Hammondsport, New York
Located on the highly desirable eastside of Keuka Lake, just a few minutes away from Hammondsport, “The Coolest Small Town in America” (USA Today) and award winning wineries, is Respite, a place where you can take a break from the busyness of life and give yourself the gift of relaxation and rejuvenation on Keuka Lake.
Before becoming affiliated with VRBO, the cottage owners rented to a wonderful couple who graciously shared the following about their four-week stay at Respite:
"Charming cottage on Keuka Lake, with all the amenities you would need. Very restful and peaceful. Enjoyed it so much last year we are returning this year [2019]. No steep steps. Has been totally renovated.
--Carole & Dick"
This recently updated, cozy Cape Cod-style home will make you feel warm and welcome while you’re on vacation. Inside, a beautifully designed kitchen greets you. Warm quartersawn oak cabinets, a classic farmhouse sink, and gorgeous granite countertops, blend an enduring look with a modern feel to welcome you into this classic lakefront cottage. The original pantry and the new cabinets are well stocked with all the necessary cook- and bakeware, making meal prep a joy!
From the comfort of the living room, take in the beauty of the lake through the large picture window or just sit and relax in front of the ledgestone fireplace. Whether you're waking up with your first cup of coffee in the morning or sipping on a glass of your favorite wine in the evening, this space affords you with a comfortable place to rest and unwind.
Around the perimeter of the living room are the three bedrooms, each outfitted and decorated with your comfort in mind. Each bedroom is equipped with a ceiling fan with a variable-speed control to keep you cool on warm summer evenings.
The wrap-around porch and the three-season screened-in porch may likely become two of your favorite spots during your stay. On the front porch you can relax in one of the old-fashioned rocking chairs while you read a good book or watch your friends and family splashing in the cool blue waters of the lake. The three-season porch offers you shaded retreat as well as a great spot to enjoy family meals. Whichever porch you choose, the natural beauty of Keuka Lake is there for your viewing enjoyment.
The lake and the beach afford many options for your entertainment and enjoyment! Whether fishing for bass off the dock, making a big splash in the water, skimming along the shoreline in a kayak, or sunbathing on the shore, you'll have many options from which to choose to create your ideal Finger Lakes vacation! And when the sun goes down below the hills in the evening, you’ll find a convenient fire pit on the beach for those relaxing fires and marshmallow roasts.
During your stay at Respite, you may want to avail yourself of other local activities and attractions, whether it’s experiencing local lakefront dining at the nearby Switzerland Inn or taking a short drive into Hammondsport for some boutique shopping before dining at one of its excellent restaurants.
If you want to do some hiking and view some spectacular waterfalls as well (19, to be exact), Watkins Glen State Park is just a short 30-minute drive away.
If a tour of our local wineries suits your taste, consider a visit to Ravines Wine Cellars, McGregor Vineyard, Domaine Leseurre Winery, Weis Vineyards, or Crooked Lake Winery, which are all only a few minutes away from Respite.
If museums and history suit your style, take a tour of the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum in Hammondsport or the Corning Museum of Glass. The opportunities are nearly endless.
So whether you choose to relax, or explore, or both, we trust that when you depart, you'll be feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. And maybe even be planning a return trip to this quaint retreat nestled in the Finger Lakes!
Very pleased with our stay on Keuka Lake. Location is ideal for all exploration of the neighboring area. Although we had cooler weather, we did not have any complaints, and in fact, enjoyed each and every day. Kayaked beautifully and relaxed with a book, if we were at the lake, and had fun exploring when we felt like it. A delightful cottage-just what we hoped for and so we will be back again.
We had a great week at Respite. The cottage was comfortable and had everything we needed. We loved relaxing on the porch taking in the view of the lake. Having kayaks available for our use was great. The bedrooms were tiny but the beds were super comfortable. The kitchen and bathroom were updated. The location was close to both Hammondsport and Penn Yan. Smooth check-in and check out. We hope to return!
Highly recommend - cottage was very clean & comfortable. Location and view were amazing (including sunsets). Good size lakefront and very nice dock. Wraparound porch with rockers was a favorite with our family. Cottage was well stocked and had AC. Convenient location with access to wineries & restaurants. We also really appreciated use of kayaks.
Great place, awesome porch, well equipped house to cook great meals! Great Lake frontage and swim area.
The cottage was very well equipped. Cozy and comfortable. Very friendly neighbors made our stay very fun?definitely a Respite for the week.
We loved our time at Respite. The porch is huge and has the best view of Keuka. We are used to staying in a very rustic Adirondack cabin so having a a microwave, washer/dryer and dishwasher was a big upgrade. My boys caught many fish including small/large mouth bass, pickerel and perch. Parking is tight, and neighbors are close, so lake manners are important to consider. We loved the kitchen and antiques.
Loved our visit to Keuka Lake, and Respite was idyllic.
The view is fabulous from this cottage on the lake. Nice dock with Adirondack chairs to lounge in. Two kayaks and a canoe right on the beach with nice life vests stored in a well organized basement. We had a wonderful time here. Close to Keuka Village where The Switz restaurant/bar is located. This is also a nice rode to run/walk. Kitchen is well stocked and plenty of chairs on the deck overlooking the lake. Bedrooms are on the smaller side, fine for one person, tight for two. Parking area is big enough for two cars, just a challenge to get them parked.
We had such a wonderful time at this cottage, everything we needed was readily available and Gary responded to any questions immediately! Our family with our 2 year old granddaughter had an amazing time and she loved kayaking every morning singing “Row, row, row your boat”. We hope to be able to enjoy next year!
First off the hosts were wonderful to work with. We faced some unexpected circumstances and thought we may have to cancel our entire trip - hosts were SO kind and flexible with us and were able to adjust our time. This took a huge load of stress off us & was such a blessing. The cottage is just gorgeous- beautiful woodwork & period details, lovingly restored and thoughtfully updated. The kitchen was well stocked and just the right size. We've stayed many places and this porch may be the best one we've seen- screened in side with picnic table, front side with multiple comfy rocking chairs and another picnic table, all well covered so even on a rainy day we were able to enjoy being outside. The beach area was just perfect for our 7 year old- docks made perfect barriers so she knew where she could touch. We're also a rockhound-type family so we enjoyed the beach for that as well. Kayaks were great as was the beachside firepit. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this cottage to anyone. It offered our family much needed relaxation and time away together. Thank you!!!
Overall, our stay was great. Gary had been very responsive prior to and during our trip whenever I reached out to him with questions. The view is about as good as you can get! The covered porch was the perfect spot for all family members ranging in age 3 to 66 to relax. The swimming area is nice and shallow, and even not too deep once you get past the dock, which made it very nice for my young kids to enjoy the water. Respite is centrally located and you can get to many restaurants and shops within 20 or so minutes. The only complaint I have, which there isn't much that can probably be done about, is the parking is very tight. We had two mini vans and it took some maneuvering skills, but we made it work thoughtout the week. The on-site laundry was great, and the stocked kitchen was very convenient! Would love to go back some day.
This was our second stay at Respite Cottage and we found it to be just as lovely, clean and quaint, with the same cozy cottage feel as our first stay. We looked forward to returning ever since we booked our reservation with Gary and Becky. The day we arrived was HOT and it was a huge to come into a cooled cottage. An air conditioning wall unit had been added since our last stay, which made our first few days and nights so much more comfortable. Our mornings started by sitting on the covered porch in a rocking chair with a cup of coffee, newspaper and taking in the beautiful lake view and activity on the water. We caught up with family and friends with plenty of room to share meals together on the porch picnic tables. There are plenty of spaces to catch up on reading and relaxing either on the porch, down by the water or out on the dock sitting in the Adirondack chairs. On cooler evenings we built bonfires down by the lake to sit around and enjoy a nightcap. Gary and Becky are great to communicate with, have made improvements to the cottage, updated furniture inside and out since our last visit and make it possible for renters to enjoy their entire experience and vacation while at Respite Cottage. Thank you again!
This is our second year at Respite and it was as nice as I remembered. We had a relaxing, beautiful stay in this quintessential lake home. Cozy, compact, and complete, the space is small but very well arranged and very convenient for all our activities. Our family circumstances will be different next year, so I didn't book it for next year as I did on the way home last year but I hope we will return!
This property was Keuka perfection. Everything was updated but still vintage. It brought back so many memories of staying on Keuka 50 years ago. I would highly recommend selecting this property if you want to relax and enjoy all that the finger lakes have to offer!