Your Winter Weekend Family Getaway to Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel

 Living in New York State we appreciate the wide range of picturesque backdrops all throughout the Empire State. The Finger Lakes, wine country, hiking trails, Niagara Falls, and many other smaller waterfalls, are a few of our favorite scenic attractions across the state.  Our waterways, forests, parks and trails are really something we need to take advantage of.

The Harbor Hotel brand has done an excellent job of finding all the charming towns nestled in breathtaking scenery to build a luxurious retreat for those looking for a quaint getaway.  So far, our family has experienced mini getaways at two of the Harbor Hotel brands in New York State: Chautauqua Harbor Hotel and the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel. You can find both posts about our stay here and here. 

Beyond the gorgeous backdrop at each Harbor Hotel location, we really appreciate the luxury and elegance that goes above and beyond our traditional American hotel stays.  Plush robes & slippers, turn down service with a chocolate on your pillow, having a wine fridge in your room, and a jacuzzi in your bathroom complete with all the personal care items you would possibly need while being away from home. 

This winter, we spent a long weekend at Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel. Surprisingly, this was the first Harbor Hotel built and it’s no wonder they chose the Watkins Glen location. The area is hilly with gorgeous  hiking trails, waterways, wineries, waterfalls, a quaint town, and the Hotel sits right at the edge of breathtaking Seneca Lake.  It really is the perfect location for a hotel. 

Our Watkins Glen suite was inviting, spacious, elegant, and warm. We stayed in the Admirable Suite and were most impressed by the size of our living quarters. When you first walk into the suite, to the right of the entrance hallway, you find a door entering a spacious bathroom with a huge jacuzzi tub, walk-in shower, separate toilet room and a two sink vanity.  The far wall of the bathroom adjoins to the master bedroom as well.  The main living area is LARGE with a tv area, foldout couch, kitchen counter with a microwave, sink, mini refrigerator and wine fridge. There is an eating table and counter space to prepare food. Sizable sliding glass doors open up to a long outdoor patio with another eating table and view of Seneca Lake.  The master bedroom to the right of the living room is complete with a king size bed, tv, desk and plenty of storage space. This suite was our favorite of all the Harbor Hotel Brands and we highly recommend requesting the Admirable Suite when you book. 

Hotel Features: 

We mostly took advantage of the hotel pool and restaurant Blue Pointe Grill. We basically ate all our meals at Blue Pointe Grill, there is something for everyone. The Kids’ Menu is so great with a wide range of foods from chocolate pancakes and bacon at breakfast to chicken fingers and spaghetti for dinner. Matt and I loved eating omelettes and the “Harbor Breakfast” (eggs any style with your choice of meat and home fries). For dinner I loved trying their Orchard Harvest Salad and Caesar salad with Shrimp and Matt enjoyed the Seafood Scampi and Steak. The ambiance of the dining room is the perfect setting for a date night but still suitable for families to dine. 

We frequented the pool throughout our stay, it’s such a great way to get the kids to burn off energy before bedtime and something we don’t do nearly as often in the winter time. Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel has a great jacuzzi attached to the pool and the kids had fun switching between both, although the pool water was very comfortable!! 

It’s the little things:

We love hotels that go “above and beyond”. Like coffee stations in the morning at each floor for guests to grab a drink when they first wake up, little snacks available in the lobby, lotion and make up remover wipes in the pool bathroom to use after your swim. This attention to detail always goes a long way for us as guests in a hotel and something we look for and really appreciate. 

 

I would highly recommend Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel if you are looking for a getaway with a friend, significant other, or like us, your family. It’s such a great place to connect with those you love and build memories together.