My wife and I stayed at La Tourelle Resort and Spa over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Located off Rt 96B, La Tourelle is a beautiful property with tons of charm and lots of class. Day or night, the grounds really sparkle.

Check-in: The check in process was very simple and professional. We were welcomed by a staff member with lots of knowledge and expertise. note: Many local hotel staff members attended or are attending Cornell University's Hotel Administration School. This makes a big difference in quality of service. The hotel was very vacant. Cornell U and Ithaca College students were on Thanksgiving break which normally contribute about 30,000 people to Tompkins County.

Lobby: Very bright and clean. Filled with plenty of seating including a fireplace and small workstation with free high speed internet on a desktop PC. The lobby area does have free wifi too according to the staff. Next to the check-in desk guests can help themselves to complimentary tea, coffee and fresh cookies anytime of the day or night. It really adds a nice touch to ambiance. The resort offers a complimentary wine and cheese happy hour everyday from about 5-6pm.

Room: Our room was located on the first level of the resort. Very stately, clean and spacious. Our view was really nice. The room overlooked the rear/side of property with unobstructed views of local farm land far off in the distance of the valley. The bed was very comfortable to say the least. The room had a very nice refrigerator/freezer for convenience. A microwave is also available down the hall. The TV is of nice quality with a good selection of cable channels. The bathroom is very large with a dual head shower and window. We really appreciated housekeeping's little touch by dropping off a fresh basket of towel,etc outside our door even though we had placed the "DO Not Disturb" sign on the door.

Parking: Free and plenty of it.

Dining: The Resort offers a very nice buffet breakfast(not free) in the bar/cafe area. The food was very fresh and tasty.
Adjacent to the resort is the John Thomas Steakhouse. John Thomas is an excellent restaurant with superb food. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting. The food hasn't changed a bit in over ten years since my last visit to Ithaca only the prices. The prices are typical high end steakhouse prices, just a little high for Ithaca, NY but it saves you the drive to Rochester, Syracuse or NYC for a solid steakhouse experience.

All in all we highly recommend La Tourelle for first class accomodations in Ithaca, NY. We would stay here again.

My husband and I stayed at La Tourelle during parent's weekend at Cornell, and although about 15 minutes from the campus, it was well worth the drive. The setting is lovely, and the hotel looks like an inn in the French countryside. It is particularly lovely when lit up at night.

The rooms are large and quite comfy. The bed was a pillowtop type bed and really felt great after walking the campus all day. The bathroom was a little dated, but clean, and with nice soaps. Large t.v. with good cable options.

I'm still a little puzzled about the mix of Polynesian wood carvings with the country French decor, but whatever floats their boat.

The lobby also has a computer available to guests, which came in quite handy. Good coffee, tea and cookies as well.

We didn't have a chance to enjoy the small hotel restaurant and honor bar, but it seemed to be quite popular. We also didn't eat at the adjacent steak house, but it seemed to be busy, and with downtown Ithaca restaurants impacted by large crowds, I think we will make a reservation and try it next time.

Now the spa. What a huge surprise this was. I was expecting a small operation with an ok atmosphere, but think again! This is a truly wonderful spa, and even if you don't stay at La Tourelle, try the spa. It is luxurious and has first class amenities like a waterfall room or a fireplace room to relax before and after treatments. I had a very good massage, and my daughter said she had the best facial she has ever had. In Ithaca? Yup!

So, I would recommend La Tourelle if you don't mind the drive, or if you are there for reasons other than those college related, like wine tasting.

I stayed at La Tourelle for a business trip to Cornell University. The hotel is very nice; the staff extremely nice and helpful. I asked for a complimentary upgrade and received it. The king bed was so comfortable and the bath was nice and the fireplace was warm. Everything about the room was wonderful. My only complaint is the location. If you stay at La Tourelle you must have a car. Taxis are few and far between in Ithaca and very expensive. There is nothing within walking distance of the resort.
Other than the location the hotel was terrific!

La Tourelle is rated three stars but deserves more. The location is perfect - just south of Ithaca College and a straight drive to Ithaca Commons, which has unusual stores and good restaurants. We managed to get outside seating at Madeline's for the last free summer outdoor concert on the Commons by a Dave Matthews Tribute Band that was a good imitation of the real thing. La Tourelle staff was friendly and helpful, fixing two minor problems in the room very quickly. When we were there, a previous power outage caused the contents of a freezer to thaw, but they took care of the unpleasant smell very efficiently. The manager, Scott, was always around and very professional and helpful. Beds were very comfortable; the double king room for our daughters was very large and our single king was roomy enough. The August Moon Spa is an excellent facility. We all had massages, which were as professional and soothing as any we have had in larger hotel spas. The recommendations for brunch and restaurants all worked out well and there are many menus in the lobby. The Heights, in Cayuga Heights just past Cornell, is well worth it. Ithaca Bakery has great choices and good food, and the Ithaca Famer's Market should not be missed. There are many reasons to go to La Tourelle - for a pamperd weekend away; to be close to the Finger Lakes themselves and the wineries; to enjoy fine restaurants; to visit unique waterfalls and gorges in Ithaca and especially Watkins Glen, less than an hour away; and to see Ithaca itself, one of upstate New York's more pleasant towns.