The Spencer Hotel & Spa 25 Palestine Avenue, Chautauqua, NY 14722

"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!"

"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."

"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!"

"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."

"We had the room from hell and I took pictures to prove it. Dirty stained carpet, cramped, headboard wasn’t attached to the bed frame, horrible shower, no temperature controls—I could go on. Breakfast was okay some mornings, the muffins were good. Other mornings we were served Pillsbury roll-up croissants that were burned on the bottom, and one morning th milk for coffee was curdled. Okay so lousy room. A lousy room that they had the nerve to charge us $2,600 for a week! That’s right. $2,600 for the room from hell. Two stars for the location."