For a local with only a Koolidifier at home & looking to beat a recent severe heat wave, this stay was quite a great boon ... And finally trying that waffle maker thing at breakfast, which I've always heard everyone raving about, was fun, although I wish they'd offer honey for those of us who don't care for that sort of syrup ... But still good with banana & chocolate chips & butter & jam ... The best part is that it's just a few footsteps away to a big plaza with a giant supermarket, plus liquor shop, top-notch bagel shop , and a passable take-out-only Chinese place too ... And beyond that a Walgreens with a Wednesday farmers' market -- & still safe to cross there where the road is just a two-way lane at that point ... I have to take off though for the fact that I never obtained service even once in a several-day stay !! ... Frankly I didn't really give a damn but it was a lot of trash accumulated in the corners by that point in time of course ... The maids told me to my face that somebody had "left me off the list" -- seemingly confirming rumors that some hotels secretly exert bias against those of us who had booked on Hotwire ... And, by the way, if you're trying such in Ithaca, learn to look for the "tells" ... Just make sure the "real picture" matches the exact page for this property you can Google on the BW site, and you're home free ... read more

We've stayed at several Best Western Hotels in other locations and have enjoyed our stay. This hotel was by far the worst place we've stayed in. It was shabby and outdated. Bedroom carpet and hallway had stains. There was a musty smell. The breakfast room was very crowded; too small for the number of people staying there. They ran out of coffee & eggs. There was only one 4 slice toaster. People were lined up waiting to get some food. There was not enough seating or counter space for the food. Some of the staff seemed stressed. Not worth what we paid. Not a good vibe. Will not stay there again! read more

We very much enjoyed our stay at the Best Western, University Inn. Lots of nice amenities the room was clean quiet and does have a nice fireplace. It had a fridge and microwave. The only detractions are that this hotel could use some updating and it's a bit desolate by the back entrance. Also, they need to get better yogurt. It is located at the back end of them all but it is a hop skip and a jump from Cornell in downtown Ithaca. Overall, it was very nice. We would stay here again. We enjoyed our stay. Very impressed with all the car charging stations that they have service was wonderful. And always very friendly and helpful. Also, the price was right. If you're in the Ithaca area, you should stay here. read more

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Hands down the most disgusting, unprofessional, and shady hotel I've ever stayed in. If you're even thinking about booking here--don't. The room was a horror show: absolutely filthy, with layers of dust thick enough for someone to write vulgar, offensive words on the fireplace and windows. It was beyond gross--it was sickening. The linens were stained, smelled awful, and clearly hadn't been washed. We had no choice but to go out and buy clean bedding ourselves just so our kids wouldn't have to sleep in that filth. I wouldn't let a stray dog sleep in that bed. The staff were openly rude and useless, and Manager Steve is one of the nastiest people I've ever dealt with in hospitality. Completely unprofessional, full of attitude, and made it clear he didn't care about our complaints or experience at all. He acted like we were the problem, not the moldy hellhole he's running. To top it all off, someone at the hotel changed the phone number and email on my rewards account attached to the reservation--so we didn't get any of our loyalty points or benefits. Convenient, right? They completely dodged responsibility when confronted. This place is a scam wrapped in filth, run by people who shouldn't be anywhere near customer service. Avoid at all costs. I wouldn't stay here again if it were the last hotel on Earth. read more

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My stay at the Best Western Ithaca was very disappointing. The service was poor, and the overall experience was far below expectations. I would not recommend this hotel. read more

Just passing through town with my bf and needed a place to stay for the night. Booked it late at night and I was appreciative the lady at the front desk was friendly and helpful. The double bed room was clean, bed was soft, working heater/ac, and it had the appropriate amenities. Breakfast was simple and good with waffle maker, eggs, sausage, cereal, toast and yogurt. It was just what we needed for a night in. read more

This hotel is one of the lowest priced in the area, and you get what you pay for. The room had cobwebs in the corner behind the door. The free breakfast we mediocre. read more

Worst bed ever. It was like a bed spring on top of a second bed spring. Sink was clogged. Bathroom door doesn't close.

Smelly, run down rooms, unhelpful staff. Spoke with a staff member directly by phone over a month before our stay who confirmed our reservation, but when we arrived the two rooms were booked for different overlapping dates. The staff member at the desk told us that she was unable to fix the issue, that the manager would not be available for another 3days, and that we had already been charged for both rooms even for the days that we weren't staying. When we actually got to the rooms we found that they were extremely outdated with visibly saggy beds and grimey carpets. One non-smoking room reeked of smoke and the other had an overpowering od of stale Chinese food. read more

Had a reservation paid for a room with a fireplace. Checked in at 4:15 and they had none currently available but the cleaning staff hadn't all checked in. So we could take a regular room or come back later. Really? So I said it's after 4 when is she due to check in? --Oh she should have already. Give her a call! -- I did already. "Sorry for the inconvenience" So we get our room. Pillow has a stain. Never again. Such a disappointment and gross. read more

Best Western University Inn - Stain on pillow and it doesn't look decent. - Hotels Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Be wary of the reviews, our stay was great. Check in and out was a simple process and the staff are super friendly. The room was reasonably priced especially when other establishments were often twice the cost. The location was great. We weren't fond of Collegetown Bagels but that has no bearing on the hotel. The grocery store and Dunkin' were our go tos. Also, close enough to the college area but not crazy busy. The parking area was freshly sealed and looked nice. The hotel is older but not in disrepair. Our room was clean and smelled nice. No issues at all with our room or stay. We saw staff constantly cleaning and said they were preparing for the cold weather months. I can't say enough about how friendly and helpful they were, even taking the time to show a guest how to use the waffle maker. Just overall a great place to stay if you're in the area for business or pleasure. read more

Only bad thing about this hotel was the eggs, sausage, and bacon at breakfast were watery and not very warm. That said, there were several other unique additions to the standard breakfast, including extra toppings for packaged yogurt and waffles that made it fun. Best part was we got there and the receptionist offered a room change upgrade to a bigger room with a fireplace and it was so cozy. The bathroom was large and clean. Oh, the pillows were oddly square and smaller than usual. But otherwise, very happy here. read more

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Stayed with friends for two nights at the Best Western in October 2023. Not a bad word to say about the place. Check-in was prompt, friendly and helpful. In fact, nearly every employee we passed offered a friendly greeting. I liked that. Room was large. Comfortable. Fireplace in the room! Bathroom was updated and spacious. Zero complaints. Location convenient to everything. Cornell campus. Downtown. Perfect location. The included breakfast was fine. Had something for everyone. Bonus - coffee was tasty and available 24/7. Outstanding for the PM coffee fix. The room rate was substantially less than most other hotels too. No reason to consider staying anywhere else. It is clear the employees care about the happiness of their guests. Job well done, Best Western. read more

This is the WORST HOTEL I have ever stayed in. I have a traveling job and stay in hotels regularly. This place is so FILTHY and the workers are INCOMPETENT. My employer reserved 4 different rooms for 4 days. The first thing we all notice is the lack of security at the hotel. The rooms are not in one building. Depending on your room, you may have to exit one building to get to the next. The issues for me is that anyone can walk into any building because a room key card is not needed to get in any building. I was in room 415... THIS IS A WARNING. If you ever get ROOM 415. RUN!!! This room is considered a suite because of the jacuzzi... the first thing I noticed was the room temperature. IT WAS FREEZING... the heat was not working but I was able to turn on the fireplace. The fireplace didn't do much. I called the front desk and they basically told me that the hotel was booked. Once I realized I was stuck, I started to settle down. I took a shower and began to realize how filthy the room was in the bed area. The furniture look old and run down. Everything was random. I had two different types of rundown chairs. They even had a 6ft wooden table in the room. I then started to look around the bed. I always check beds for cleanliness and bed bugs. I wanted to check the dresser behind the bed before the mattress. I really felt uneasy and uncomfortable. I knew it was unlikely for the cleaning staff to clean this huge ass dresser behind the bed. Literally, it looks like they haven't clean it for months. For some reason, I decided to check BEHIND this dresser. That's when I found a DEAD BIRD... A FUCKIN DEAD BIRD... let me repeat my self.... A DEAD FREAKIN BIRD ....... it was literally a dead bird behind the dresser & bed. I called the front desk when I was able to get some light and took a picture. Remember , I called the desk several hours earlier tryin to switch rooms and they were booked. The maintenance staff changed my room once I told them about the dead bird. He immediately came to my room and I showed him the dead bird... his response.. "I wonder how that got back there" I kid you not! I was so pissed but I was so in shocked... that I had to laugh at his response.. SHIT WAS UNREAL!!! They end up moving me to room 418. There was a big difference in this room. The room was better but could of been cleaned more. I couldn't believe the filth in room 415. The furniture just seemed like they randomly put something together from the dumpster... the room was dusty and filthy.... and I just felt completely disgusted and uncomfortable! My other co-workers had issue with their rooms as well. My supervisor had live ants in his room. One co-worker had two beds and one had dog hair in the bed and the other had dead ants. My other co-worker had no issue but he felt like his room could of been cleaner. All the pictures I posted was in room 415. Pictures was taken after I settled in and found the dead bird. My supervisor tried to cancel the next 3 nights when he noticed the issues we were having in our rooms. YOU WOULD THINK... A DEAD BIRD WOULD BE ENOUGH TO CANCEL A RESERVATION... but NAH! The hotel stated that they will not cancel our reservation or give us REFUND.... For the second day because our belongings was still in the room. We did not have a problem getting our things. The issue was it was past check out time. Reservation was set for 9/25- 9/30. We checked in 9/25-9/26. We checked out ASAP! This hotel need to be reported and inspected. They should be ashamed of themselves! JUST TRIFLING!!! NASTY !!! read more

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As an Adjunct Professor at Cornell, I stay at hotels in Ithaca frequently. I usually stay at the Hilton Canopy on the Commons. However, a couple of weekends ago, everything was booked so I had to make a reservation at this BW Inn. I usually check in the morning with no charge. However, this BW Inn charged me $90 to check in a few hours early. Had I known this, I would have stayed somewhere else and paid a little more money. read more

We ended up here after rushing our dog to the Animal Hospital for neurological issues. It was a LONG, stressful, and exhausting night. This was the closest hotel, so we ended up here, attempting to grab a few hours of sleep. I walked in at about 2:45am and was told they had one room available a Jacuzzi suite, for over $250 (with the hospital discount). Seemed high, but I was assured it was the last room and only nearby option. I took it. We drove around this large hotel, found parking, walked through areas that were under construction/renovation, just to find out that our room key was not working. It's well after 3am at this point. I had to walk all the way back to the lobby, through several buildings, wait behind another walk-in guest that got the "last available room", and the reservationist eventually gave me a new room. So I witnessed 3 "last available rooms" being assigned, while I was there. Insert eye-roll. The rooms were beyond DATED(!!). The "Jacuzzi Suite" means there is a Jacuzzi in the middle of your room with sliding doors that open into the bathroom, our room was very worn. I'm guessing this was built in the 80s? and not updated at all since. There was also a plastic layer on the bed that crinkled and crunched every time we moved. I still can't believe I paid over $250 to sleep less than 4 hours here. There was a nice Collegetown Bagel breakfast spot in the adjacent shopping plaza and a grocery store, to grab the items we needed. Added a star for location. Wouldn't recommend, unless desperate (like we were). read more

Our stay was fantastic, but the standout and highlight of our experience was Sue from overnight shifts at the front desk. She was more than happy to help us out with everything we needed and went the extra mile to make connections with us and make us smile! read more

We had a great stay here! We found the location to be great with Collegetown Bagels (so many delicious options!!) and the grocery store and Walgreens within walking distance! Our beds were very comfortable. We found the staff to be very helpful - we needed to keep our frozen breastmilk in their freezer and they allowed us to do that and my husband enjoyed the outdoor pool for a bit one day. We would stay here again when we come back to the area! read more

Nice Sunday night stay for a concert at Cornell. Located right down the street from the campus entrance. Did not stay for breakfast. Nice king suite with gas fireplace and lots of space - quite and clean on my stay. Buildings are at the end of a strip mall where 1/2 of the buildings are an annex for Cornell. There is a 24hr grocery there if you needed something or for some healthier food than a burger joint. Staff was pleasant at check-in/out but I had no other needs to tax them with. Great rate from Priceline! read more

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Courteous lady at check in. Whole hotel smells either like smoke or marijuana including room. Went to workout and the treadmill handles are wrapped in electrical tape. While running I went to turn down the speed and got shocked pretty good. Not safe read more

Best Western University Inn - Hotels Near Me - Ithaca, New York

We booked for convenience of location. Stayed two nights. One of the sheets had nasty stains on them. The replacement sheets weren't the right size for the bed. The pillows were lumpy. The toilet clogged. For the most part the people working there were nice. Would expect more from any chain but it's made worse by the cost. read more

The facility was clean and well kept. The breakfast bar was higher quality than I was used to. The staff was very friendly and helpful especially with the shuttle service. It's in a plaza with a grocery, bagel cafe, and laundromat. read more

Stayed 2 nights in different rooms. Executive room with fireplace was worth it, I slept well on pillow top & clean sheets, quiet. Regular 2 queen room was bad -- I couldn't & didn't sleep well in either bed due to itchy sheets...one rough cotton - other soft flannel-- felt mites crawling on me...receptionist ignored my complaint. read more

This is a solid budget hotel. First of all - this hotel looks and feels outdated. The carpet and bed linens need upgrading, as they feel like the hotel has had them for about 10 years. The bathroom was excellent - they obviously renovated it and the curtain, tub, mirrors, and marble countertops all looked new. The room has a microwave and a fridge, which is always useful when you are staying for more than 1 night. Complimentary continental breakfast isn't too bad - no fancy hot food items but they have a waffle maker and bagels for toasting. The staff was generally nice. The hotel only has 1 floor (rooms with two double beds are on the first floor, and rooms with 1 king bed are in the basement). I don't know how I would feel about staying in the basement though. The first floor room wasn't noisy, but when we first walked in there was a distinct old hotel smell. Thankfully the weather was fantastic, so we opened the window for one whole day and the smell was gone by the time we returned. read more

This is a fine space to stay and a good price for Ithaca. Pros: in walking distance to a branch of CTB as well as a grocery store and a pharmacy, very nice complementary breakfast with a lot of choices, spacious room that seemed well-maintained Cons: 70s decor (brown, brown), not really walking distance to university/commons (but quick drive), double check directions because can be a little confusing read more

This hotel was Fine for the money. We had a double queen bed room. It came w a pull out couch. There were 5 girls In one room and we were perfectly Comfortable. And the the complimentary hot breakfast was Definitely a plus!! read more

We just completed a seven night stay at this Best Western while visiting family and having a vacation. Growing up in Ithaca I'm very familiar with how old some of the "three star" and above hotels are. Ramada and Clarion, for example are very old facilities in need of major renovations. I have stayed at both and neither is worth any amount of money. It's always a bit hit or miss in Ithaca and prices are always high. When school is out, the weather is nice, so there's barely an off season. We booked this through Priceline, so we didn't know which three star we were getting for our all inclusive $65/night. I was relieved to find out it was the Best Western. This hotel was built in the late 80s (I believe), so it's a tad dated, our room was large, clean, and functional. The room also had a small fridge and microwave and fold out sofa. The complimentary breakfast was great and included some hot items like sausage, scrambled eggs, waffles along with all your typical continental items. There is a small but functional exercise room with all the basic equipment you need while you're away. There is a small outdoor pool (seasonal), which was kept very clean. Ithaca is a very tough spot to find a decent hotel room at a reasonable price. I have been very thorough in researching and even considered a B&B; but ultimately no one had these amenities at the price we got. This hotel would have been a good value up $85/ night, but we were on a tight budget, so this worked out perfect. Other amenities included a free shuttle and free wi-fi. The hotel is close to a 24 hour grocery store, drugstore, Cornell and downtown Ithaca is a very short jaunt. I found all staff to be courteous. The front desk responsive and seemed genuinely friendly. I highly recommend if you can get it for less than $100 per night; anything above that and you can find there's more competition with the newer facilities; hard to beat the location though if Cornell is the reason for your visit. read more

OK, serviceable, can't complain But only 3 stars because the hotel seemed a little worn to us. We stayed three nights. Little things seems to be broken -- clock radio, remote control, ice machine. We liked the fact that it was next door to a large grocery store. A fine value if it was $80/night, but we paid $140. read more

Probably the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. My boyfriend found old hair in the bathtub, the rug did not even look like it was even vacuumed. We were told we had a queen sized bed and there was no way it was a queen it was definitely a full, my 6'4 barely could fit on it. The breakfast was gross, eggs were super spicy and watery, the sausage was dry. Absolutely disgusting read more

Picked this hotel bc of close proximity to Cornell (visiting the campus) and price. The beds were clean and comfortable and the breakfast was pretty, pretty good! Would definitely stay here again. read more

Basically my family and I purchased a one night stay through hotels.com. Upon arriving, the lady at the front desk said that no payment had been received and we would have to pay again. As a result, I called the third party we booked it through to get the issue sorted out and eventually it was. The issue with me was the behavior and attitude of this lady because she was just really rude and kept repeating that we would have to pay and slowing down her words as if we didn't know English and told us even if we called the third party they would just instruct us to do the same. Her tone and response was just very uncalled for and unnecessary. read more

Honestly, the hotel was fine. The rooms were clean and big, but the front desk staff is the rudest staff I've ever experienced. I asked to upgrade my room, which I was happy to pay for. It's ten dollars. And it was like, I was asking for the moon. Meanwhile, no one is even staying in the hotel. They have plenty of rooms for anyone to stay in. Taking the shuttle was a hassle. I've just never dealt with people who are so incredibly rude for no reason. There is no one in the hotel, and no one is asking for very much. We would like to take the shuttle to Cornell, we would like a better room. It was just completely unacceptable and ridiculous. read more

This is a great place to party! If your room is not big enough to entertain all your rowdy friends, just look for the lobby near the 400 block of rooms. The staff takes a hands off approach dealing with parties so you can get away with even leaving your trash in the halls. read more

The Best Western University Inn is extremely close to Cornell University (less than five minute drive) and has high ceilings just like they have on HGTV. But behind the veil of elegance lies a "cleaning" "service" that doesn't actually provide any services, let alone cleaning services. No 'do not disturb sign,' no clean towels, no coming back. Further behind this veil I found a moldy bagel at breakfast and an "unavailable" coffee machine at 7am. On the bright side though, they did have chocolate chips so I could skip the bagel and go straight for a chocolate chip waffle -- just like momma made. read more

It's hard to find reasonably priced lodging in this ivy league college town but you'd figure hotels at these prices with proximity to the famed hotel school would learn a thing or two about the hospitality industry. Apparently not so with this Best Western just a scant stone's throw from Cornell's Collegetown and the hotel school and engineering quad. Check in was smooth and friendly, and the initial impression of the room was good: roomy and airy with high tudor style ceilings with sky-lights. The bathrooms were clean and roomy. But then the imperfections started to bare themselves: the corners of the room were unclean, evidence of sloppy vacuuming. Mattresses were sagging, in need of a refresh. Roll-aways were stored in the hallways. Repeated calls to the front desk went unanswered...when we visited the front desk, they said we had to dial the operator. (Why have a front desk button on the phone?) The free breakfast was served by a employee with a scowl on her face and literally threw food and condiments into their respective containers. Not a friendly greeting from anyone. The exercise room had no towels, but at least the dated equipment worked. Hallways were not very clean and the infrastructure showed signs of wear. On the good side, the price was the best we could find so close to campus. If you're on a college visit, the proximity to the biotech building where the arts and sciences info session and engineering quad is compelling. Also it's in a plaza with a super market and a rite aid near by. There are much better places to stay, but at a price. The distance to campus can't be beat. read more

I am a fan. It's clean, easy to check in, easy to get to the room, and the room has all the basic stuff you need. We had a single with a king-bed which, honestly, was extremely comfortable - we slept very well. Linens are all white, crisp, clean. Bathroom has just enough updates to make it feel attended to - granite counters, neutral decor, white accessories. The room has a high, peaked ceiling which makes you feel like you're in a larger space, which is nice. We hemmed and hawed about booking this place because photos make it seem a little dated, but it's really not that way in person. Can't imagine anyone's staying here for the views (strip mall or open field) or the luxury (at this price??), so for what it's supposed to be, it's great. We'll be back, for sure. read more

Even though I feel like the hotel structure is still stuck in the 70s and wasn't a big fan o the motel-like feel, everyone was super nice and I enjoyed immensely the free shuttle to and from Cornell. It made trying to figure out where to go so much easier. The location could use some sprucing up, but the shuttle in and out without Having to think and the staff made my overall stay enjoyable. read more

I stayed at this hotel for 3 days and 2 nights. The service was good and the staff were super nice and accommodating. The beds were comfortable and everything was decently clean. Too bad it's so expensive compared to other Best Westerns. The continental breakfast was typical...hot and cold foods available. I would love to stay here again on my next visit to Ithace, if it did not cost me close to 150$ a night. If there were a better deal, I would definitely come back. It is also very close to supermarkets and fast food restaurants. read more

Great proximity to Collegetown and a supermarket, but the room you get for the price you pay is pretty bad. Uselessly high ceilings that swallow up any meager light provided from lamps, dirty floors, boring decor. They have a great location and they know it, as little effort is made elsewhere. Have to give them credit for the free WiFi and the breakfast, however. read more

Horrible place...the pool is a joke. Located in an abandon mall...pay a little more.....MUST SKIP!