The Hotel Clarence

Located in the Finger Lakes, The Hotel Clarence is a historic hotel with an "urban boutique feel" in Seneca Falls, New York. The Hotel Clarence is located in the former Gould Hotel. Which, when built in 1920, was described as “the most complete and perfectly equipped of the smaller hotels of New York State. Four stories in height, absolutely fireproof in construction and equipped in perfect taste and convenience, it is scheduled to become the mecca for travelers and autoists between Rochester and Syracuse.”^[1] More than 80 years later, a $6.2 million renovation has brought new life to this formerly grand building and the owner's vision of bringing a hotel back to the local community.^[2]

The Hotel Clarence's has strong ties to the Hollywood hit It's a Wonderful Life,and the residents claim that when Frank Capra visited this small Upstate New York town in 1945, he was inspired to model the movie's Bedford Falls after it. The town has an annual "It's a Wonderful Life" festival in December to commemorate its connection to the 1946 Hollywood hit.^[3] In an effort to take advantage of this connection, The Hotel Clarence was named after the angel who saves George Bailey, Clarence.

Today, The Hotel Clarence offers an array of services, and in addition to traditional room rentals they have an onsite restaurant, The Kitchen at Hotel Clarence, a banquet room for weddings and other social events, and a venue for corporate conferences. The Kitchen offers regional Italian Cuisine.

References

1. “Seneca Falls Opens $250,000 Hotel,” Syracuse Journal, 1920.
2. "Toni Guidice". "Seneca Falls hotel renamed the Clarence, from It's a Wonderful Life" "The Post Standard", February 20, 2009. Retrieved: November 20, 2009.
3. "McDonald, Joan Barone". "Seneca Falls: It’s a ‘Wonderful’ town." The Buffalo News, November 16, 2008. Retrieved: December 29, 2008.

Websites

Hotel Clarence Website