Idlwilde Inn

Bed and Breakfast

This place is like a fresh breath of heaven. Relaxing with an amazing breakfast. Plenty to do around also. Marcus has made us feel at home and the breakfast is amazing. Stella is a show stealer, and we can’t wait to come back again. — with Amy Dean.

Beautiful, peaceful estate on expansive grounds. Well maintained, gracious hosts and staff. A step back in time.

The Idlwilde Inn is absolutely beautiful! The bedrooms and public spaces are all clean and comfortable. There are several areas inside the house as well as outside where you can sit and relax or play games. The owners and staff were very welcoming and helpful. The breakfasts were delicious! The inn is located close to downtown Watkins Glen, so you can easily walk into town and to Seneca Lake. I highly recommend this place!

Elin and Marcus are very thoughtful and gracious hosts. A nice romantic place to getaway to.

Amazing breakfasts! The owners, Marcus & Elin, are delightful. They are knowledgeable about the area. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Clean rooms.

What a wonderful place to stay for our getaway! The breakfasts are to die for and sitting outside for breakfast, if you choose to, is very enjoyable. Elin, Marcus and the staff are very accommodating and friendly. We loved our comfortable room in the carriage house. The grounds are beautiful, and in the main house there are many tastefully decorated rooms to relax, read, or play games. Our favorite place was the gazebo where we could sip wine and listen to music after a busy day of touristing in the area. This inn is a top notch place to stay!

Great place for gettig away from it all. Wonderful service and breakfast. Many natural wonders to enjoy. Waterfalls galore!

Elin & Marcus were more than accommodating during our two night stay. Upon arrival, Marus met us at the door to welcome us and give a tour of the house and our room. There is plenty to do around the house with multiple locations to relax and play a game of your choosing. My husband and I learned how to play Pente as they had it set up at the same table as chess. We've now ordered our own game to play at home.
Breakfast was fantastic the two days we had it and coffee and tea was available at any time during our stay.
It's a great location to be able to enjoy the area and 30 minutes to Ithaca where there is more. My husband and I spent a majority of our trip hiking; first in Watkins State Park and then Buttermilk Falls.
Elin & Marcus are very attentive to their guests as there were other couples staying at the same time as us and they made sure that everything was to everyone's liking.
My husband and I will definitely be back to spend more time in Watkins with Elin, Marcus, and Stella.

Beautiful B&B. Marcus and Elin are awesome and friendly. The rooms are spacious and beautiful. The house is inviting and comfortable.

We were here this week with 4 couples and we had a wonderful stay. Marcus was always there for us answering questions and suggesting hikes, restaurants and wineries and his wife prepared wonderful breakfasts.

Wonderful charming place to spend a few days!

We had a great visit to Watkins Glen and just love the Idlwilde Inn. Breakfast was amazing both mornings. It’s a beautiful setting and Marcus was very helpful in giving us the lay of the land.

We really enjoyed our stay at Idlwilde Inn. It is a beautiful, clean home and Marcus, Elin and their dog Stella are great! I loved sitting on the porch looking out at the lake in the morning and evenings. Breakfast was delicious. We stayed in room 3 which is one of the smaller rooms but that was fine as the place is so big there was plenty of space to hang out. They have outdoor games and indoor games. We ended up working a puzzle when we weren’t walking around town, going to wineries or hiking the Glen. I always worry a little when I pick a place to stay off the Internet that I know nothing about but this place is amazing!

We had a beautiful weekend at this enchanting, historic mansion so close to our own backyard! Elin and Marcus were gracious and accommodating hosts who made us feel like family. This is an excellent place to stay while wine or beer tasting, or enjoying many of the other exciting attractions in the Watkins Glen area! Romance and history combine with a casual atmosphere. I highly recommend staying at the Idyllwilde Inn — it’s an experience you’ll always remember!

My husband and I stayed at the Idlwilde for six beautiful days for our honeymoon. Room 16 (in the carriage house) was the perfect space for an extended stay, with ample room and a lovely sitting area. The grounds have beautiful views, and we savored every chance to sit on the front porch with our morning coffee, or relax in the evening in the gazebo (very fun that there was an Alexa in there for music on demand! ) Breakfast was delicious, something new everyday. Elin and Marcus, the owners, were so friendly and always willing to give recommendations for spots in the area to explore. We can’t wait to come back!

The hosts of Idlwilde Inn welcome you with graciousness and enthusiasm! They have a beautiful inn and we felt very much at home upon our arrival. Marcus and Elin provide everything you could need to enjoy your stay in Watkins Glen. There are lovely porches where one could sit and read, fun games to play in the parlor, library, or even yard games! And of course there was a delicious breakfast to enjoy in the morning. The location is perfect for walking into town or for enjoying the lake views. We hope to return soon!

What a great, quiet place to stay. The area is absolutely gorgeous, the house is exceptionally clean and well cared for, and the hosts are very friendly and caring. There is so much character and charm to this place, and you just feel welcomed from the moment you arrive. It's very close to town, just don't plan on walking unless you like a challenge on the way back (very steep hill all the way up). Parking at the Inn can be tight, and might be challenging if you have a large vehicle, but it's manageable. Other than that, my wife and I had nothing but an excellent experience during a 2 night stay here (July 2018), and I'd stay again in a heartbeat.

Absolutely perfect! Idwilde Inn was our first stay at a Bed & Breakfest and the 126 year old Victorian Mansion didn’t disappoint. The owners, Marcus and Elin provided a very warm, cozy and welcoming atmosphere with the most delicious breakfast ever! Plus, Stella the Inn’s mascot wonder dog aka family pet is the most adorable pet ever. If visiting the Finger Lakes this is your place to stay!

Marcus and Elin were wonderful hosts. Very friendly and helpful. They served us the most delicious breakfasts. Each morning we woke to the amazing aromas of bacon, coffee and maple syrup. They made us feel welcome to enjoy their home and the surround grounds. My husband and I would sit on the wrap around porch in the evenings and play corn hole on the yard. It was also great to chat with other guests. It had a nice, family feel… more personal and friendly than being at a hotel. Indwilde is a beautiful, historic house convenivently located close to many attractions. We hiked in Watkins Glen, Taughannock, Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman State Parks and enjoyed seeing several waterfalls. There are some lesser known and visited waterfalls in Montour Falls, a neighboring town. I'd recommend seeing Eagle Cliff Falls. You can walk right up to the base of the waterfall. It's spectacular! We also took a boat tour on Seneca Lake, visited a boat museum and ate at many wonderful restaurants. There is so much to see and do in the region. My husband and I hope to return soon and will definitely stay at the Idlwilde Inn again. We highly recommend it!

Everything was perfect. Our greeting was quick, enthusiastic, and clearly we were expected. We were made to feel right at home. The house and room were in great condition, and the view from our room was spectacular. Breakfast each morning was superb; and friendly, happy, energetic conversation was clearly encouraged. While we didn't get to partake, we liked seeing the lawn games on the south side; and we did enjoy a sit in the fountain-side gazebo.

Where to begin? The physical structure of the inn, is true Victorian beauty. My impression was that I wanted to spend at least some part of my time, in as many of the welcoming areas as possible, from the beautiful gazebo (the hosts have provided an Amazon Echo for entertainment, a nice touch) to the absolutely gorgeous wrap around front porch, where morning coffee and a nightly glass of local wine were very much enjoyed. Very, very peaceful. Inside the are several beautifully furnished rooms to enjoy, and relax in, whether playing a game, reading or enjoying the company of family, friends, or fellow travellers. Comfort surrounds you all throughout this inn. Breakfast is prepared by the hostess, and she is a wonderful cook. An excellent way to start the day, before going off on your daily adventure. The dining room itself is a pleasure to sit in, with a beautiful view of the grounds. Marcus, the host, greets the guests every morning with friendly banter and excellent details on the town and of places to experience, whether sight seeing or dining. Room 10 was a cozy room with a nice firm bed, nearly pitch black at night and very quiet and restful. A private deck off of the bathroom afforded a wonderful view of the lake, and was my first visit after a shower for a morning stretch, to take in the scenery. I wish I had booked at least one more night, to enjoy the cozy turret room with its views of the lake.

Idlwilde Inn is absolutely breathtaking. The house is full of interesting things to view. The host was very welcoming. The room was clean. The grounds are well taken care of and beautiful. We stayed for two nights in order to attend a family wedding in the town so we did not get to spend as much time there as we would have liked. Stella was also a fabulous host. She would come over to see me at breakfast for belly rubs and a scratch behind the ears. She made sure she welcomed everyone.

Marcus and Eline (sp? ) were personable host and Eline even gave us a ride while we walked back from town (it was raining). They recently bought the property and you can tell that they have a passion for the hospitality business. The location is great (walking distance of town and the state park, wonderful views), the house is charming, and the dog is super friendly :)

What an amazing stay at this spectacularly beautiful Victorian inn. Set above the village of Watkins Glen with sweeping views of Seneca Lake, this is the place to stay if you are in the Finger Lakes region. The innkeepers, Elin and Marcus Dowd are as friendly and accommodating as you could possibly need. I stayed in room 10. A gorgeous sweet with a great sitting room and a large, well appointed bathroom. Breakfast was delicious, ample and served in a lovely dining room. This place is special and made even more so by these extraordinary hosts. I have stayed at many B&B's all over this land and this is at the top of my list. Can't wait to return!

I highly recommend Idlwilde Inn as a preferred place to stay at Lake Senaca. Marcus and Elin are terrific hosts and made our stay magical. From the warm welcome to the big breakfast's the couple made us feel like we were at home. We stayed in room 6 and it was immaculate, although I'm not sure there is a bad room in the house. If you need a great place to stay I would choose Idlwilde, I know we plan to go back again!

We spend a weekend at Idlwilde and I can't say enough about the location, the place itself and the hospitality of the owners Marcus and Elin. The Inn is simply stunning, with spacious common areas, beautiful decoration and nice lake views. Marcus and Elin were very gracious, made us feel at home and gave us restaurant recommendations for dinner. Breakfast was delicious and we had the chance to interact with other visitors. This is the place to stay for a memorable getaway at Seneca lake.

Beautiful location. Wonderful breakfast was served. The family caring for the house was kind and helpful. I would highly recommend!

Wonderful lodging, walk to the state park or into town.

Most excellent, friendly atmosphere and wonderful hosts.

Beautiful old home. I could sit on the porch all day at peace with the views.

Has the most delightful host, clean room, beautiful grounds, and so convenient to town. "Shae-na" shares her knowledge about the town and the history of the B&B. Would visit again!

Really great B & B. Very cool building and the service was wonderful. Loved the front porch.