The Lake House on Canandaigua — Hotel in City of Canandaigua

Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the area. The highs heavily outweigh the lows. || The staff was phenomenal everywhere we went. From the moment you pull up to the front door, to the moment you walk out it, the staff are there to assist with a smile. Sparkling wine is offered at check-in. They can shuttle you, at no cost, downtown for an afternoon of shopping or an evening out. ||The grounds were beautiful and impeccably maintained. Just strolling around the property brought a sense of peace and relaxation. The rooms on the other hand were extremely "blah". We had a lakefront king with balcony overlooking the pool. The room feels very sterile and cold. I hate LVP flooring so that was an immediate turn off. The furnishings look like they came from Wayfair. The lighting is terrible. The main room light is directly over the bed and is way to harsh. It feels like your laying down on the surgery table lol. The mattress was too soft for us but that is subjective. The full length mirror is in a poor location. The walls are pretty thin. Thankfully it's not too noisy a resort. The bathroom is nice. Shower pressure is great and no concerns of hot water. If I had gone in the winter and was forced to spend more time in the room I would not have enjoyed it as much. It did not bother my wife as much but it just felt cheap to me. ||The pool is nice but there are not enough lounge chairs for the summer months. This can easily be changed. There are too many tables that should be loungers. 90% of the people at the tables were there for the pool experience and not to dine. Sadly, it is a pool where you have to get up early and throw your crap on a chair to save it because they're gone by 11:00. The pool service was good as well. The food was actually above average for pool food in our opinion.||The food and drink on the grounds are just fine. Nothing was exceptional but we were not expecting it to be. The employees at the dining options were great though. I will say our favorite part of the dining experience was sitting outside at the Sand Bar around the fire pit while live music was playing. The servers were very attentive to guests in the area. ||We were only there for 2.5 days so we did not do many activities. We did have a sauna experience. It was fantastic. Helped us rejuvenate after a night on the town. We knew going in that 20% was added for service. I do not think that is fair for the sauna. I would have tipped for sure because the host was nice, but she did nothing but tell us "15 minutes in and then cold shower, repeat". Considering it's $200 for the experience I am not quite sure that $40 is earned for not offering any service. Every other spa service I completely agree with the included fee.||We rented a boat. What they do not market is the fact you can rent hourly. We did not want a half or full day, we just wanted a joyride to see the sights and enjoy the weather. The kids working were happy to rent to us for 2 hours. They stocked a cooler with ice and sent us on our way. You can bring your own food and beverage contrary to what it says on the website. The little "speed" boat was perfect. With my wife and I aboard it would top at 35mph. ||As far as value goes that is subjective. We paid for 1:00 check in and out, upgraded after booking to a lake front room with balcony, the spa, the boat and food and drinks for 2.5 days and our total was about $2400. I was comfortable with that. It's basically the cost of a luxury Caribbean all...

Can’t wait to return - wonderful stay in a beautiful town with kind people and stunning scenery. Very clean place, and the staff were delightful people. This is a lovely resort right on the lake with lots of amenities and a beautiful view. The entire resort still feels very new and all of the furniture and amenities were very clean and top-notch. There were only a few points of improvement from our stay which included the blinds missing from the door to the balcony (the reel for the blinds was present, but the blackout fabric seemed to have been removed). The only coverage present for the window was a thin curtain that did very little of keeping any light out. We did bring this up kindly to the front desk attendant twice: once in the morning and once again in the late afternoon, yet no action was ever taken. You may notice that the hotel advertises the pool being heated, however the pool is freezing cold. I witnessed many people from all over, including northern states like New York, only willing to dip their toes into the water because it was so unbelievably cold. They simply went to the hot tub to warm their toes after dipping them in the pool. I will say, to have such small notes be the only ‘drawbacks’ to the stay only shows how impeccably the hotel was run. The staff are incredibly kind and professional, including support staff like the gardener John who took time in multiple instances while we were there to talk about the different plants and flowers in the garden and explain how he maintains the various flowerbeds. Another pleasant part of the stay is simply that there was housekeeping service every single day and it wasn’t just to pick up wet towels. Housekeeping seems to have changed sheets at least once while we were there for four nights, straightened up the room, cleaned the bathroom, restocked toiletries, and left plenty of towels and washcloths every single time. In the age of post-Covid, very few hotels are willing to even pick up towels without being asked, yet the staff at the Lake House went above and beyond to make sure that the room was fresh at all times. There were many tiny things that made the stay special including every night having smore‘s kits to be able to make by the fire, and the staff kept all fire pits lit every evening. They gave us a baby onesie upon arrival in lieu of an alcoholic drink since my wife is pregnant (and thus not drinking). Upon checkout they provided a cute piece of maple candy. However, be sure to use the free coffee in the room and do not assume the morning coffee in the library is complementary. It happens to be good but rather expensive. For example, I spent over $10 for one chocolate croissant and a small black coffee. Needless to say, I saved money by going to Tim Hortons and getting coffee for the rest of my stay. We booked the Woodsview room with a king bed. If you are looking at booking the room, my feedback is that it is a great room, with a small chance of being able to view an inlet of the lake. After all, it’s a woods view room, so it wasn’t any surprise that there was not a lake view. It may be less enticing during a wintertime stay when the leaves have fallen. The woods view rooms seem to all be in the North Cottage, which is 2 buildings over from the main building, yet quite convenient to everywhere on property. Photos attached just show how cute the room is and what the view looks like. Photo of an illustration card given to us by the resort is included as well to show...

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Vistage retreat at The Lake House on Canandaigua, and I must say, the experience exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with stunning views of Canandaigua Lake and impeccable service that set the tone for the entire stay.

Our first day was blessed with beautiful weather, and we made the most of it by booking a boat tour around the lake with a group of about nine of us. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was the perfect way to kick off the retreat. That evening, we gathered to prepare for the work ahead, and our director, Jim, did an excellent job setting up the night’s dinner in the Rose Tavern. The ambiance in the Rose Room was elegant, and the meal was a delightful farm-to-table experience that showcased the best of what the Finger Lakes region has to offer.

The next day, we settled into an all-day meeting with a conference room that had spectacular views of the lake. The accommodations were top-notch, with excellent AV support and a breakfast spread that kept everyone energized throughout the day. The attention to detail in both the food and the meeting setup made for a highly productive and enjoyable workday.

For dinner that evening, we initially had reservations at a local restaurant in town but decided to switch things up based on a couple of local recommendations. We opted to dine at The Sand Bar, one of the resort’s restaurants, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. The atmosphere by the dock and water was unique and cozy, and the higher-end pub fare was exactly what we needed after a full day. It’s definitely a spot I’d recommend for anyone staying at the resort.

Throughout the entire retreat, the service at The Lake House was exceptional. The staff went above and beyond, opening doors for us, offering help at every turn, and ensuring that our stay was as seamless as possible. Even on windier, cooler days, the heated pool and hot tub were inviting. I learned they keep the pool heated to at least 90 degrees, and it’s even open during the winter months—something I’m definitely curious to try on a future visit.

Later in the weekend, my wife joined me for the remainder of the stay. While the spa was pretty booked due to two weddings taking place, we still managed to enjoy other aspects of the resort. We made use of the gym facilities, which, though small, were more than enough to get our day started. Late in the season, there were fewer water sports available, but I imagine that in the summer, the options would add another layer of fun to the experience. There was also a complimentary 8 AM yoga class, as well as s’mores kits to roast by the fire at night—charming little touches that really made the stay special.

Overall, every aspect of our experience at The Lake House was thoughtfully addressed, and the staff truly made it a memorable retreat. Whether you’re looking for a place to work or simply to unwind, The Lake House on Canandaigua offers the perfect blend of luxury and relaxation. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re in need of a peaceful night away...