Anchor Inn

C. H.

We stayed in the motel. Super affordable rooms, and a great view of the lake from the balcony. The rooms were a little worn but super clean, and the bedding and mattresses were comfortable. They use actual keys which is a little old school but fine. Seems like there is good sound insulation between the rooms; I only heard another room once and it wasn't disturbing. There is a refrigerator and microwave in the room. The deck/ balcony is just one big open space with the other rooms in the motel; this wasn't a problem for us and I only saw one other couple using the deck when we were there, but something to be aware of. Seems like more of a place where quiet adults stay lol. The deck is covered which is nice in case of inclement weather. The friend I was traveling with has different sleep habits than me, and it was nice to use the balcony as a kind of second room where we could read or watch stuff on our tablets w/o disturbing the person sleeping. The driveway, as others mention, is steep, narrow, and rocky. It seems that they have it graded so that it's possible to navigate it without scraping; I have a small SUV and had no problem, and saw one of the employees in a very low car navigate it successfully, but also saw people in cars scrape. I wouldn't go there with a car, personally, just bc I'm not a very good driver and would probably destroy my car. It's on a road with a salt plant and there are semis driving the road day and night but the noise didn't bother me, and I love my peace and quiet. You could see them but if you just look at the lake you don't really notice them. The lobby workers and housekeepers are super friendly, and have nice suggestions about local restaurants. The lobby seems to be attached to the owners' house so people are coming and going who don't necessarily work there, which is kind of awkward- I asked one lady in the lobby about towels and she told me to ring the bell to get someone and that was no problem, then when we were checking out I rang the bell and the person in the lobby was like "I'm right here, why did you ring the bell?" No big deal, just awkward. There is a cute dog that often hangs out in the lobby, seems to accept petting but doesn't seem to bother people in case you're afraid of dogs. The breakfast is pretty useless- they call is a "light start" and it's coffee, old fruit, and little prepackaged super-sweet breakfast pastries. So don't count on it to be your breakfast, but the coffee wasn't bad and it's nice to get a cup as you're heading out for the day. It's a very easy drive to the town of Watkins Glen and there are a decent number of restaurants and breweries within a 15 minute drive, and it's a good home base for exploring the rest of the Finger Lakes if you want- though if I came back I would probably stick around the southern half of Seneca Lake, plenty to do there! If this place were more expensive I would not have rated it as highly, but as a clean and comfortable spot with a nice view of the lake it can't be beat.

Melinda Byrd

Nice casual stay hotel right across the street from Seneca Lake with great views from your room. Nice large covered porch with chairs to sit, relax, and enjoy the view. Very nice staff. Clean room. Very close to the town of Watkins Glen and the state park. (like a 3 minute drive.) Very reasonably priced accomodations. Would absolutely stay there again.

Nicole Friedl

Great find. The check in was a little rocky but probably since we used Airbnb. The cottages were great. A little close together so you are kinda forced to see and hear your neighbors but the view was worth it. Couldn't get the air conditioner to work but they quickly responded and fixed it. Only complaint would be the drive way and parking. It was a beast to conquer and literally almost broke my car.

Judy Curry

Very clean, great views and friendly staff. The steep driveway was impossible to navigate with our low vehicle and bottomed out a few times. I assume that this is temporary with the construction going on. We were there with our dog for a race event. Race trailers would not fit on this property. would have liked a bar of soap since we normally use what hotels provide. Also, hope we didn't get charged for leaving a few dirty dishes in the sink. The note said that all dishes must be washed. since we were in and out early/late, we certainly didn't have time nor the effort. This is the only time i've run across this and hope the they would just add a few bucks to the room cost for their time. Hoping that the extra tip we left will pay housekeeping for their time.