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Lancaster County lodgings off a wide range of options—stay at a historic inn, or indulge yourself at a luxurious resort. A good selection of moderately priced motels caters to families. Although hotels welcome guests year-round, rates are highest in summer. Some inns and bed-and-breakfasts have minimum stays in high season.
Many working Amish and non-Amish farms throughout Lancaster County welcome guests to stay for a few days to observe and even participate in farm life. Operated as bed-and-breakfast establishments with a twist, the farms invite you to help milk the cows and feed the chickens, and afterward share a hearty breakfast with the farmer and his family or help with other farm chores. Reservations must be made weeks in advance, as most farms are heavily booked in summer. The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau has a listing of all area B&Bs and farms that welcome guests. Lancaster County Bed-and-Breakfast Association has information on 15 area B&Bs.
Gas-burning fireplaces, bathrobes, and a chef-made breakfast are among the amenities offered at this adults-only (18 and up) inn with contemporary country style. All but four of the 12 accommodations are suites housed in a collection of rustic buildings along a brick path back from the busy road. The multi-course breakfast is served on china in the 1909 main house or it can be brought to your room. A separate building houses a day spa.
This boutique hotel in a former tobacco warehouse dating from the 1800s offers sleek rooms furnished with executive desks, flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and free Wi-Fi; there are also whirlpool tubs in the suites. Local artwork—available for purchase—is everywhere, as are exposed brick and stone and chestnut beams. The adjoining restaurant and bar, John J. Jeffries, offers a seasonally driven farm-to-table menu.
In the heart of downtown Lancaster, this beaux arts–style former department store offers well-appointed guest rooms with upscale amenities geared to business travelers, including a fitness center and spa. Attached to the Lancaster Convention Center, the hotel with a 12-story tower faces Penn Square, the very center of the city. One of three dining options in the hotel, the rooftop lounge and restaurant have panoramic views of the city and beyond.
In this former tavern built in 1763, all of the rooms have electric fireplaces and hand-sewn quilts, and some have four-poster or half-canopy beds. The stone building is filled with hand-tooled furniture that is true to the period, much of it built by local craftspeople. Friday to Sunday a small bar serves local wine and beer, as well as pizza from the oven in the backyard; sometimes there is live music.
This 1786 Georgian-style home listed on the National Register of Historic Places has a comfortable living room, library, and sitting room with a fireplace, and a fish pond in the small garden. The warm and dedicated owners have furnished the guest rooms with Amish quilts and vintage objects that reflect the charms of an old home. A hearty breakfast is served in the country-style dining room. All rooms have private baths, but some are located down the hall (bathrobes are provided). The B&B is in the center of the village.
Welcoming staff greet visitors arriving at this revamped motel with clean-lined and modern rooms and suites in the center of town. Units near the road get some traffic noise, but you'll also hear the clip-clop of passing Amish buggies. Although there's no on-site dining, the Carriage House provides breakfast vouchers for Speckled Hen, the wonderful café across the road.
The exposed-brick walls, vaulted wood ceilings, and exposed ductwork of this boutique hotel recall its former life as the Armstrong Cork Company. The varied rooms are modern but no-frills, though you will find essentials like free Wi-Fi, free on-site parking, and a fitness center. The hotel's Cork & Cap Restaurant is cocooned within rustic rock walls.
Especially geared to families, this inn just north of Strasburg stands on 23 acres of manicured grounds with walking paths past gardens, a catch-and-release pond, and creekside woods. The hotel offers modern rooms and suites in three buildings distinguished by different decor; some have patios or balconies. Sight and Sound Theatre is right around the corner. The smorgasbord restaurant serves a complimentary all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet to inn guests.
This 1810 inn's guest rooms are decorated with period antiques and Victorian furnishings, including four-poster beds. Downstairs, the Meade and Lee Dining Rooms present Civil War–era dishes such as game pie and peanut soup; there are also a tavern and an outdoor beer garden. The building sheltered Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Gettysburg—more than 100 bullet holes are forever part of the walls. The purportedly haunted inn hosts several ghost tours of its property ($10–$15) that begin with dramatizations and stories in the basement's Mourning Theater.
Its perfect downtown location makes this generic chain property handy for exploring the city. Rooms and public spaces are modern but basic, but the rooms have refrigerators and free Wi-Fi. A fitness center and indoor pool, plus a restaurant and bar, are among the amenities, and the hotel welcomes pets.
Located on the main square of Lititz, this three-story 1764 inn mixes Victorian and modern decor. Dark wood, velveteen chairs, and a roaring fire in the lobby take you back in time. Rooms on the second floor blend historical details with sleek modern decor. On the third floor, the RockBlock suites are decorated in a rock-and-roll theme, tipping a hat to Rock Lititz, a local powerhouse that builds sets for major international touring bands. Off the lobby, Irish and American fare are served at the pub, fine cuisine can be had in the dining room, and choice spirits await in the cocktail bar.
