Hotel @ The Lafayette, Buffalo

Location

Stay away from Niagara’s sometimes overbearing kitsch and bustle while enjoy the warm communities of Buffalo. Thanks to the hydropower from its salient natural feature, the city boomed in the early 1900s; it was the first American city to have electric streetlights. Today, its boom can still be seen in Art-Deco architecture and a park system that’s the envy of gridlocked Americana. With the hotel itself sited in the city’s centre you’re also only about half an hour’s drive from the NIagara Falls, one of America’s true wonders.

Accommodation

Dating back to Buffalo’s industrial heyday, when it hosted the Pan-American Exposition, the building was designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first professional female architect in the states. The hotel’s accommodation comes in the form of 57 individually styled, Pan-American themed rooms with a choice of guest rooms and suites. All of which feature king or queen sized beds, 40” televisions and wireless internet, serving up complimentary access to The New York Times. The Lafayette Suite is a highlight with its balcony overlooking the square of the same name.

Dining

Multiple restaurants are available onsite including the Pan-American Grill & Brewery, dishing up a range of favourites with everything from spicy chicken wings and bison burgers to flatbreads and sugar beet salads. There’s also the Brawler’s Back Alley Deli; don’t be put off by the name, it serves a range of excellent sour dough sandwiches along with a full complement of hearty breakfasts. Reopening in Spring 2016, there’s the haute cuisine of Butterwood Sweet & Savory, best known for its one-of-a-kind desserts including caramel apple pie and cranberry walnut tart.

Facilities

Aside from its history, one of the most interesting parts of the hotel is its ‘from scratch’ on-site brewery. Go on a tour behind the scenes for beer tastings and a closed-to-the-public look at the basement brewery. If you like your imbibing a little less structured, there’s also the hotel’s atmospheric bar.