Genesse Grande
1060 East Genesse St
Syracuse, NY 13210
315-476-5323

Genesse Grande Home Page

February 2011

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at Genesse Grande Hotel in Syracuse, NY.

Accommodations

	We stayed in a Jacuzzi suite. We were shocked when we entered the suite as it was massive – it even had its own foyer. The décor was French-inspired and sophisticated yet a notch below over-the-top, if that makes sense. The bedroom itself was large with windows on two sides (it was a corner suite). There was a massive king bed with upholstered headboard and a bench at the bottom. This was a very comfortable bed with sumptuous linens and high thread-count sheets. There were two nightstands with an iHome on one to accommodate an iPod.
	There was a walk-in closet with a safe. A large flat-screen TV was viewable from the bed. The bathroom was off the bedroom and was massive. It was granite and appeared to have been recently updated. There were more towels than we could use, a large whirlpool that was more than big enough for the two of us, a very large vanity, and a nice-sized shower. The only thing that was missing was a dimmer for the lights.
	These two rooms would have been enough – but on the other side of the foyer was a spacious sitting room with couch and two upholstered chairs, with an armoire that contained another large flat-screen TV and a small refrigerator. Adjacent to that room was yet another room with some chairs and a desk – presumably for working. We felt spoiled rotten! It would have been nice if some bottled water was supplied in the fridge.

Inn Amenities

This is a large hotel but isn’t particularly chock-full of amenities – but it didn’t matter as that’s not what we were there for. One amenity we did use was their complimentary shuttle – we took it to dinner and called for a ride home. It was indeed complimentary but Ernesto the driver was so pleasant that we tipped him well.

Inn Food

We had one meal at the hotel – breakfast. We both opted for eggs benedict with hash browns. We asked for unsweetened iced tea but were told “it just started brewing” (it was noon) so we went for Pepsi instead (we aren’t coffee drinkers). Keith got his benedict with meat and Lori asked for hers without meat. When our meals were delivered Keith got what he asked for. Lori simply got a bowl with eggs and hollandaise sauce – no English muffins or hash browns. The server hustled off but when he returned Lori patiently explained she had ordered the eggs benedict meal – just minus the meat. He apologized and returned with a plate of hash browns. She wanted the English muffing too but just gave up and poured the egg mixture over the potatoes. It wasn’t the fault of our server but rather the waiter, who made himself scarce. We actually saw him peeking through a doorway at us at one point and when we saw him he disappeared – very strange. We had to wait some time for drink refills. So while the food was fine the service was odd.

Inn Bar/Lounge

We did visit the bar in the evening for a glass of wine. They had a good selection but the wine Lori chose wasn’t available and she had to order a different type. The wine pours were generous and were served in good quality stemware.

Inn People/Service

The people staffing the front desk were friendly and attentive. We didn’t even know they had a shuttle service. When we checked in we inquired about getting a taxi; after discovering we were indeed eating downtown he offered the shuttle service to us, which was great.

Area/Attractions

The hotel is located in downtown Syracuse, close to Syracuse University and only a block from Syracuse Stage, which was our destination the following day. We went to see the closing performance of Rent, and it was indeed an incredible presentation. The sets were well-done, the casting was excellent, and there were some very strong singers. We thoroughly enjoyed the musical and will return for other plays.

Dining Laci’s Tapas Bar - 304 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13203 315-218-6361
Laci's Tapas Bar Home Page
We had dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary at Laci’s Tapas Bar. We have enjoyed tapas in the past and like the concept of multiple small plates that can be shared. The restaurant is housed in a brownstone that has been nicely renovated. It was winter in Syracuse and the moment we walked in, we were enveloped in the warm aura of the place, as well as a warm greeting from co-owner Laura Serway. Note that reservations are highly recommended any evening, but especially on weekends (we went there on a Saturday night). This is not the sort of place to turn you away if you don’t have a reservation but do yourself a favor and plan ahead so you get a nice seat and great, leisurely service. There are a good number of wines available by the glass – which goes along well with the very idea of sampling various savory nibbles. We each had white wine – Lori had sauvignon blanc and Keith had chardonnay.

We started with Laci’s Lollipops – small tomatoes stuffed with fresh mozzarella, basil, and drizzled with olive oil. Thin wooden skewers pierced the end of these delectable morsels and they were displayed in a glass vase…as lollipops. They almost looked too cute to eat! What a great idea.

Next up was something that sounded too good to resist – Mac ‘N Cheese eggrolls. Yes – real eggrolls stuffed with home-made macaroni and cheese. There were three long egg rolls: one was plain mac ‘n cheese, one had bits of ham, and one had bits of lobster. They were then halved to provide 6 nice portions. We each had a plain eggroll (although there was nothing plain about it), Keith had the ham, and Lori claimed the lobster. It was absolutely delicious. When we tell people about our dinner there and about these eggrolls the unanimous response is: “That sounds incredible!” There were many things we were considering but ultimately we opted to split the Cheese ‘N Fruit Platter: warm brie, goat cheese, Swiss, smoked gouda, apples, grapes, pears, and small slices of bread. It was quite satisfying. Additionally we were served small slices of bread with hummus. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal as well as the excellent, attentive service. The place was packed on a cold, snowy night and the patrons in our vicinity raved about the food. We knew we would be back to sample the many things we missed.

After dinner we went to the bar and chatted with the bartender and Laura Serwall. Her co-owner and chef Cindy Seymour came out to chat with us a bit and they seemed genuinely concerned that we have a wonderful dining experience there – which we did. We highly recommend this restaurant – not only is the food and service excellent but its warm interior left us with an afterglow that we associate with some of our best culinary experiences.

Nightlife

There are plenty of bars in downtown Syracuse; if nightlife is the goal, it might be a good idea to visit Armory Square.

Weather

We were in downtown Syracuse in February. Syracuse has the reputation of the snowiest metropolitan area in the U.S. and this winter was no exception. But Syracuse also does an excellent job of snow removal (they have to). If you visit in the winter, take a warm coat and boots.

Tips/Suggestions

If you stay at the Genesee Grande and want to go somewhere downtown, use the shuttle. While Syracuse has ample affordable parking downtown, the shuttle is less of a hassle and is a good idea if you plan to have drinks.