This was the first stop on a long road trip. It is located at the southern end of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes and served as an excellent 'base' from which to explore. The room was 1 of 4 that are more like motel rooms that were added on to a gorgeous old (1849) inn. The original portion is now the restaurant, which I'll describe in a bit. The room itself was fairly nondescript, but served its purpose. It was definitely clean, but I would advise that if the other rooms are occupied, you need to run your room A/C on fan so it drowns out the noise. The walls are pretty thin. The continental breakfast leaves a lot to be desired, though it is served on the porch, weather permitting, overlooking really gorgeous grounds. Of the 3 nights we stayed, we ate dinner twice in the Inn's restaurant and it was absolutely fabulous! I would venture to say it is the only fine dining you'll find and it IS fine! I think that is why the breakfast is such a downer. Regardless, if I were to visit the Finger Lakes again, I would certainly not hesitate to return.

A cozy room, a warm host and hostess, an extraordinary dinner on the premises cooked by the chef/owner, and the next morning, a superb European style continental breakfast. We had been in the Finger Lakes area for a college reunion (50th!) and decided to extend our trip by one day. Excellent decision. We won't wait 5 years for the next reunion: you can bet we'll be back in the fall when the foliage peaks. Our reason for selecting Hammondsport was to go to the Glenn Curtis Museum, which is down the road about a mile. Other tourists used Pleasant Valley Inn as a stopping point on the way to Niagara Falls. For us, it's a destination in itself.

I have traveled the world, and ate at the very best restaurants, in some of the finest locations in the world, yet it is to the Pleasant Valley Inn (or PVI as we call it) that our hearts yern for time after time. The premise of the approach to food here, is to start with simply the best available products, and wines and let them "talk" for themselves - and "talk" they do. The food is without question one of, if not the best, we have ever had, and what is more, it is consistanly not only good but outstanding. Tom is front of house, in his crisp shirt, while Marianne does all the cooking and wizardry out in the kitchen, both being very hospitable hosts and experienced in their business. All of this of course could be lost, without an excellent array of serving staff, who all are so attentive, and ready to ensure you have the very best experience while at the PVI. I simply cannot reccomend this place too much, if you have the chance try it, but make sure you call ahead to ensure a table, especially at busy weekends.

Enjoy

Punjabi (aka Red Davy)
Thank you

overall: an average B&B; would consider going back since it was clean and a good price; wasn't impressed, so may look for another location next year.

4-night stay: august 9-13, 2007

along with several others in our group, my husband, 4-year-old daughter, and i visited the area for 4 nights and stayed at the Pleasant Valley Inn (& Restaurant) in Hammondsport, NY. our group members had rooms 1, 2, and 4. we had room #1 (all four rooms are the same price, $108 plus taxes, and are pretty much the same in decor and size).

the good:
1) clean!
2) individual A/C units!
3) individual heating thermostat, and a separate one for the bathroom!
4) beautiful lawn/garden/general outside atmosphere.
5) quiet. walls between rooms and the porch were well insulated. however, due to the layout you could hear some of the noise in the shared foyer/hall and also when the outside door was opened in room 1, possibly in room 4, but probably not in rooms 2 and 3.
6) pub and (EXCELLENT FINE DINING; price: $100 bill for three) restaurant on property. though crabcakes are a Maryland specialty, take it from two Marylanders, these guys know how to make a mean crabcake! extensive wine list.
7) nice big porch for gathering at night/morning
8) pretty porch (separate) for breakfast
9) small cooler in each room for ice (bring to pub for filling)
10) owner noticed we had our own small cooler and ice pack; offered to put it in their freezer.
11) very big closet (with some hangers) and a large dresser

the ok:
1) for a place with such an excellent restaurant, the breakfast (served from 8-930am) was average. each day there was the same thing: a platter of sliced deli ham, fresh cantalope, grapes, small piece of cheese, and bananas. also a basket of bagels, french bread (same as served at dinner), and (homemade?) very yummy banana or zuccini bread that you could pop in the toaster. to go with these: butter, cream cheese, raspberry preserves, and salmon/herb/cream cheese spread (i would have liked to try this, just not at 8am; my husband did and said it was very good). coffee was help-yourself. a small glass of orange juice/grape juice/milk was served individually by the owners. no refills were offered, but i was given a second glass on one of the mornings when i asked for it.
2) i did not feel welcome; simply tolerated.
3) decor and linens were that of an average hotel room; not elegant or beautiful as you would expect at a b&b.
4) we did receive a third bath towel for our daughter on the second morning; the rest of the time i dried her with the two hand towels. (though in their defense, i did not request extra towels for my daughter or my hair, as i usually do.)
5) no area info for dining/delivery/things to do. just a regional guide and phone book, which aren't very helpful when you don't know the immediate area.
6) average soap and a small shampoo were provided; the toothbrush holder was a welcomed touch.

the bad:
1) towels smelled of mildew! not just the first set laid out when we arrived, but every set we got. (p.s. i recently learned: when washing stinky towels, adding vinegar to the final rinse cycle removes the mildew smell, yet the vinegar smell goes away once dried. this works wonderfully!)
2) yellow jacket bees crawled in and on the ham and preserves from 830-930. this didn't bother most guests, but i am very allergic to them!
3) their dog (2 year old yellow lab) was overly friendly/jumped up onto you when running around loose, but territorial when on leash at the breakfast porch (after breakfast time; she was never outside during breakfast). they began leashing her up out in the yard after that first morning.
4) water in sink and tub was stinky (typical of well water). would not want to drink it, and several of the members of our group even disliked brushing their teeth with it. (a few bottles of water would have been a welcomed touch.)
5) no "do not disturb sign" to hang on knob if you wanted privacy or no cleaning services.

8/07: current website: room pix are accurate, but the outside needs a bit of upkeep compared to the pix.