2024 by Lindsey Brown
Enjoyed my stay! It was private and quiet this time of year and is a fascinating place to see. Management was friendly and very inviting. Being able to explore the institute is also a bonus of staying here, seeing the diffent houses and old building was so fun! Definitely will stay again!
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March 2024 by Brittany Hitchcock
The Spencer is one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed. Very organized with each room having its own separate design. Loved the Jacuzzi tub to just wind down and relax. Breakfast was definitely one of my favorite times of day with their delicious homemade cooking. The dining room is set up so beautifully and they are very welcoming to their guests. LeAnn was a huge help from preparing the room to making sure I was settled, comfortable, and all my needs were met. Helen was such a sweet heart and I loved learning the history of the hotel from her. Richard always makes you laugh and is so down to earth. Hannah is the best hotel mascot! Such a wonderful place right directly in the middle of everything. Highly recommend and cannot wait for my next stay!
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March 2024 by Daphne White
I had booked a two-week stay at the Spencer, because it was the only accommodation available for the weeks I wanted. My stay was so terrible that I left after one week -- and their new manager, who was fired shortly afterward, agreed to refund me the second week because she saw how horrible the conditions were. (The owner then refused to actually give me the refund for the longest time, and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. She finally relented, and I got my money back.)But I digress. I don't know where to start with this inn. It was grand in its day, yes, and could be again. But it is very outdated, and needs significant capital improvements, which the owner clearly refuses to undertake. For example: there are two faucets in the bathroom sink, one for cold water and one for hot, so you can't adjust the temperature. When I arrived, there was a problem with my hot water faucet, which was never fixed (although a housekeeper did barge in with a plumber one day without knocking because she "thought" I was out.) I did have cold water, though, and had to be content with that for a week.There was no shower in my "suite," only a claw foot tub. There was no shower curtain, and only a hand-held shower head. So you had to hold the shower head with one hand while soaping with the other, and trying not to get water on the walls or the floor. Another guest on a lower floor told me there was a lot of water damage on her bathroom ceiling. I can see why.The tiny "kitchen" -- stuck in a narrow hallway outside the bathroom -- had no dish soap or sponge, and only two mugs and two plates. There was a microwave and a mini fridge, but preparing any kind of food was impossible.The elevator was a relic from the 1940s, maybe -- there was an accordion door you had to close yourself, and if you didn't, the elevator wouldn't work. So if someone accidentally left that door open and you were on the fourth floor, you were stuck -- the elevator wasn't coming.I could go on and on. I paid over $350/night for this room, and it wasn't worth a quarter of that. Many other guests who were there that week had similarly horrible experiences, but there were some old-timers who have been coming year after year who still loved it. But if you have any choice in the matter, do yourself a favor and stay anywhere else but here!!!
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March 2024 by Robert Barnes
Was a wonderful place to relax and get away. love the vintage hotel building is 150 years old and full of history.
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February 2024 by Kristen
My husband I truly enjoyed our stay and experience at the Spencer Hotel. Beautifully set in the Chautauqua Institution with a lake and amphitheater view, each room is themed after a famous writer. The inn is filled with historic charm and four floors of porch space to enjoy. The owners are wonderful and we truly enjoyed chatting with them. It would be a lovely setting for an intimate wedding and stay. With year round booking options, everyone should visit and enjoy at least once!Noteworthy details: The inn has always been women owned and run since 1909!
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December 2023 by David Katz
This wouldn't be a terrible hotel if the rooms were $75 in-season. As it is, though, it costs more than the Athenaeum, yet our room didn't have it's own A/C so we sweltered some nights, there was no dresser (only a wardrobe with no drawers), the room was tiny, and the bathroom was minuscule and felt old and dirty. And the breakfast buffet was very limited: oatmeal, a fruit parfait, and a bread pudding most days.Please, stay anywhere else if you can.
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November 2023 by Emily Duckett
The Spencer was the perfect anniversary getaway for my husband and I! The room and building were so charming with beautiful historic and "bookish" touches. In our room, we loved the jacuzzi tub and Spencer robes and in the entryway, we loved the piano open to all to play, and the quaint decor. The staff were so amazing and went above and beyond, home-cooking us breakfast each morning with adorable table decor! Helen's eggs benedict was the best we've ever had! They offered many ideas for things to do on our stay and the owner's husband sat with us during breakfast to help map out our day! The hotel was right behind the amphitheater, less than a two minute walk to the main lawn/spa/bookstore, and to the lake! Love Love Love!
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September 2023 by Carol Meyer
Very pleasant experience in an attractive well maintained historic hotel, charming decor and great fresh-cooked breakfasts. Bedroom has great linens and bath stocked with thick towels. Staff very hospitable.
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September 2023 by Richard Josephson
The actual experience is a far cry from what is presented on the website. The building is in need of serious maintenance and upgrading, the breakfast is nothing like what appears on the website, the windows in the rooms are sealed so there is no way to get fresh air unless you have a door opening to the outside and are willing to leave it open, and there are serious potential safety issues. The one benefit is its proximity to the Chautauqua venues.
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September 2023 by Tamara D.
Let's just say - they have a good photographer and post compelling photos on their website.On the plus side, you can't beat the location. It's a few buildings down from the Amphitheater, so you can enjoy the evening symphony easily from the porch or terrace. Also, the entire staff was kind and helpful. They really tried to accommodate the guests, but there was this sense that these gals were quite fearful of screwing up.On the downside, the room was straightened up, but it didn't feel clean - especially post-pandemic clean. The room we stayed in had 1-1/2 bathrooms - both very small with no room to hold personal belongings. The shower experience was no better than you'd find at a campground. The amenities were cheap and never replenished, so we ended up buying shampoo, conditioner, and body wash at the plaza store.The floor wasn't level, evidenced by our roller bags rolling around on their own. The bed was way too soft and uncomfortable. There was no airflow in the room and there was no way to control the air conditioning. The windows were permanently shut.Despite the Spencer's charm and history, we won't be staying here again.
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August 2023 by RayW1158
Very disappointed. Nice elderly couple run it, but there is no spa in service, and has not been on the Select Registry for some years. Breakfast was a sorry bread pudding almost every morning. The one wine social was an extra charge...for what we paid, it was an insult. About 1 million dollars will bring the building up to snuff...however, no denying it's a great location!
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August 2023 by Q2438XUbillf
Charming B&B and very well-located for all the activities taking place at the Chautauqua Institution! We enjoyed reading on the front porch and meeting other lovely people who were also staying there that week. We already have plans to return next summer!
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August 2023 by 807larainel
We went out of affection but completely disappointed. We had to eat a terrible breakfast (had to go and buy our own cereal) between 8-9am in a hot room with cold porridge (oatmeal?) in teensy weensy bowls, 1 slice of goopy sweet casserole something carefully dished out one slice each. No help at all at check in. Room clean but stifling. Owners vanished all day never answering phones for guests in trouble. Worst of all we had to buy expensive Insurance as the minute you paid (in full) Zero refund not even for death in the family. Now struggling to get refund for two nights. And dinner option withdrawn. Refund? I doubt it.
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August 2023 by Yvonne G.
This hotel shamelessly misrepresents on its website what it is. 1. It is NOT on the Select Registry. The Select Registry confirmed this.2. It does NOT have closets in every room with bathrobes for guests. 3. Our room was NOT furnished with "beautiful antiques." The furniture was at best some yard sale finds that were in very poor condition. 4. There is NO spa. 5. There is NO 3- or 5-night dinner package. 6. The owners and staff are NOT "always available to do everything we can to ensure our guests receive a timely response to their wishes and needs." They leave the reception area unattended most of the day. On Sunday afternoon (8/13/23) arriving guests waited for well over an hour in the reception area before the owner appeared. 7. The hotel did NOT honor the room reservation we made and paid for in full 11 months ago. Instead we were given a room with inferior features (smaller, no balcony) and were offered no refund to compensate for the difference.8. The owners are NOT "committed to providing accurate, up-to-date information to all guests." They are well practiced in the art of "bait and switch."
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July 2023 by nyctart
The bathroom is essentially not usable. It is a closet turned into a make shift bathroom and should not be legal! NOT WORTH THE COST VERY DISSAPPOINTED! The woodhouse room does not come with a usable bathroom
