The historic Athenaeum Hotel sits grandly on a tree-shaded hill overlooking picturesque Chautauqua Lake on the grounds of the world-renowned Chautauqua Institution in the southwestern corner of New York State. Serving guests in style since 1881, and now listed on the National Historic Register, this Victorian treasure is a full-service hotel appointed to make your stay a relaxing respite. Revisit the lifestyle of a bygone era, where you can stroll on winding brick walks and allow the shade of huge maple trees to swallow your stress. Gingerbread-style cottages, quaint shops, a library, post office and charming gardens nestled together create a living quilt reminiscent of small-town America nearly a century ago. And the Athenaeum Hotel is at the center of it all. The Athenaeum Hotel is known as La Grande Dame of Chautauqua. Built in 1881 at a cost of $125,000, the hotel was restored in 1983 to the tune of $2 million. The restoration ranged from major structural reinforcement to the re-papering of 160 guest rooms with 80 different patterns. All guest rooms now have heat, air conditioning, private bath, and carpeting. The use of many original furnishings helps retain the Victorian ambience. The sitting parlor is filled with white wicker and the veranda overlooking the lake is lined with ladder-back rockers. It is said that the hotel was originally built in 90 days; the restoration took a while longer.

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