Admiral Peabody's Lakeside Lodging — Hotel in Town of Reading

We stayed here in mid-May 2022 as a Finger Lakes getaway on our 25th wedding anniversary. This was a great place to use as a "base camp" for several days of Finger Lakes excursions. The location is perfect! You're close to the village of Watkins Glen for daily needs, and the rest of the region is easily accessible.

As for the lodging itself, we loved it. We stayed in the Lieutenant's Quarters, which I would recommend for any couples who plan to spend a bit of time lounging about. The cabin is cozy and yet roomy, nicely decorated (nautical theme, naturally), with a large front porch. There's even a grill you can use with all the utensils provided; we ended up buying meat locally two of our four nights for dinners in. We weren't in love with the coffee or the drip machine, but this is undoubtedly because we're kind of coffee snobs who can be a bit particular about that sort of thing. Not remotely a deal-breaker. My only main quibble with the cabin is that there is only one air conditioning unit, which is in the main living room. Our first night there was a bit on the warm and muggy side, and the bedroom never really cooled to our preferred comfort level. Subsequent nights (cooler, less humid) were lovely with windows open. Also, the bathroom could use an exhaust fan.

The view of the lake is obscured a bit from the Lieutenant's Quarters by the larger house on the property just downslope, but you still have beautiful sightlines of the water. Access to the water itself involves crossing a street (not much traffic), descending a long flight of stairs, crossing railroad tracks (which ARE in use for the salt mine a mile up the road), and then descending another flight of stairs. None of this is difficult, but bear in mind if easy and quick access to the water is something you want or need from your FLX lodging choice. This is NOT a "wake up and walk right out onto a beach" place. It IS a "wake up and watch the boats" place, though!

While we were there we had a minor plumbing issue in the cabin, which the owners dealt with very quickly. Other than that there were no hassles or difficulties at all. The street is a quiet one, and while the railroad tracks ARE in use, there was only a single train that we heard while we were there.

Not only would I not hesitate to stay here again, I'm already thinking about when we can...

Last week myself, my husband and our pup found ourselves unexpectedly stranded in Watkins Glen with a broken down camper van. We were pretty worried about finding a place to stay that wouldn't break the bank and would allow our doggie. We checked out a bunch of places with no luck. Either the hotel was too expensive, not dog friendly, farther out of town or not the cleanest looking. The concierge at another hotel gave us a tip about Admiral Peabody's (which didn't even come up on our searches.) Let me tell you, we majorly lucked out with Admiral Peabody's in Watkins Glen! This lakeside gem was a serious score on so many levels. First, a huge thank you to Luke, the owner of this establishment. Luke was tremendously kind and accommodating. He is also a really interesting guy so if you get the chance, chat him up! We stayed in the Commander's Quarters which was very comfortable and clean, a 2 bedroom suite with a view of Seneca Lake. We even had a little deck outside of our room with a BBQ and table. Not to mention dreamy pillows, cute soaps in the bathroom and COFFEE!! In addition to the amazing digs, Admiral Peabody's also has a private dock right on the lake with chairs, tables and blue tooth ready music system. We loved listening to our tunes while eating dinner on the dock watching the soft sunsets. It is worth mentioning, it is very doable to walk from Admiral Peabody's to the main street of town. Our misfortune of the van breakdown was completely turned around by this place and it turned into a memorable little vacation. We already want to go back! Watkins Glen is a neat town with lots of happenings. If you are looking for a great place to stay on the lake or an alternative to a stuffy/sterile feeling hotel, seriously check this place out! I recommend them 100%.

Also, dog friendly town tips, there is a dog friendly BBQ place on N. Franklin. The park down by the top of the lake by the Village Marina is dog friendly. (I think you can eat with your pup outside there also.) The Thai restaurant between N. Franklin and Decatur on East 4th Street pleasantly surprised us! Food was yummy and they are BYOB if you picked up a bottle on a wine tour! We also enjoyed a meal in Lafayette under the gazebo. Pro tip - there are power outlets if you need to charge your phone...

I'm so glad we decided to stay here based on the excellent reviews. I'm a Marriott Gold member and hesitate to stay anywhere else especially privately owned...have been burned a few times. This place was fantastic. All of the units seem nice and people were really happy. We were only a couple but decided to stay in the Admiral's Quarters three bedroom house for the space and view. First, it's completely updated, nicely decorated, and clean. The kitchen had everything. They provide lots of towels and extra paper goods...and if you need any extra they say go to the office and help yourself...or call them. Parking was plentiful we had 2 cars. The view was amazing and wrap around deck was huge...pictures don't do it justice. Luke is the most responsive owner I've ever met. He answers emails and calls immediately. His wife was so nice and cleans the places...I saw her working hard cleaning outside window sills...no kidding. Most people I talked to return each year...and Luke is holding our 3 day weekend for us next year. Best of all pet friendly and no pet fee! Luke and his wife were so friendly to us and our dog. Their instruction notebook including everything...restaurants, those that deliver, those that are pet friendly, things to do. They had beer glasses frosted in the freezer. I could go on and on...so many touches and extra effort you normally don't get. I still love Marriotts...but will always stay at Admiral Peabody's in Watkins Glen. Oh they have a dock and you can swim. One last note...I left my computer glasses and asked if the could look for them and mail them and charge us. They found them, mailed them and I had within 48 hours...no charge. Who does that? Thanks for the outstanding stay and see...