Cook Mansion

We have mixed reviews of our stay last night at the Cook Mansion. First off... we had to second guess ourselves when driving in. The home itself is quite lovely and stately. However, there was no attention to detail with weed filled borders and no flowers or mums in the lovely urns gracing the front (unused) entrance.
Our host Kris was very welcoming and gracious...Quite a conversationalist and made us feel at home. The interior of the home, had large common rooms, and was clean. It is in desperate need of area rugs, more furniture, wall decor, flowers... anything to add warmth.
The room in which we stayed had a comfortable bed and huge bathroom. Both very clean. However, staying at more B & B's than we can count, we were disappointed with the following:
1- A HUGE black plastic bag covered the waste can in our bathroom. I know that sounds petty, but we're in a B & B...not a Motel 6. There was no floor mat when exiting the shower so egress was onto the linoleum.
2- The windows were not only painted shut, but nailed shut. So, no fresh air. (Kris did provide a fan for our use). Most importantly there was no speedy escape route if there was (God forbid) a fire outside in the hall. (Fellow guess we met at breakfasts verbalized the same concern(s).
3- Breakfast was quite disappointing. Scrambled eggs, hash browns and Canadian bacon. All served in chafing dishes in the new, large kitchen. Again... this is fine, however, in a B & B, the breakfast is usually a looked forward to 'event'. Numerous boxes of Entemann's pastries were also available. Plastic utensils were set out, along with plastic cups for juice. Even though there was real silverware, glasses, etc., plastic was set out. Serving ourselves was perfectly fine, there was just no attention to detail. Large containers of sugar, powdered cream, etc., were set on the counters instead of lovely servers. It's the little things that make a B & B.
So, all that being said we will not return. Although it is clean, right next to the lovely falls and within minutes of Watkins Glen.

The property is gorgeous, room are very nice, staff is great. This place is a great combination of old charm and some modern amenities.

I was on a road trip, parking was easy, Kris (manager) called to confirm my reservation and helped me with my stuff when I got in.

There are lots of shared spaces and we are welcome to use all of it. The shared kitchen is modern and spacious. All new appliances.

We often stay at a B&B when taking a motor a trip. All the great breakfasts with fancy silverware, dishes, and service! We balance the higher price with the expected treat, and we usually say afterward: it was worth it!

The Cook Mansion B&B in Montour Falls, NY's Finger Lake district, is different than any other we've patronized (second definition). The mansion was built in 1873, and the view of a huge Shequaga Falls is beautiful.

The first "B" is somewhat standard. A very large room, comfortable bed, with a screened-in porch and an outside balcony. The brand new bathroom is something: the shower is the smallest we've endured since our last inside-cabin cruise. When sitting on the T, one's knees are hard up against the opposing wall. No room for the wash basin, so it is in the bedroom.

The second "B" is, OMG, very non-standard: paper plates, plastic cups, plastic utensils! The hot food consisted of greasy bacon, undercooked frozen packaged potatoes, overcooked dry scrambled eggs. The only fruit was a bowl of apples. The choice of bread was white or slightly brown. There were several styles of sweet muffins (not our taste). All buffet style, no service! Very disappointing.

This time, we say: it wasn't worth it!

We are not able to rave about Cook Mansion enough. Mike and I hosted our wedding here; Kris was an outstanding host and we can't thank him enough for his kindness and assistance. Casey was amazing and so helpful and she let us to create the casual wedding/picnic we wanted. Because of Cook Mansion and them our wedding was exactly what we dreamed it to be! Our family and friends loved it and many have discussed return visits. Thank you Kris and Casey (and family) Cook Mansion now has a very special place in our hearts.

Just spent several days at Cook Mansion. It was a girl's weekend and it was the perfect place for our visit. We loved our stay here. Kris was our host and he rocks! Kris went out of his way to make sure we had a great visit. Breakfast hit the spot before we headed out everyday. The variety surprised me. The location makes it convenient for waterfalls, hikes, and of course wineries. There is even a waterfall behind the B&B. Our room was clean and big enough for both of us. There are several group areas if you have a larger group and want to visit outside of bedrooms. I will definitely repeat this trip and would love to stay here again.