Geneva On The Lake is the closest thing the Finger Lakes has to a European grand hotel, and it has been since 1911. The Italianate villa sits on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake at the edge of Geneva, its formal gardens running down to the waterfront in a way that makes you briefly forget you're in central New York. The interiors are furnished with Stickley pieces — the original Arts and Crafts furniture, not reproductions — and the suites feel more like private apartments than hotel rooms. One-bedroom suites with lake views are the move, particularly in the evening when the sun drops behind the western hills and the entire property goes gold.

The resort channels a kind of restrained elegance that's increasingly rare in American hospitality. There are no gimmicks, no trendy design concepts, no lobby DJ. Instead: a dining room that serves composed meals, gardens where you can walk without encountering another guest, and a quietness that borders on meditative. The holiday season transforms the property with extensive decorations, making it one of the most atmospheric winter stays in the region. Geneva On The Lake has won FLX Finest Gold for both Best Boutique Hotel/Inn and Best Hotel/Lodging, a sweep that reflects its singular position in the market.

The location compounds the appeal. Geneva's restaurant scene — arguably the strongest in the Finger Lakes — is a short drive north along the lake. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail's 30-plus tasting rooms loop south from the resort's doorstep. But many guests find that once they settle into a suite with a lake view and a bottle of local Riesling, leaving the grounds becomes optional. That's the kind of place this is.