The Aurora Inn
BUILT IN 1833, RESTORED IN 2003
Built in 1833 by Colonel E.B. Morgan, the Aurora Inn was long the favored resting-place for travelers to Aurora, New York, a major stop along the Erie Canal in the Finger Lakes region. Today, this historic New York hotel strikes a perfect balance of historic charm and modern luxury.
The Aurora Inn is best enjoyed in the company of other adults.
Please note that we do not accommodate children under the age of 12.
Aurora Inn Guestrooms
Premier Suite
Deluxe
Premier lake view
Deluxe ADA
Aurora Inn Highlights
- Home to 1833 Kitchen & Bar
- Morning coffee & homemade granola bars
- Lakeside fire pit & s’mores
- Cozy parlor with fireplace and games
- Access to resort activities & events
- Hi-speed wireless Internet access
- In-room safe, ironing board, blow dryer
- Bedside charging stations
- Flat-screen televisions
- Spa-quality bath products
- Down duvets & pillows; Frette linens
- In-room bottled water
- Complimentary parking
- Plush robes
Aurora Inn Premier Suite
Atop a full flight of private stairs, an oasis of privacy and luxury awaits. Tucked into the top floor of the Aurora Inn, each offers a king-sized bed outfitted in fine Frette linens, a comfortable seating area, and with a wet bar with on-demand hot water, minifridge, and complimentary bottled water.
Each suite features a generously sized marble bath with a spacious walk-in shower, a deep soaking tub, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and classic colonial style complement the high-tech amenities found in each suite—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Each morning, your stay at the Aurora Inn includes locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
Premier Suite highlights
- 630 to 655 sq. ft.
- King bed
- Private staircase
- Large seating area
- Marble bath
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
- Wine upon arrival
Aurora Inn Premier Lake View
Perennial guest favorites, these spectacular and spacious rooms each host a luxurious king-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—a comfortable seating area, and a writer’s desk. In the warmer months, a semi-private balcony with rocking chairs offers commanding views of Cayuga Lake. Each room features an elegant bath with marble floors, a walk-in shower, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and classic colonial style complement the high-tech amenities found in each room—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television. In select rooms, a gas fireplace will transform your stay into a cozy retreat.
Each morning, your stay at the Aurora Inn includes locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
Premier Lake View highlights
- 350 to 460 sq. ft.
- King bed
- Commanding lake view
- Semi-private balcony
- Marble bath
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
- Wine upon arrival
Aurora Inn Deluxe
These spacious rooms each host a luxurious king-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—a comfortable seating area, and a writer’s desk. In the warmer months, a semi-private balcony with rocking chairs offers charming views of the village.
Each room features an elegant bath with marble floors, a walk-in shower, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam. In select rooms, a gas fireplace will transform your stay into a cozy retreat.
Designer finishes and classic colonial style complement the high-tech amenities found in each suite—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Each morning, your stay at the Aurora Inn includes locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
deluxe room highlights
- 400 to 435 sq. ft.
- King bed
- Village view
- Semi-private balcony
- Marble bath
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
- Wine upon arrival
Aurora Inn Deluxe ADA
This sunny room hosts a luxurious king-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—a comfortable reading chair, and a writer’s desk. In the warmer months, a semi-private balcony with rocking chairs offers charming views of the village. An elegant bath features an accessible shower with grab bars, a floating vanity counter, marble floors, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and classic colonial style complement the high-tech amenities found in each room—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Each morning, your stay at the Aurora Inn includes locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from stargazing equipment to art kits, our New York Times bestseller library and more.
deluxe ADA highlights
- 365 sq. ft.
- ADA compliant
- King bed
- Village view
- Semi-private balcony
- Marble bath
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
- Wine upon arrival
History of the Aurora Inn
Originally named Aurora House, the Aurora Inn was built in 1833 by Colonel E. B. Morgan, a native of Aurora and co-founder of The New York Times. By the mid-19th century, Aurora became a major stop on the Erie Canal for boats carrying agricultural products from area farmers to New York City. Henry Wells, of Wells Fargo stagecoach fame and the founder of American Express, established Wells College there in 1868.
During its colorful past, the Aurora Inn was a favored overnight destination for travelers borne by coach, canal boat and rail. It has long been a popular spot for students from Wells, Cornell University, and other nearby colleges.
Soon after the inn’s opening, an article appeared in the local newspaper remarking on the inn’s “regularity, neatness and order everywhere exhibited—as well as the thousand little attentions which are paid to the comfort and convenience of travelers.” The writer also raved about the inn’s “uninterrupted view of the water scenery of the most enchanting kind” and its “elegance scarcely surpassed by the most extensive houses of our large towns.”
In the early 1840s, William D. Eagles purchased the inn and engaged his uncle John Eagles to manage it for him. Oil portraits of William Eagles and his wife Nancy now hang above the fireplaces in the reception area and parlor. Portraits of John Eagles, a former sea captain and his wife hang above the restored fireplaces in the dining room and bar. These newly restored portraits were painted in the 19th century by noted artist Charles Loring Elliott.
When a fire destroyed the main building at Wells College in 1888, many students lived temporarily at the Aurora Inn, which they renamed the Wayside Inn. Fire struck again on February 18, 1919, destroying Aurora’s tiny business district between the Schoolhouse and the Aurora Inn.
When the south cornices of the inn caught fire, Wells College President Kerr Duncan Macmillan climbed onto the roof and doused the fire with buckets of water handed to him by the village brigade. Today, charred beams remain under the roof as a reminder of the inn’s narrow escape.
In 1943, the inn was deeded to Wells College. The inn again served as a makeshift residence hall during the 1960s when enrollment at the college increased dramatically and space was tight in the dormitories. One student who lived at the inn recalls that eight students lived in “four tiny rooms upstairs with one bathroom.”
Despite a series of additions, renovations and new managers, the inn struggled financially starting in the 1970s. A drain on the college’s resources, the inn had to be closed several times during the last three decades, most recently in October 2000.
The Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Wells College and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, began a complete renovation of the inn in 2001 to restore its lost luster and make it appealing once again for lodging, dining, and special events. The inn reopened in May 2003.
