Planning a girls’ trip weekend is a fun way to reconnect with your family and create lasting memories. We found a great location in the Inn at Holiday Valley. The Inn at Holiday Valley offers relaxation, swimming, and adventure that will make everyone happy on your next weekend getaway from Rochester.
What’s Inside: The Inn at Holiday Valley was a great location for our Girls’ Trip Weekend. We loved that it is a mix of relaxing activities as well as fun activities for the family.
Girls’ Weekend has been a family tradition in my family since I was young. Every year my mom, sister, and usually a few friends would get together Memorial Weekend for a girl’s trip. This family tradition truly originated with my Grandfather who started a fishing trip with my father. Once my brother started going on the fishing trip, girl’s weekend was born.
My husband and sons were ready to be part of this family tradition with their first fishing trip and my daughter and I were ready to start planning ours. Girls’ trip has taken us to Florida, California, Las Vegas, and even the Bahamas but this year I wanted to keep it close to home. My daughter had a few school commitments and we didn’t have a lot of time to get away.
We were looking for a weekend getaway that was an easy drive, had shops and restaurants to enjoy, and would be a nice place to relax and enjoy each other. We found the perfect location in Ellicottville, New York at the Inn at Holiday Valley.
Girls’ Trip at the Inn at Holiday Valley
The Inn at Holiday Valley offers views of Holiday Valley resort, an indoor/outdoor heated swimming pool, and continental breakfast to start our day. The rooms were spacious to fit us all and had everything we needed. It was the perfect place for our short weekend getaway.
Day 1: Family Road Trip and Check-In at the Inn at Holiday Valley
Ideally, I would have left early in the morning to maximize our time but my daughter had a school field trip that she didn’t want to miss. We decided to pick her up after the trip and start our drive to Holiday Valley in the afternoon. My mom arrived at my house in the morning and we were going to drive together to pick her up and then start our road trip to Ellicottville.
You know I love a good family road trip and before my daughter left for school we had to pack snacks. I was so excited to use my new CleverMade SnapBasket. They sent me one to try out and I was so impressed. It fit all of our snacks perfectly for the trip and I will definitely be using it for all our future trips and to keep the car organized for our summer adventures.
Directions from Rochester to the Inn at Holiday Valley
Our snacks were packed and we were ready to make the drive to Ellicottville. It was a little over a 2 hour drive from Rochester to Ellicottville. There are a few routes you can go but we drove towards Buffalo and took the 219. For a more scenic drive start at the 390-S and follow the directions from there.
Arriving at the Inn at Holiday Valley
We arrived around 4:00pm and it was a gorgeous day. The hills of the resort were a beautiful backdrop to the cute and quaint Inn at Holiday Valley. I had visited Holiday Valley many times in high school for ski club, but a lot has changed in the years since I last visited. The Inn at Holiday Valley is a cute resort that has a chalet style and a welcoming feel as soon as we entered the lobby. (Check out the video at the end of this post to see the lobby, rooms, and more.)
Inn at Holiday Valley Resort Review
Our room was the Queen Loft Suite and it was a perfect fit for my mom, daughter, myself, and my sister and her baby who would be joining us the next day. The room has one queen bed in the loft area and a pull-out sofa bed in the main area. It also has a min-fridge, coffee maker, sink, and table to sit at.
At first I was hesitant about staying two nights on a pull-out bed but it wasn’t too bad. My daughter and I slept well and overall it was a great fit for us. The room was clean and well maintained and I would recommend staying there. Our reservation included a complimentary breakfast, which I think is my daughters favorite part about staying at a hotel! The breakfast changed daily and we enjoyed waffles, sausage, and fruit.
A short walk from our room was the indoor/outdoor pool, the sauna, and the golf course. The resort was very family friendly but most weekends are booked for weddings and golf tournaments. During the day the pools are quiet but in the evening they were a little busier. Our visit during the holiday weekend was very nice and we barely noticed any other guests, even though the resort was booked.
What You Should Know About Holiday Valley Resort
- There are three lodging options: Inn at Holiday Valley, Tamarack Club, and Rental Properties.
- The Inn at Holiday Valley and Tamarack Club are within walking distance of each other and resort guests can use the pools at either resort.
- Tamarack Club has Ellicottville Oasis Full Service Spa on site and John Harvard’s Brew House on site.
- Hike up the mountain to Spruce Lake to enjoy kayaking and paddle boarding.
- Rent mountain bikes.
- Sky High Adventure Park offers an aerial ropes course and a mountain coaster.
- NEW-Happy Gem Mining set to open on June 9th will mimic panning for gold. This experience is for all ages.
Visiting the Village of Ellicottville
After we settled into our room and explored the resort a bit we decided to drive over to the village for dinner and some shopping. Ellicottville village is lined with unique shops and restaurants. Unfortunately for us most of the shops closed around 5:00pm and we were only able to visit one. We did a little shopping in Kazoo II one of my favorite stores in Ellicottville. It is a fun gift shop that offers unique finds. I love all the inspirational books!!
We worked up an appetite shopping and stopped for dinner at The Gin Mill. This cozy restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a variety of menu options. My daughter loves shrimp and was happy to have the grilled shrimp. It was served Cajun style but they were happy to change it for her. My mom and I got the burger and chips but the best part was the Deep Fried Pickles. Served hot and dipped in ranch sauce the deep fried pickles were delicious.
After dinner we were stuffed and ready to go back to the resort. We made our way back and spent a bit of time in the pool before calling it a night. The pool is indoor/outdoor and is heated so it is perfect for an evening swim.
Day 2: More Family and Sky High Adventure Park
Our morning started slow with breakfast at the resort and hanging out in the room. That is what is so great about girls’ trip. We can go at a slower pace and enjoy spending time together without much of an agenda. We had reservations for Sky High Adventure Park in the afternoon so we took it slow, enjoyed our coffee on the balcony, and waited for my sister and her daughter to arrive.
It was exciting to have our first girls’ trip with my sister and her daughter. I love that it is a family tradition that we can keep going as our kids grow up together.
Taking Risks at Sky High Adventure Park
Our big adventure at Sky High Adventure Park was coming up soon and I was a bit nervous. I put on a brave face for my daughter but the thought of climbing through the trees was a bit terrifying to me. Sky High Adventure Park is located up the hill past the Inn at Holiday Valley and Tamarack. There is a parking lot, café, and restrooms at the base of it.
We signed in and made our way to the information presentation. You will learn all about safety and how to do everything correctly. From there you will make your way up the hill to the courses. Sky High Adventure Park has 13 courses and is the largest aerial adventure park in New York State.
At this point my mom stayed with my sisters baby and the three of us made our way up the hill. The hill is not stroller friendly and we were disappointed my mom couldn’t watch us. She ended up walking around while the baby napped but I children must be 7 years and up to experience the courses.
The Adventure Park also has the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster which is a really fun experience. Once you climb the lift to the top you self drive the cart down the hill. You can control how fast or slow the cart goes. To experience the coaster you must be 3 years old(and up) and 38 inches to ride and can purchase tickets when you purchase your Sky High Adventure tickets.
Pizza Dinner, Movie in the Room, and the Unexpected
By the time we finished Sky High Adventure we were pretty exhausted. The experience lasts about 3 hours and it is physically exhausting so we decided it would be best to go back to the room to regroup for our evening plans. As we walked back to the car we realized we had a nail in our tire. There is always something when you travel!
My mom decided to drive to the store to get it fixed and the rest of us heading to the resort for some pool time. As we returned we all realized we really just wanted to relax-so that is what we did!! My mom picked up pizza on the way back and we were ready in our pajamas for a pizza/movie night. We watched one of our favorite family movies: The Greatest Showman and called it a night.
Day 3: Time to Go Home & Where Do We Go Next
The weekend went so fast, but isn’t that how it always feels? We enjoyed our last breakfast at the resort and packed up for the drive home. The Inn at Holiday Valley was an amazing place to start our girls’ trips again. It had everything we could ask for and it the memories that we made we will cherish forever.
I love that my daughter and I are starting these new family traditions that will bring us closer and create memories. That is what family travel and life is all about to me. Spending time with family and living the best you can. The only thing left to do is to decide where do we go next year??
