We have lots of updates for you, friends, but first things first: how’s your summer been? We’ve been maximizing ours with as much time outdoors, as much fresh local fruit (more peaches and raspberries please!), and as much swimming as possible. As residents and visitors know, that’s easy to achieve during a Finger Lakes summer.
Longtime readers have followed our restoration and rehabilitation projects over the years. When we bought the motel in late September 2017, 16 of the rooms were “open”, but only 14 were truly functional, or at least acceptable enough for guests. The rest of the rooms had fallen out of rotation over the years, serving as a mix of storage space and old living quarters for the previous owner’s family that had seen better days.
We are happy to report that as of spring 2026, we finally finished ripping up the last of the old carpets, painting, repairing, reglazing, and regrouting, putting the final touches on the second-floor restoration of the Main House. Now, all 20 of the original motel and tourist home rooms at Grayhaven are back to hosting guests! We’re thrilled to have every single room back online and look forward to helping you find your favorite space. For those new to our hotel, you can read up on a bit of our history right here.
A popular question around here lately is: what’s happening next door?
The abandoned farm next door was owned for several generations by the Cortright family. Through a treasure trove of family photos we ended up with, we learned that Blanche Cortright married Percy Marion and purchased the parcel next to the farm, which became Marion’s Tourist Home and eventually this very motel we all love so much. Mark and I bought the Cortright farm a few years ago, helped transfer roughly 45 acres to the State Park for future Black Diamond Trail development, and have been slowly rehabilitating the rest of the property.
Inlet Valley Arts Center, which operated out of the motel from 2017 through 2025, moved all operations to the old front house at Cortright last year, bringing along a thriving calendar of monthly exhibitions and performances. Yes, right in that abandoned-looking farmhouse! The Ithaca community and Grayhaven guests now have access to expanded trails, emerging contemporary art, and, down the road, maybe another sweet little business or two and that beautiful big barn as a meeting and retreat space. You can follow along and find more details at cortrightelectric.com.
Despite trying our best to be where our feet are planted, we can’t help but look ahead. Maybe it’s just the nature of owning a small business, or maybe it’s because we’re both artists at heart. In any case, we are excited to continue welcoming summer vacationers, eager to welcome back students and their families for the new school year, and believe it or not, already looking forward to crisp autumn days and an extra cozy winter.
We have so many good things in store for the seasons ahead. A new outdoor hot tub is arriving later this month (we’re just finalizing permits with the health department now!), making it easier than ever to unwind on a cool afternoon before gathering around the wood stove with a drink from our reception desk and bar. Our seasonal book club returns this fall (we’ll be announcing our upcoming titles soon) and Sunday Euchre remains one of our favorite low-key traditions. It’s a wonderful group of folks and always a heartwarming time.
Whether you’ve been with us since the early days of wall to wall carpet and vinyl tub inserts, or just discovered Grayhaven this summer, thank you so much for being part of our story. We’re grateful for every single one of our guests, old and new. As the season shifts, we’d love to host you again! Come explore our rooms and plan your stay for a late summer retreat, a crisp fall leaf-peeping getaway, or a cozy winter weekend.
Warmly,
Alexis + Mark
