Buffalo is Hot for Summer
Forget everything you think you know about Buffalo. This is the hot city for summer vacations. Buffalo has world-class architecture, an expanse of waterfront parks, award-winning food and beverage, and some of the kindest people you’ll find anywhere. Look no further for your next getaway; Buffalo, New York is where it’s at.
After years of economic downtown, entrepreneurs, artists, business people and college grads are flocking to the city to take advantage of affordable real estate, a creative talent pool, natural resources and historic landscapes to craft new uses for old things. Former grain silos are now art installations, abandoned warehouses store craft brews and distilled spirits, while former vacant lots host concerts and food truck gatherings.
Plan your stay to one of a number of new hotels popping up in and around downtown. Here’s three that peaked my interest during a recent adventure:
The Curtiss Hotel, opening this summer, will be the ultimate luxury experience. Hearkening back to the days of Buffalo’s early 19th-century wealth, the renovation leaves no detail untouched. The 68 rooms and suites feature aromatherapy showers, Japanese Toto toilets, and Italian linens. The former office building’s other amenities include an urban hot springs lap pool, roof deck with views of Lake Erie, and a men’s grooming salon. On the first floor, the hotel restaurant features a revolving bar reminiscent of Buffalo’s once famed Chez Ami restaurant. http://curtisshotel.com/
Staying in a former State Asylum might sound like an odd choice, but the new 88-room Hotel Henry feels more enlightened than institutional. The building, the Gothic masterpiece Richardson Olmstead Campus, is being transformed into hotel and event space. Designed by noted American architect H.H. Richardson and landscape pioneer Frederick Law Olmstead, the space is sprawling, commanding, and bold. https://www.hotelhenry.com/
At the swanky, 116-room Westin Buffalo, enjoy homemade chocolate chip cookies at the café, or have them delivered to your door by a robot butler – the first in New York State. The Relay Robot delivers everything from snacks to running shoes, navigating the elevators and hallways as it responds to room service calls. The hotel’s lobby has a comfortable contemporary feel, with bold artwork and a modern fireplace. The location can’t be beaten, and the free shuttle is helpful on a night out. http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=4247&language=en_US
Read more about Buffalo’s amazing transformation in my upcoming travel article in the July/August issue of (585) Magazine: http://www.585mag.com/
And check out info and photos from my Buffalo episode of Fringe Benefits in the Photo Gallery, Episode Guide, and Destination Guide.