Thanks to the Harbor Hotel Collection for sponsoring the room and meals for this two night trip. All thoughts are my own.

Welcome to the second adventure of our Empire State Road trip! If you have been following along, you know that my sister and I spent some time in the 1000 Thousands area for a two night stay at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel. 

After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, we decided it was time to "hit the road" for our second installment of our road trip. Jumping on New York's Interstate 90 (beware, this is a toll road), we headed north for Chautauqua. 

As the lovely driver made her way through the 5-hour trek, I longingly stared out the window at all the road signs we passed by. Decently close to Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and even the Finger Lakes district (hosting the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, found in Glen, NY), I realized there is so much depth and width to New York that it's impossible to cover in just one road trip! 

Yet, our destination was not on any of those road signs, as we were headed for the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron. 

Located on the Chautauqua Lake, this hotel is actually a min-resort! Sitting on the banks of an old amusement park site, it boosts a nod towards its history with a pier, indoor photos, and fun games! The Celoron Amusement Park opened its doors in 1894, paving the way for over 500,000 people to visit its attractions, including an onsite zoo, three carosels, and even a swing ride that took passengers over the water.

Many of the hotel's fixtures stay rooted in the property's deep history, including notable figures such as Tommy Dorsey and Babe Ruth. 

The park right next to the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

The hotel also rests next to a local park, named for Lucille Ball, as her family ties are connected to both Celoron and Jamestown. While her childhood home is in Celoron, it is not open to the public. A museum highlighting her and Desi Arnaz's marriage and career is found in Jamestown, though.

The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel is the perfect place for families to come and play all year! Close to Jamestown's comedy museums, Panama Rocks, and more recreational outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, and hiking; this resort offers both internal and external attractions that will invite and delight all guests to relax and enjoy their stay. 

The lobby area in the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

Greeted with a large lobby that boosts ample seating for relaxations, conversation, and waiting for your party, the hotel's theme highlights its history with photos and features showcasing past amusement park decades. 

The indoor bar with dining room, indoor pool, and a fitness center are all centered around the lobby, with a small exhibit on the National Comedy museum, one of the local attractions in Jamestown. 

We were impressed that the front desk and bell services were extremely quick, polite, and willing to assist with luggage, if needed, even at a busy check-in session. 

The indoor bar of the Lake House Tap & Grille of the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

As one walks out the lobby doors to the outer yard along the lake;  the outdoor pool, a mini putt-putt course, abundant seating (both dining and for pleasure), and of course, their popular Carousel Bar with live music is all available. 

The Carousel Bar is open seasonally and invites guests to relax, grab a pizza, and listen to either music. Several live selections are offered on a weekly basis, weather pending. This is located at the edge of the property, connected via an island, that was once a popular ride called the Swing Ride, with the Phoenix Wheel nearby as well. 

The outdoor Carousel Bar of the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, located on the sunset pier.

The bar plays homage towards the Carousel that used to rest on the property, with horses, music, and a footbridge to connect a small island to the main location. The amusement park had all sorts of rides that are incorporated into the design and decor of the current property! 

The Carousel Bar also offers an outdoor pizza option, giving a second dining option for families who may not wish to utilize the onsite dining restaurant. 

Two firepits are available for relaxation while watching sunset and having a drink.

Two fire pits are also situated along the walkway, which expands the length of the 1100 sq feet of property along the Chautauqua Lake. 

The Lucille Ball Park is located immediately beside the hotel's property, as the pieces once connected together for the Amusement Park. With a nice jungle gym, walking track, and ball field, this is a great option for families needing extra space for play! 

There are also picnic tables and grills available in case one doesn't want to dine in the hotel's restaurant or grab other local options. 

Sunset on Chautaqua Lake.

Balcony view from the third floor of the Chautaqua Harbor Hotel.

The 135 deluxe guest rooms and suites of this property include various views from the front and back of the hotel, but if you really wishing to enjoy your vacation, be sure to book a room with a balcony view of the lake. Note only can you listen to the live music from your balcony without being in the crowd, you have a birds eye view of the lake and all her majesty. We really enjoyed our balcony view and wished we could have stayed longer to linger, read, and enjoy the free morning starbucks coffee. 

Balcony views provide opportunities for exquisite sunsets, people viewing, or even keeping an eye on your older kids if they have ventured out of the room. 

Outdoor Balcony with two chairs and a table. Perfect for cooler evenings and lazy mornings!

Our room with two queens included much of the same amenities as the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, but this added bonus included a balcony view of the lake. 

Amenities included toiletries & hair dryer, plush bedding, an in-room fridge, and provided shelving/ vanity table spacing. Bottled water was placed in the room, but at a fee, so be sure to look for those note cards before drinking.

We did receive a Harbor Hotel snack package though, that you may wish to inquire about if you plan to stay at two or more of the Harbor properties. I'm not quite sure how long this road trip package extends, so be sure to ask the concierge or front desk upon arrival if you visit this summer!

An indoor sitting chair aids relaxation while in your hotel room.

Along with a table and chairs, a sitting chair was placed in the corner against the balcony. The balcony held two chairs and a small table outdoors. 

The small table is perfect for room service.. or bringing up all your shopping packages you don't want to leave in your car!

Who doesn't love turndown service, with chocolate?

Turn-down evening service occurred during one of our evenings, providing chocolates, light jazz, and drawn curtains along with physically turning down the beds sheets. A lovely gesture provided by the hotel, this made returning to the room after an evening walk comfortable as it set the tone to get ready for bed. 

Two queen beds provided much-needed nightly rest. I loved the pillows!

The bedding, as I stated, was plush, fluffy, and generally a melt-into-the pillow atmosphere. 

I've often struggled with hotel pillows, trying to get situated in the right way, as the firmness may be different from what my body is used to, but I had no trouble falling into dreamland with the Harbor Hotel's bedding collection!

An indoor fridge is helpful to store drinks and snacks.

As with the others in the collection, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel does not provide in-room coffee makers or microwaves, yet provides coffee daily at the elevators. 

Provided robes, while not to keep, are available for purchase if desired.

Comfy bathrobes are also provided so that one can pick up their coffee and take it back to the room to enjoy on the balcony. 

Indoor seating options overlooking the lake provide extra space in case other family members are asleep or resting in your room.

I also noted that this hotel has more spaces for one to gather outside the room. Seating areas facing the lake are located on most floors, there are more areas in the lobby for gathering, and of course to enjoy the beautiful weather outside as well. 

As with our hotel at 1000 Islands, this hotel also had plentiful outlets to charge devices, both via  USBC and bricks. Hotels that have upgraded their plug-ins to include more is always a plus in my book.

 Needing to charge phones, kindles, power banks, laptops, and more ..for more than one person.. can often eat the many plugs in the room. 

Along with our two nights stay in our double queen room, we also ate at the Lake House Tap & Grille for two breakfasts and two dinners, opting to spend all our meals outdoors as the weather was so lovely!

Steak and veggies!

Desserts were rich and filling.

Breakfast portions were large!

The dining area was quiet in the mornings but filled with laughter and conversation during the evenings!

The outdoor dining was much more casual than indoors and provided great views of the lake with musical selections from either a radio or the singers at the end of the pier. 

At the end of your meal, take an evening stroll along the boardwalk and listen to music that might be occurring at the pavillion. 

Blueberry Creamcheese French Toast is definitely a vacation indulgence.

Appetizers to share are plentiful and filling for the entire table!

This caprese actually was part of my main meal. Mozzarella and balsamic vinegar, yum!

Want something light? Several salads with protein options are available too!

Not a drinker? Never fear, because the bartender can turn almost any drink into a mocktail, like this raspberry beauty.

Chef's specials are always fun to try! BBQ with Cheese and tater tots. Yum!

While the main dining menu held the same meal selections as the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, the chef did have daily specials that we tried at one of our meals. 

I will also say that our servers and the chef were also accommodating in unexpected ways too, as one night I really wanted a burger, and the chef was able to make it happen. 

I ate the hamburger without taking a picture, so this is a plate of my devoured burger :)

That's not always the case, but the fact that we asked, and they said yes, ultimately did make my day! (Burgers are on their lunch menu but not dinner, and had also been used as part of a special the night before, so I ultimately was lucky in my request).   

This hotel also has room service available, with to-go breakfast options just as the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel offered, but it also has one amazing perk for those of us late night munchers: 24 Hr Room Service!

Not too many hotels offer room service anymore, let alone all night service! Of course, after hours the menu is more limited, but when those late night cravings take over, there is a way to feed the hungry beast so you don't turn into a Snickers commericial! 

The front lobby and elevator areas are inviting, and beautifully decorated.

Front desk staff and concierge are willing to help you with your needs, including turn down services, trip and dining suggestions, and event planning. 

We spoke about the local attractions, opportunities for boat rentals, and even how the resort hosts bus tours! (In fact, one was visiting while we were there). 

The outdoor heated pool also provides great recreation and enjoyment after a day exploring! 

The outdoor pool (and there is also an indoor pool too)

Our tour of the property included seeing the ballroom and event spaces, and they are plentiful, making this a perfect destination for year round events! From corporate/ company outings to weddings, this venue is perfect for families of all ages. 

For those of you wondering about your next wedding, anniversary, family birthday party, the resort's spacious 10,000 sq ft of conference and ballroom space should be enough to get you by! There are larger and smaller rooms, depending on your event needs as well. 

A ballroom being set up for a special event.

The pools and entertainment provide enough onsite activities for both children and adults, but also the local park provides a second opportunity to get the wiggles out after spending hours cooped in a car on your road trip!

Two pools (one indoors, one outdoors), a fitness center, putt-putt, fire pits, dining, green lawn space, and more are all available at the Chautaqua Harbor Hotel! 

Putt Putt, Firepits, and event spaces are shown in this photo.

One of the best parts about road tripping with the Harbor Hotel Collection is that while each hotel is designed with its own theme in mind, the hotels are pretty consistent with their amenities and services.

I must admit, I did quite enjoy the amenities and recreation more at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel and it probably was my favorite of the two properties. In some ways, they are alike, but each is totally different. 

Chautauqua felt a lot more vibrant, but there were more families with children around due to an incoming conference. The music was lively, people were talkative and milling about, and there was a summer vibe feeling going on.

At 1000 Thousand Islands hotel, it was a tad bit quiet. Less children, less families, more older couples vacationing in their own unique ways. Being told it was not quite high season yet, I am sure that the hote will quickly bounce to life in the upcoming month. 

Having to say goodbye to the beautiful Chautauqua Harbor Hotel was quite sad. I wish we had more time to explore the lake!

No matter which location you choose, you can't go wrong with a Harbor Hotel property. Choose the Chautauqua property for its outdoor pool, choose the 1000 Islands for it's riverfront adventures, but both contain exquistite amenities that will entice any family, of all ages! We didn't get to visit Watkins Glen, but I am sure it's just as wonderful as the two properties we did visit. 

If you wish to learn more about the Harbor Hotel Collection, plan your own road trip ideas, and see special offers, visit the Harbor Hotel Collections website for more information. Here you can find more about about each region, their attractions, and specifics about each property if I failed to cover something you are dying to learn about! 

A photo of the ride that swung guests over the lake. Not sure this is an attraction that I would want to ride!

The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel has unique exploratative activities nearby, such as the National Comedy Museum and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum found in Jamestown. For more information on these attractions and other travel ideas, check out my next post in the road trip of Empire State! I will also share a small post on our Clayton adventures this week as well! 

For now, be sure to book your own trip to the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel. Even if your summer may almost be over (ahem, southern schools that begin soon), there is still fall and holiday breaks to think about. 

The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel is near skiing and snowshoeing activites, when weather calls for it, has it's own Fire & Ice Festival, and the winery trail heading to Lake Erie has many properties open year round!

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