La Tourelle - Ithaca, New York

I have to say, all joking aside , I absolutely loved our hotel, La Tourelle. It made our trip! This is no exaggeration.  The staff bent over backwards to be friendly and helpful. The building was unique and eclectically decorated. Every room had its own decor, none of that franchised look. Our room was in the pet-friendly section and was spotless upon check-in. The floors were tiled which Jimmy and Wilson absolutely loved as the weather was rather muggy, and they could cool their bellies. A dog bed was provided. Even better, our room had its own back door to a small deck and access to the huge back grounds. For the humans, the lobby provided a most delicious coffee, available 24/7. It was so good, we bought a couple of pounds in town to bring home. Even better, everyday at 5 to 6, the hotel provided a complimentary wine happy hour featuring local New York wines. We only managed to be at the hotel in that time span once, but the wines were quite enjoyable. The area is known for their Rieslings. The visiting dogs (on leash, of course!) were welcome to hang out in the lobby with their owners.

Let me show you around.....

The main entrance

Complimentary dog-walker :-)

The room was pleasantly large and we were messy!

The boys, perturbed by the picture taking, want breakfast to be served, Pronto! 

The back of the hotel (which sits on 70! acres of land).
Our room was at the bottom level, left most part of the building.

The gazebo closest to our room

An old barn on the property that actually had a 3-bedroom suite in it.

The Koi pond

A view of the sun setting behind the pond.
 I didn't notice how I had caught just a bit of John
 smoking a cigar until I enlarged the photo. It adds a neat touch.

The hotel each night....

The hotel's trails ran straight into the state park. I'll save those photos for another post.

We usually opt for the least expensive places to stay, our thinking being that we don't spend much time in the room. Why pay more than needed? The room was a bit more expensive than the local Comfort Inn, but in this case, the old adage "you get what you pay for", was so true. It was SO worth the extra, I'd say, $200 or so more (total, not per night!). The ambiance, the grounds, the quality of life for the dogs....all priceless!

If you ever find a reason to visit Ithaca, NY, I highly recommend staying at La Tourelle (Room 100!). It is a lovely experience!