Due to the insane number of business trips I’ve been on lately, I’ve been staying in a lot of chain hotels this year. So imagine how refreshing it was to walk into my room at the Lancaster Arts Hotel & see anything but a typical cookie-cutter room. Exposed brick lined the back wall, remnants from the years when the building was used as a tobacco warehouse, & original art covered the walls.
Our room, the Arts Suite, was divided into two rooms: a living room with a comfortable seating area featuring a sofa (with – other hotels take note – throw pillows!) & a cushy chair, a small desk & a basic kitchenette; & a bedroom with a huge, comfortable king sized bed & a small wardrobe in place of an actual closet. In the corner? A giant jacuzzi tub, perfect for melting the stresses of the week away. The bathroom had double sinks – always a plus when traveling with a significant other – & a large walk in shower.
The hotel is on the edge of town in a bit of a business district, but an easy 15 minute walk (or 5 minute ride on one of the hotel’s complimentary bicycles) takes you right into the middle of downtown. The advantage of being on the edge of the action? A very quiet night’s sleep.
Breakfast is included in your room rate & is adequate unless you’re a pancakes & eggs kind of person: surprisingly good breakfast burritos (which you warm yourself in the microwave), a variety of breads & baked goods & fresh fruit rounds out the offerings.
The restaurant on-site, John J. Jeffries, is one of the best in Lancaster. We dined there the second night of our stay & had a fantastic farm-to-table meal: creamy steak tartare, a huge piece of coffee-rubbed lamb steak, fresh chicken & a truly out-of-this-world piece of chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.
The hotel was welcoming, kitschy & comfortable, just what you’d expect from a boutique hotel in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Know if you go…
– in my opinion the room rates are a little high for the area (ours was $289 p/ night). But paying a little more to stay in a boutique property is usually worth it.
– wifi, parking in an on-site garage & bottled water are complimentary
– be sure & make dinner reservations if you want to eat at John J. Jeffries, it fills up quickly
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