Skip to site content
The Group Travel Leader Going on Faith Select Traveler

Water and wine in the Finger Lakes


By Stu Gallagher, courtesy Finger Lakes Country

Geneva
One lake over, Geneva sits at the top of Seneca Lake. Its Lakefront Park borders the water and as it curves around on the west, it and its walking paths run right up to the 148-room Ramada Geneva Lakefront, renovated last year, with meeting space for groups of 300 and a roomy parking lot that draws a number of car clubs for rallies and gatherings.

The hotel is within a couple of blocks of downtown Geneva, a hillside town with a fair share of small, local restaurants in brick store fronts.

Out Main Street, headed south, the campus of Hobart William Smith College borders the highway.

Not far from downtown, Belhurst Castle began as a private residence in the late 1800s. Its 47 rooms are scattered about the original “castle,” a mansion and a modern inn, which stretch along the lakefront. The inn has its own winery and spa, as well as two ballrooms and small breakout rooms in cozy place like a porch and a library.

Watkins Glen
And to think, the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel was almost built without meeting space. Now the 104-room hotel, sandwiched between a marina on Seneca Lake and downtown Watkins Glen, keeps its 300-person meeting space busy.

It handles corporate meetings, fundraisers, weddings and retreats. In February, one group is tying its meeting to the hotel’s Ice Bar, which raises money for the Red Cross. They’ll get to enjoy the community event, which attracts about 900 people for three nights, and see fireworks over the lake.

“A lot of people want to come here because of the wineries and because of the track (Watkins Glen International),” said Christine Peacock, the hotel’s director of sales. “They’ll have their meeting and meals up at the track and then have pace car rides. And there are 50 wineries within 15 minutes of us.”

There are also boat rides and even meetings on the lake aboard Captain Bill’s boat; within a short walk is perhaps the area’s prettiest gorge at Watkins Glen State Park.

Hardy hikers start at the bottom and walk up stone steps and trails through the fern-filled canyon to the sound of its tumble of waterfalls; wiser ones catch a ride to the top and walk back down. Keep in mind that the park closes for the winter as does the racetrack.