The Otesaga: A Historic Grand Dame Resort Since 1909

A magnificent, Federal-style structure with an imposing front portico supported by massive 30-foot columns, The Otesaga occupies 700 feet of lakefront on the southern shore of Lake Otsego, the famed "Glimmerglass" of James Fenimore Cooper's novels. 

On July 12, 1909, the local paper wrote, "No more fortunate location could have been chosen for a hotel.  From its windows and broad veranda, a view as charming as the Divine Hand ever painted fills the eye, while refreshing breezes from over the gentle waters fan the brow." 

Designed by New York architect Percy Griffin, The Otesaga was considered a marvel not just for its architectural beauty, sumptuous appointments and army of staff, but also for its engineering.  When it opened, much was made of its 400 windows, the refrigerator that was cooled with 30 tons of ice, the central heating that could be individually adjusted, and the telephones in each room. 

Like many attractions in the tiny Village of Cooperstown, New York, The Otesaga was conceived by members of the Clark family.  Heirs to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, the Clarks have been the prime benefactors of the village since the mid-nineteenth century. In this case, it was Edward Severin Clark and Stephen Carlton Clark, Sr. who had the foresight to purchase ten lakeside acres on which the Holt-Averill mansion stood. In its place, the brothers decided to build a resort that would attract "automobile tourists" motoring up from New York in their newfangled horseless carriages. 

Now, a multi-million dollar renovation and modernization program has restored The Otesaga to its original grandeur.  The Otesaga regularly receives the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award, for providing exceptional accommodations, excellent service and an elegant atmosphere. 

Fine Dining

Fine dining has always been a part of The Otesaga's tradition of gracious hospitality. The first meal served in 1909 featured caviar canapes, broiled halibut with potatoes Parisiennes, Lamb Chops Monte Carlo, seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits, and desserts like coconut cake and rhubarb pie.

Today, The Otesaga, which operates on the American Plan, offers a variety of dining options. Located in the west wing, the formal Main Dining Room serves breakfast, buffet lunch and dinner. Gentlemen are required to wear jackets for evening meals, which are accompanied by piano music and candlelight. The five-course menu changes daily. The more informal Hawkeye Bar & Grill on the ground level offers meals in an intimate, mahogany-paneled setting. Next door in the Templeton Lounge, which is directly below the main lobby, guests can enjoy cocktails and dancing to live music six nights a week. 

Named executive chef in April 2005, David McLean Lockwood, a native of Oriskany New York, maintains the standards of the gourmet cuisine and oversees the kitchens of both the Main Dining Room and the Hawkeye Bar & Grill, along with handling catering operations. 

A native of Oriskany New York, Chef David Lockwood began his culinary career at the age of fifteen as an apprentice in a historic landmark, Trinkaus Manor Restaurant in Upstate New York.  He then ventured into the United States Army, 82nd Airborne where he spent the next three years serving for one of the most elite dining facilities in the entire armed forces, and was selected for several culinary arts competition.  Chef Lockwood then went directly to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he graduated and was presented with the Richard T. Keating Award, a recognition he received as the student most likely to succeed. 

Prior to joining The Otesaga, Chef Lockwood honed his craft at many prestigious hotels and resorts including several Ritz Carlton's and the famed Peabody and Portofino Bay Hotels in Orlando.  Most recently as Executive Chef at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, he achieved a 5 diamond award in 2002. 

In 2000, The Otesaga's two kitchens were renovated at a cost of $3 million.  The kitchens were gutted and then updated with state-of-the-art refrigeration and ventilation equipment and new ovens.  All renovations were completed within the existing framework, including the addition of a new service elevator and an up-to-date exhaust system, which replaced the brick chimney that had been in service since 1909. 

Sports and Meetings

As befits a world-class resort, The Otesaga offers an array of sports and recreational facilities, including a brand-new, heated lakefront pool. The hotel's Leatherstocking Golf Course is itself a Cooperstown classic � a challenging, 18-hole course designed by Devereux Emmet in 1909 with small greens protected by bunkers.  The Otesaga was voted by readers of Condé Nast Traveler one of the 50 top U.S. golf resorts, and Leatherstocking Golf Course received the second highest overall rating for public courses in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in Zagat's golf course survey. 
Under the direction of PGA member Dan Spooner, the resort offers first-rate instruction and facilities at the Leatherstocking Golf School. 

A complimentary, on-site fitness center was added and is available to all guests.  Additionally, the Clark Sports Center, a state-of-the-art facility just a few minutes drive from the hotel, is also available for a nominal fee.  The Clark Sports Center offers a complete range of fitness classes, squash and racquetball courts, an Olympic pool, climbing wall, basketball, weight training and other sports activities. 

In keeping with its name, which is derived from the Iroquois word for "a place of meeting ," meeting and conference planners will find The Otesaga ideal for groups as large as 350.  The hotel features 13 meeting and conference rooms of various sizes, from the 2,600-square-foot ballroom and equal-sized Main Dining Room to small breakout rooms like the 384-square-foot Pathfinder Room. 

The Otesaga Resort
 607-547-9931
www.otesaga.com