Hotel Review: The Lake House, Canandaigua

The Lake House in Canandaigua, part of the Finger Lakes region of NY, is a recently renovated hotel right on Canandaigua Lake. My family lives in that general area and while we’ve been to the Sand Bar at the hotel a few times, both pre- and post-renovation, we hadn’t had a chance to stay at the hotel.

On our last visit to NY, we had a few open days and decided it was time to stay at The Lake House. We booked a Wednesday night during the off season, so the rate was a very reasonable $334.83 per night (which is much cheaper than high season and definitely worth it).

Everything was perfect from the moment we arrived. You can

tell that every detail was perfectly curated. For those who have read Elin Hilderbrand’s Hotel Nantucket, this hotel would have received the coveted perfect rating of five keys.

The check in was super easy and quick, and we were given an upgrade. They did call a few days prior to our stay to confirm our reservation, which seems a bit unnecessary in 2022, but otherwise it was a standard yet efficient check in. They also offered a glass of the local Finger Lake’s sparkling wine, which was a nice touch.

The lobby was absolutely gorgeous. There was a section of lake house inspired gifts that really captured the essence of the hotel. The design was bright and earthy, with lots of light and natural woods. The wall of glass doors and windows across from the entrance showcased a beautiful view of Canandaigua Lake. There was also a concierge available in the lobby to assist with any tourist activities (wine tours are very popular) as well as sign you up for all the activities the hotel offers.

In addition to the seating area in the lobby, there were two beautifully appointed rooms off each side of the lobby. One was a common room with tables, couches, and games to play. The other was a little bar that looked like my dream library. It was painted the most beautiful blue color, and the furniture complimented it perfectly. There was a lovely roaring fireplace and the prettiest bar full of the necessary ingredients to make great cocktails. There was also a fully equipped gym, including a Peloton bike.

We were upgraded to a king room with a lake view, and the room was absolutely stunning. It was simple and elegant, spacious but homey, and had a beautiful view of the lake.

The bed was super comfortable and the sheets were so soft. Even the pillows were nice. I find that you can maybe get two of those three at a hotel, but a slam dunk is a rare occasion.

There was a desk under the TV with binder of hotel and local activities. They also had full glass bottles of water and real glasses on the desk.

The coffee area was wonderful. There was a Nespresso machine with the option of espresso or larger cup brew, and real creamer. Very few things annoy me as much as hotels that put powdered creamer in the rooms. No one wants to use that garbage. They didn’t have a tea option but I don’t drink tea so I didn’t care.

There was a luggage rack for my suitcase, which you know is a big deal for me if you’ve read my other hotel reviews. There was a closet with plenty of room if you were lucky enough to stay there long enough to unpack, and soft, comfy robes.

The bathroom was just as gorgeous as the room. The sink was big enough for my stuff while still fitting the minimalistic but chic theme of the room. The shower was very spacious and the water pressure was very aggressive when turned up all the way. I had no issues washing the conditioner out of my hair. There were plenty of towels and towels. The best part was the water closet. I love having the toilet separate from the rest of the bathroom; it makes a bathroom feel much more luxurious. I never use the hotel shampoo and conditioner, but it said it was made for the Lake House, so I gave it a try. I didn’t love it, but it was better than most. The only negative was the blow dryer. It was tiny and barely blew. But I always bring my Dyson and the spa also had a Dyson, so not a big deal.

But hands down, 100%, the best part of the room was the balcony. It was huge, very private, and had two Adirondack chairs and table. Most importantly, it had an amazing view of the spa saunas, the fire tables, and the lake.

There are two outdoor saunas outside of the spa, right on the water. They have a glass wall on the lake side and are so incredibly cute. Each sauna has an outdoor shower and a fire table in between. The saunas were one of the main reasons I wanted to stay here and the experience did not disappoint. It was so amazing that there will be a second blog post just on the sauna coming soon.

We spent the afternoon checking out some of the many restaurants and breweries within walking distance of the Lake House, and ended the night with a bottle of red wine outside at one of the fire tables they had lit. It was slightly chilly, and the red wine and fire made for the perfect cozy end to a great afternoon.

The next morning we had an 8 am appointment for the outdoor sauna at the Willowbrook Spa and let me tell you, it was the absolute perfect way to start the day. The spa was so serene and lovely, and so very well appointed. The sauna was such a unique and delightful treat and I cannot wait to do it again. Stay tuned for the separate post on that.

There was only one little thing that took our stay from perfect to perfect-but was the pest control they did the morning we were checking out. We received a text that they were spraying for bugs but wouldn’t need access to our room. I thought that was a little weird because I wasn’t sure how they would access our second floor balcony. I thought maybe they would come after we checked out. The hotel was very low occupancy that night (because it was a Wednesday at the beginning of the off season), so it seemed reasonable that they would do our balcony after our 11 am checkout. At 10:40 am, as we were sitting on the balcony enjoying our last few minutes of the beautiful view of the lake, the maintenance guy came to the door and said they needed to come in to spray the balcony, and we would need to keep the door to the balcony shut for an hour. They wouldn’t wait and come back in 20 minutes when we checked out so we just got our stuff and left a little early. Sure, it was only 20 minutes but we were really enjoying our last few minutes before I had to focus back on my stressful job. I told the person when we checked out but she didn’t seem to care at all that the text info was wrong and that we were inconvenienced.

Despite that very random issue, I will absolutely be back as many times as I can. I want to try all the restaurants and all the spa treatments. I think anyone who is anywhere near the Finger Lakes must plan a trip to The Lake House.