Have you ever stayed in one of those places that charmed you and transported you back to simpler times?
If you ever stayed at the Grayhaven Motel, a vintage motor lodge near Ithaca New York, you will immediately understand what I mean. Let me share one of our truly sweet and wholesome experience of this year with you.
Vintage Motor Lodge History
I should start by saying that George tends towards functional and bare bones accommodations. I lean towards boutique hotels with a simple elegance. We both love a little kitsch.
When we first passed the Grayhaven Motel on our way into Ithaca, I swore we would stay one day. It took several months to find the right opportunity (and availability)!
I learned (from the motel’s own website) that The Grayhaven Motel is “one of the oldest, and longest continually run hotels in Tompkins County.” It first boarded visitors in 1919.
A lot has changed since then, but it’s retained a “time apart” sensibility.
Owners
We didn’t quite know what to expect…but one of the charms of what I will term “a boutique motor lodge” is getting away from the generic big box hotels. One challenge with a small family-owned endeavor, however, is that you can’t quite know how their personal brand is reflected in their product.
The owners ended up being two lovely human beings Alexis and Mark, complete with a couple of lovely bull terriers and a shadow lurking cat. They were very busy – running a motel – but took time to chat with us when we grabbed some morning coffee.
It turns out that Mark and I grew up in the same very small town farther north in Upstate NY!
The property itself is lovely – and I’ll get into that in a moment – but the charm and appeal was equally thanks to Alexis and Mark who were quick with directions, restaurant suggestions, property history, and other assorted local tidbits.
The Property
This is one of the times that George’s photos almost don’t do the property justice. Everywhere you look, you see cohesion and perfection. I fault nothing.
The roadside sign immediately suggests what you might expect from the property. But can it deliver? Will it be a nostalgic blast from the past? A quick passing glance (from a moving car in this case) is enough to pique your curiosity to check it out.
The buildings blend into the woods around them while the red doors beckon you to come take a look around.
The main office is located in the larger house on the property and the rooms are all neatly laid out in a row (a la traditional motor lodge). There is even 1964 Shasta Compact Camper “room”!
There are a couple of fire pits (sadly no photos), an outdoor patio with grills for your use, a playground for the kiddos, and a lovely wetland walk to the back part of the property.
The patio (sorry – again no pictures) is so inviting that you want to just grab a coffee and hang out with some friends or a good book.
The playground is straight out of my childhood and will definitely help recall your life at a simpler age.
The wetlands walk allows you to see a lot of the caring restoration that Alexis and Mark oversee on the property – replanting habitat and removing invasive species. We will definitely be back to pick their brains when we start working on restoring the wetter areas on our farm!
The Room and Amenities
I will say it again, this lovely motor lodge is so dialed into era appropriateness that I have a sense we didn’t notice everything there was to see. I won’t know until we go back – and we will definitely go back!
The entrance to the room starts with a bright, cheerful, friendly red door. Their no-contact check in means that you probably have a room key waiting in the door for you once you’ve confirmed your arrival on the day of…
Are you getting the sense of their attention to detail? Can you imagine a more perfect room key for a vintage motor lodge?!
When you walk up to the bright, friendly, welcoming, red door there is a little table and two chairs set out front. What better way to start and end your day than enjoying the weather and the quiet calm of the motor lodge?
A neatly bundled cord of wood waits at your room entrance. Remember the fire pits I mentioned? Well, you get a complimentary starter cord. If you want more, you can purchase it from the office.
This is one of those sweet touches that just pushes the experience over the top.
SPOILER: Inside the room is a complimentary s’mores kit to go with your fire pit wood!! You get skewers, graham crackers, marshmallows, and Hershey’s chocolate. Again, if you need more, you can pop over to the office. A six pack of local beer? Available at the office. A light breakfast nosh and coffee? Locally sourced snacks and coffee, available in the office.
In my excitement, I’ve gotten ahead of myself again! Let me back up to the room…
We selected a King Bed and were provided a room at the front of the property. It was decorated in a simple, clean, yet elegant mid-century modern style. It was nicer than your average motor lodge but didn’t go over the top. It met George’s bare bones functionality and my boutique elegance.
They told us that many pieces in the rooms were carefully curated and restored vintage accents. Yet again, Mark and Alexis managed to hit the perfect note with their decorations.
There was a desk (free wifi!), a small in-room heater (winters get cold), a nice big dresser, an open hanging closet near the bathroom, a desk with chair, a small indoor seating area, a midi fridge (we were able to fit quite a nice selection of snacks and beverages inside), and a nice bathroom with basic amenities. We could see the wetlands out of the back window. Surprisingly, there was very little bleed through noise between rooms.
Besides the complimentary starter wood and s’mores kit, each room also has a random selection of vintage vinyl and a record player! I didn’t know that we needed to listen to AC/DC and Frank Sinatra – but clearly Mark and Alexis did!!
The bed was comfortable, the bedding was lush, the pillows were plentiful. Even the guide to local sights and eateries was impeccably curated. If you love wine, they have suggestions. If you love local brews, they have suggestions. If you want a local dive bar – they suggested a favorite of ours!
Our biggest regret is that we didn’t know about Grayhaven Motel when the pandemic began in 2020. We definitely would have spent time there, working remotely, social distancing, taking local hiking trails, etc. Now, I want to plan trips with all of my friends and use Grayhaven as home base!
The (limited) availability reinforces that we are not the only visitors who are so enamored with this place. We recommend it AND want to go back! If you are interested in checking it out – you totally should – we might just see you there!