Shakespeare Room

Most expensive stay with worst service in Chautauqua
I had booked a two-week stay at the Spencer, because it was the only accommodation available for the weeks I wanted. My stay was so terrible that I left after one week -- and their new manager, who was fired shortly afterward, agreed to refund me the second week because she saw how horrible the conditions were. (The owner then refused to actually give me the refund for the longest time, and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. She finally relented, and I got my money back.) But I digress. I don't know where to start with this inn. It was grand in its day, yes, and could be again. But it is very outdated, and needs significant capital improvements, which the owner clearly refuses to undertake. For example: there are two faucets in the bathroom sink, one for cold water and one for hot, so you can't adjust the temperature. When I arrived, there was a problem with my hot water faucet, which was never fixed (although a housekeeper did barge in with a plumber one day without knocking because she "thought" I was out.) I did have cold water, though, and had to be content with that for a week. There was no shower in my "suite," only a claw foot tub. There was no shower curtain, and only a hand-held shower head. So you had to hold the shower head with one hand while soaping with the other, and trying not to get water on the walls or the floor. Another guest on a lower floor told me there was a lot of water damage on her bathroom ceiling. I can see why. The tiny "kitchen" -- stuck in a narrow hallway outside the bathroom -- had no dish soap or sponge, and only two mugs and two plates. There was a microwave and a mini fridge, but preparing any kind of food was impossible. The elevator was a relic from the 1940s, maybe -- there was an accordion door you had to close yourself, and if you didn't the elevator wouldn't work. So if someone accidentally left that door open and you were on the fourth floor, you were stuck -- the elevator wasn't coming. I could go on and on. I paid over $350/night for this room, and it wasn't worth a quarter of that. Many other guests who were there that week had similarly horrible experiences, but there were some old-timers who have been coming year after year who still loved it. But if you have any choice in the matter, do yourself a favor and stay anywhere else but here!!!

- Daphne W from Berkeley, CA, Posted: 03/13/2024