Saint Michaels Mission — Attraction in Town of Conesus

Pros: Let’s start with the good stuff: the owner/proprietor was great — just the kind of person you wish owned all haunted hotels. The price was incredibly reasonable, almost suspiciously so (more on that later). The history of the place is fascinating. The surrounding landscape is gorgeous, very peaceful. Extremely dog-friendly, which was a relief, because we all needed emotional support animals by the end. If you decide to stay, know this: the memories will definitely last a lifetime. Some might even follow you home. Thankfully, all the ghosts we encountered were on the friendly side — more Casper vibes, not The Conjuring.

Cons: Okay, now buckle up. This place shouldn’t just fail an inspection — it should qualify as an interactive safety hazard exhibit. Here’s what we experienced:

Fire safety? Not a thing. No smoke detectors, no fire alarms, no extinguishers. Honestly, if a fire broke out, we’d have been alerted by the smell of burning nostalgia. Electricity: Our main group activity became "Find the Breaker Box and Reset the Power" — it replaced board games and bonding time. Aging charm? Try "frozen in time." It feels like the monks moved out and literally nothing has been touched since. It’s a fascinating place to look at, but a terrible one to unpack you belongs in and attempt to sleep. Bedding: We made a quick trip to the local Dollar General (5 star review on that), bought fresh bedding and pillows, and then threw them away like biohazards. Pro tip: don’t lift the sheets and inspect the mattresses — some things are better left unseen. Same goes for the pillows. If you’re feeling brave then ….. , well never mind - just… don’t. Kitchen: The common kitchen was like an episode of “Fridge Nightmares”. Old, dirty, smelly, and filled with abandoned leftovers that looked like they had become some other substance entirely. Pro Tip: just ignore the African Hoofs in the freezer. Locks: Most rooms didn’t have interior locks, so if you’re not into communal paranormal experiences (or spontaneous ghost roommate situations), beware. Bathroom Danger Zone: My shower had four rusty screws sticking out like medieval torture devices. I spent 10 minutes looking for anything to file them down with — came up empty-handed, but at least I didn’t bleed. Cluttered Chaos: The hallways were so packed with antique furniture and assorted knickknacks that they felt like a cross between a museum and a hoarder’s attic. Fire codes? Those died here in 1973. The Smell: Moldy, musty, and just plain tragic. It smelled exactly like you'd expect from the outside: like old wood, forgotten secrets, an old Catholic school and poor decisions.

Half our group lasted 15 minutes before they grabbed their bags and ran like they were escaping a Scooby-Doo episode. Unfortunately, they booked the last decent place nearby, so the rest of us had to make the choice: sleep here, or take our chances in the parking lot. In hindsight, the parking lot might’ve been safer.

I was too concerned with keeping my food down while dry heaving so failed to take images of the refrigerator, which I now regret.

The celebratory coffee of surviving the night (which was made in our newly purchased electric tea kettle) in the morning was the best part of the night - please...

I stayed at the Mission for 1 month and had an amazing experience. What makes this place awesome, aside from the natural and peaceful surroundings, is the people!

Korey is the host here and if you interact with him long enough, you'll see that he's someone who loves to make people happy. He went out of his way (such as coming at later hours of the night) to honor a few of my requests for the room.

This is not a 5-star hotel as maybe some people mistakenly expected, it's an older building that is cleaned after every single guest leaves. It's a great price for what you get and the Community in the area were so friendly and immediately show they care for you as a human first.

I already miss it here as my room was beautiful, large, and only needed a quick dusting and vacuuming which is perfectly reasonable for the size and age of the building/property.

Stay here for the history, museum, entertainment, beautiful surroundings (Fire Pit Night was fun and relaxing), great price, and for the people!

For any Dog Lovers like myself, it's also really pet friendly, and my dog enjoyed socializing with and meeting all of the people and other animals.

Thank you so much Korey for treating us like we were family, and for giving us an affordable price and experience we will never forget.

Will definitely...

My family and I booked a two-night stay at St. Michael’s Mission in early August. While the photos and listing emphasize historic architecture, tranquil surroundings, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the reality fell short. Despite its storied appeal and a seemingly solid average rating, half our group refused to stay even one night. Those that stayed didn't have a choice and chose the long trek home the next day over staying that second night. I'll try to distill what is "wrong" with the Mission without posting a book here. Overall, the place needs a real investment of time and money to make it close to "livable". Mattresses are stained and old, paint is chipped and flaking in most rooms, linens and pillows are despicable (we ran to Dollar General and bought new, then left it). There is a general smell of mold and weed which really peaks on the first floor and only slightly diminishes on the second and third floor. Any charm is overshadowed by the general creepiness of the surrounding unkempt grounds and disgusting shared kitchens and bathrooms. It baffles me that there are any positive reviews. The reality is, your stay will be memorable, for all the wrong reasons. Picture a sleepless night filled with the leadup to every horror story you've...