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Valley ties run deep at Chautauqua hotel
(by Joan Demirjian - August 27, 2009)
Valley ties run deep at Chautauqua hotel
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Pepper Pike resident Robert Freed, a spokesman for the Spencer Hotel at the Chautauqua Institution of Western New York, said Chautauqua is a magnet for local residents.
"The number of people who come here from the Chagrin Valley is amazing," Mr. Freed said.
It is the third year for the Chautauqua programming in Chagrin Falls, which features speakers from the institution. The programming has been a factor in the number of visitors from the Chagrin Valley, he said.
The 2009 Chautauqua-in-Chagrin series is comprised of evening lectures and performances. The theme this year is "Imagine a World of Peace through Compassion."
Chautauqua Institution of Western New York is a two-hour drive from the Chagrin Valley, Mr. Freed said.
Lake Chautauqua is 26 miles long and is surrounded by housing, including condominiums, hotels and inns, he said.
Once a boarding house, the Spencer Hotel, located in the heart of Chautauqua Institution, is celebrating 100 years, said Mr. Freed, marketing consultant at the hotel.
Helen Edgington purchased the Spencer Hotel in 1999 and totally renovated the building, Mr. Freed said. It has 24 guest rooms with two spa rooms and community areas with modern amenities, including wireless Internet access.
The hotel offers cultural and recreational activities, including writers, artists and wellness workshops. It is the only literary-themed hotel in the county, he said. Every guest room is themed after a famous writer.
They are decorated by local artists to depict scenes from the works of the authors. Music is provided from the authors' times, Mr. Freed said.
There are four floors with outdoor porches, along with a dining room and meeting areas.
The hotel's ambience and programs along with the Chautauqua attractions make it a year-round destination, said Ms. Edgington, hotel proprietress.
Keith and Tammy Fuller, of Bainbridge, spent a night there for their 22nd anniversary. The Victorian mansion had "very nice accommodations," Mrs. Fuller said. "It's like a large bed and breakfast."
They were in the Agatha Christie room. Her books were available in the room to read, Mrs. Fuller said. Other authors include Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens and Isak Dinesen.
Breakfast is included, with piano music. "It is very romantic," Mrs. Fuller said.
"We walked around Chautauqua Lake, where there are many older homes," Mrs. Fuller said.
At the hotel, there are porches where guests can sit and listen to music at the nearby amphitheater, she said.
The Fullers visited during the off-season. "It was a nice place to go for peace and quiet," she said.
"Chautauqua Institution is a gated community and many houses go back to the turn of the century," Mr. Freed said.
It has its own orchestra and there are lectures and an opera company, and camps in theater and music for children.
"It's world famous," he said of the institution. "It's gorgeous here."
There is a high population of Chagrin Valley residents coming here," Mr. Freed said. "It's the reason Chautauqua allowed its programming in Chagrin Falls."
It is logical to hold the Chautauqua programming in Chagrin Falls, he said. "There is a marketing demand there. It's incredible."
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