Grayhaven Motel
657 Elmira Road
Ithaca, NY
Vinyl records, artist residencies, and wooded trails between two Finger Lakes gorge parks.
About Grayhaven Motel
The Grayhaven Motel has been hosting travelers on Elmira Road in Ithaca for more than a hundred years. Current owners Alexis and Mark took over eight years ago and rebuilt the property around an arts program that connects the motel to Ithaca's creative community: an EyeVee Arts gallery in the guest lounge hosting monthly Gallery Nights and an active artist residency program whose work appears in guest rooms. The property spans three buildings across 11 acres of woodland south of Ithaca, and partners with local producers for in-room wine and chocolate pairings. Buttermilk Falls State Park and Robert H. Treman State Park are both within two miles.
What Grayhaven Motel Is Known For
Every room at the Grayhaven holds artwork from artists who have exhibited or completed residencies at the property. This is not decorating with prints; it is an integration of the motel's physical space with a working arts program. Monthly Gallery Nights bring Ithaca's arts community into the guest lounge. The artist residency brings working artists to the property. The result is a motel where the art on the walls has a direct relationship to the people who made it and the place where they made it, which is genuinely rare anywhere and almost unheard of in a roadside motor lodge on a state highway.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Vinyl record player with vintage records in every room
- Smores kit with fire starters in every room
- EyeVee Arts gallery in guest lounge, monthly Gallery Nights
- Artist residency program with resident artwork in rooms
- Wine and chocolate pairings from Laughing Gull Chocolates and NY State wineries
- 11-acre woodland grounds with walking trails
- Hammocks, fire pits, bocce court, and croquet
- 1964 Shasta camper accommodation (summer only)
- Continental breakfast served daily
- Pet-friendly rooms and cottages
- Cottages with full kitchens and back porches (1930s originals)
- Natural bath products
What Guests Love
- Every room holds artwork from the gallery and artist residency program, vinyl records, and a smores kit. These are not standard motel amenities arranged to feel curated: they reflect an arts program that Alexis and Mark have built as part of the property's identity, not as a marketing decision.
- Two of the best gorge parks in the Finger Lakes, Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman, are within two miles. Twelve waterfalls, natural swimming holes, and creek-bottom trails are accessible without driving more than five minutes from the parking lot.
- The 1930s cottages with full kitchens, sitting rooms with daybeds, and back porches represent the most distinctive accommodation on the property. For guests who want the full woodland experience with cooking facilities, they are difficult to match in the Finger Lakes at any price.
Worth Knowing
- The property fronts Route 13 (Elmira Road), a busy state highway. Road noise is audible in rooms facing the highway, particularly during morning commute hours. The rear-facing cottages and woodland-facing rooms are significantly quieter.
- The 1964 Shasta camper is a summer-only accommodation. If this is a draw for your trip, confirm availability and season dates before booking.
- The property is five miles south of downtown Ithaca and the Cornell campus. A car is useful for exploring the broader Finger Lakes region, though the two nearest state parks are walkable or bikeable from the property.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
Rooms are distributed across three buildings. The classic mid-century motel rooms and carriage house suites offer king and queen configurations with kitchenettes; the original 1930s cottages provide full kitchens, separate sitting rooms with daybeds, and back porches in a setting that feels more cabin than motel room. All rooms feature period fixtures and contemporary amenities alongside curated artwork from the gallery program. A vinyl record player stocked with vintage records is standard in every room. Smores kits with fire starters and marshmallow sticks are provided for the outdoor fire pits. Several rooms and all cottages are dog-friendly. Wine and chocolate pairings from Laughing Gull Chocolates and New York State wineries are available as an in-room amenity. The 1964 Shasta camper, available summers only, is a separate accommodation unit with its own character entirely. Natural bath products are standard throughout.
The Grounds
The 11-acre grounds include walking trails through second-growth woodland, hammocks strung in the trees, fire pits with complimentary firewood, picnic areas, a bocce court, and a croquet lawn. Bird watching is active on the property year-round. The EyeVee Arts gallery is adjacent to the guest lounge in the main building. Exterior room access from the parking areas is typical of the motor lodge layout, with rooms opening directly to walkways rather than interior corridors. The property runs along Elmira Road (Route 13), which produces road noise audible in rooms facing the highway, most pronounced during morning and evening commute hours.
The Experience
Ithaca is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College, a gorge-and-waterfall landscape unique in the Northeast, and a food and arts culture that runs deeper than most college towns. The Grayhaven sits at the junction of two of the best gorge parks in the Finger Lakes: Buttermilk Falls is a mile south and Robert H. Treman is two miles southwest, giving guests access to twelve waterfalls, two natural swimming holes, and miles of creek-bottom trail without driving more than five minutes. The Ithaca Farmers Market, the Commons, and the Cornell campus are five miles north. The property's gallery program, artist residency, and monthly Gallery Nights make the Grayhaven part of Ithaca's arts ecosystem rather than a place to sleep adjacent to it. Staff share hiking recommendations during breakfast service. The wine and chocolate pairings from local producers and the vinyl records in the rooms reflect the same attention to the full stay experience. Alexis and Mark are the kind of owners for whom the restoration is personal, and that shows in the detail.
Details
Ithaca, NY 14850
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Grayhaven Motel have EV charging?
No, Grayhaven Motel does not have EV charging.
Does Grayhaven Motel have WiFi?
Yes, Grayhaven Motel has WiFi.
What is there to do near Grayhaven Motel?
Buttermilk Falls State Park: 1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Robert H. Treman State Park: 2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Downtown Ithaca and Cayuga Lake: 5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Grayhaven Motel from Buttermilk Falls State Park?
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Grayhaven Motel from Robert H. Treman State Park?
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Grayhaven Motel from Downtown Ithaca and Cayuga Lake?
5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Is Grayhaven Motel pet friendly?
Yes. Grayhaven Motel welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
What makes Grayhaven Motel different from other motels in Ithaca?
The Grayhaven combines a restored 100-year-old motor lodge with an active arts program: an on-site gallery (EyeVee Arts), monthly Gallery Nights, and an artist residency whose participants' work appears in the guest rooms. Vinyl record players, smores kits, and wine and chocolate pairings from local producers are standard in every room.
Is breakfast included at Grayhaven Motel?
A continental breakfast is served daily in the main house, where staff also share hiking recommendations for the surrounding state parks and Finger Lakes trails.
How far is Grayhaven Motel from Buttermilk Falls?
Buttermilk Falls State Park is approximately one mile south of the motel on Elmira Road. The park entrance and natural swimming hole are a short drive or bike ride from the property.
What is the EyeVee Arts gallery?
EyeVee Arts is the on-site gallery in the Grayhaven's guest lounge. It hosts monthly Gallery Nights open to guests and the Ithaca community, with rotating exhibitions featuring artists who have exhibited or completed residencies at the property. Artwork from the gallery program hangs in guest rooms.
What accommodation types are available at Grayhaven Motel?
The property has classic mid-century motel rooms, carriage house suites with kitchenettes, and original 1930s cottages with full kitchens, sitting rooms with daybeds, and back porches. A 1964 Shasta camper is available in summer as a separate accommodation.
Is there road noise at Grayhaven Motel?
The property fronts Route 13 (Elmira Road), a busy highway. Rooms facing the road can be noisy, particularly during morning hours. The rear-facing cottages and woodland rooms are significantly quieter.
How far is Grayhaven Motel from downtown Ithaca?
Downtown Ithaca and the Cornell campus are approximately five miles north on Elmira Road.
Does Grayhaven Motel have fire pits?
Yes. The 11-acre grounds include fire pits with complimentary firewood, hammocks, a bocce court, a croquet lawn, and walking trails through the woodland.
Does Grayhaven Motel have a pool?
Grayhaven Motel does not have a pool. The property has a communal fire pit area.
Is parking available at Grayhaven Motel?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Grayhaven Motel.
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Things to Do Near the Finger Lakes
Buttermilk Falls State Park
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Buttermilk Falls State Park is approximately one mile south of the Grayhaven, centered on a creek that drops 500 feet over ten waterfalls before reaching Cayuga Lake. The park includes a natural swimming hole at the base of the main falls, a gorge trail following the creek through narrow limestone canyon, and a rim trail with views across Cayuga Lake. It is one of the most visited state parks in the Finger Lakes.
Robert H. Treman State Park
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Robert H. Treman State Park preserves Enfield Glen, a two-mile gorge along Enfield Creek that passes twelve waterfalls including Lucifer Falls, a 115-foot cascade considered one of the most photographed natural features in upstate New York. The park includes a natural swimming hole, a restored 19th-century mill, and a loop trail through the gorge that connects the upper and lower sections of the park.
Downtown Ithaca and Cayuga Lake
5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Downtown Ithaca, five miles north, includes the Ithaca Commons pedestrian district, the Ithaca Farmers Market on the Cayuga Inlet waterfront (April through November), and the Cornell University campus and Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Cayuga Lake itself, the longest of the Finger Lakes at 61 miles, supports wineries, kayaking, and paddling on its western shore directly north of the city.