Who Are We?
We’re a local family raising our four kids here in the village of Skaneateles—and it’s long been a dream of ours to bring a boutique motel like The Gate to life. Before settling down, we traveled the world together, drawn to places where the hospitality was genuine and the experience felt personal. That’s the kind of stay we now hope to offer you.
Whether you're a returning guest or visiting for the first time, our vision is to help you experience Skaneateles at its best. This region is rich with natural beauty, kind people, and moments that become lifelong memories. At the eastern gateway to the Finger Lakes, The Gate is your place to stay thoughtfully and explore freely.
Stories from The Gate
Hi! So if you've found this page, you're curious like a cat. We hope that doesn't come back to haunt you; for now, you're in luck because we're prepared to share a little more about our origin story. We're Seth and Lynn, and we're the innkeepers of the Gate. In 2021, Lynn convinced me (Seth) to buy an unusual investment property in Skaneateles, my hometown. In 2023, we opened it as The Gate. The years in between involved a lot of basement work, some light electrocution, and the gradual realization that Lynn's ambitious ideas keep coming. Who knows what else she'll talk me into... How We Got Here After 15 years in advertising, I left to start my own paperweight company - Weight, Paper, Scissor. Unfortunately it failed immediately, so Lynn decided I needed a different project to keep me busy. Lynn heard about the property from Sunshine, our realtor and friend, who was a welcome audience for all Lynn's business venture ramblings. If you know Lynn, you know she got swept away in the excitement of its potential: good bones, great location, financials that worked on paper. We have experience with passive income investment properties, so we knew how to buy property and generate income. Lynn walked me through the figures - how we'd make it work, that it would be really fun, and would definitely (most likely) break even. It didn't take much convincing. We bought potential and discovered purpose. Elmer Chapman Working in the basement one day, I found a key fob that said "Skaneateles Motel." So it had definitely been a motel. Soon after, we got an even luckier break: descendants of a previous owner stopped in and offered to show us their family photo albums dating back as early as the 1920s - dozens of photos showing the Chapman Motel in its heyday. That's how we learned about Elmer Chapman, who ran this place from 1953 to 1973. Elmer Chapman is now central to our lives, even though we've never met him and barely know anyone who knew him. We don't know him personally or any details of his story beyond what we can see in those family photos and newspaper clippings, but we are pretty sure he had guts. In 1953, Elmer decided to bet on himself and expand from gas station owner to hospitality entrepreneur. We're following the same path seventy years later. What we thought would take a few months took more than two years. Why is that, you ask? Turns out things aren't always as straightforward as the plan, and there's a big difference between designing a motel business and then building and operating one. Collecting rent on an apartment is a pretty stark departure from dealing with guest questions at 11pm, broken air conditioning on the hottest day of summer, and explaining to confused travelers that yes, you do have to actually check out. I learned demolition, framing, plumbing, HVAC, electric, design, plus everything about running a hotel - from finding mattresses that don't suck to dealing with OTAs and trying to get a small motel "on the map." Lynn is responsible for social media (hello, 317 followers and counting!) and occasionally dusts off her amateur yodeling to entertain me when I get lonely from lack of coworkers. We know our guests because we've been every type of traveler - backpackers looking for budget basics, couples wanting romantic escapes, families needing space to spread out, business travelers who just want clean and convenient. We created a place that works for all the travelers we've been. Now that we're raising a family and are less mobile, we welcome travelers who bring their adventures to our doorstep. What We Built Today we have six motel rooms and a cottage at the eastern gateway to the Finger Lakes, each renovated to blend the Chapman Motel's vintage character with everything modern travelers need. We kept what made the original work: park outside your door, peaceful setting among mature trees, walking distance to Skaneateles village. Also hot water, private baths, and heat. The updates reflect our travel experience - smart TVs, reliable WiFi, climate control you can actually adjust, contactless check-in that lets you arrive when you want to arrive. We designed every detail based on stays we've loved and problems we've encountered as travelers ourselves. Soon we'll move into the house that Elmer built for his own family on this property. We'll be living exactly where the Chapman Motel story started, continuing a tradition of hospitality that began with an entrepreneur brave enough to bet on himself. In Spring 2026, we intend to open The Elmer to guests - the original owner's residence converted into a four-bedroom vacation rental that sleeps 10-12. Named for the entrepreneur who started this whole adventure, it's the perfect way to honor what Elmer built while serving how families and groups travel today. The Story Continues You don't need to know everything about your predecessors to learn from them. Sometimes just knowing they succeeded gives you enough confidence to try. His motel catered to travelers that appreciated comfortable amenities, and Elmer showed that a small business can thrive at the edge of Skaneateles and that you can bet on yourself and win. When you stay at The Inn at the Gate, you're adding your chapter to a story that started with an entrepreneur in 1953 who was brave enough to expand from gas station to motel. You'll experience the benefits he created - convenience, character, and connection to beautiful Skaneateles - updated by new proprietors with a strong POV on today's travelers. Turns out you can learn a lot from someone just by living where they lived. Here we go. ~Seth & Lynn
So you're planning a trip to Skaneateles. Maybe it's your first time, maybe you're looking for a different kind of stay this time around. We're excited about what we're doing here - addressing some unspoken challenges of modern travel and creating one more option for overnight visitors to the Finger Lakes. We're something different - seven renovated units at the eastern gateway to the Finger Lakes where you can stay thoughtfully - smart, sophisticated, affordable. After running this place for a couple years and talking to hundreds of guests, here's what we've learned about the guests who really love their stays with us and what they have in common. The Types of Travelers Who End Up Here Weekend Warriors and Summer Escapists Most of our guests are getting out of the city for a long weekend or summer getaway. You want to explore Skaneateles village, maybe hit some wineries, eat well, and not think about work for 48 hours. We had a couple drive all the way from Canada with their bikes to cycle around the lake - now that's commitment to a proper vacation. Wedding and Celebration Guests There are wedding venues all over the area - some have on-site lodging, some don't. If you're planning to be in the village for the after party, you can't do better than being able to walk home after. We've had wedding parties coordinate to book multiple rooms so they could all stay at the same location, which makes the wedding weekend even more fun. Unless you get in a fight with your friends, which also happened once. Luckily, we were having a little after party of our own in our on-site event space (giving industrial, townie vibes not surprisingly), so we got to hear all about it over a few beers and '80s hip hop. What's also not fun is when you have an important event and you've got little kids whose routines aren't flexible. Having a separate bedroom and a kitchenette to store and prepare kid-friendly snacks is a game changer. IYKYK. People Visiting Family Adult kids coming home, relatives gathering for holidays, grandparents visiting grandchildren. Sometimes staying with family isn't practical (or desirable), but you still want to be nearby. Our very first guests were a couple who stayed the whole summer to visit their kids and grandkids who live in the village, and we always look forward to a sunset cocktail with them when they are here. We just wrapped up our third summer with them. We're close enough to most Skaneateles residential areas that you can easily visit but far enough that you have your own space to retreat to. Business Travelers and Extended Stays Regional sales calls, Syracuse area meetings, temporary housing between moves and during construction projects is a big one. Because of our village proximity and our fully-furnished range of options, we're a convenient solution for locals. When we open the Elmer, it will get even better. We've had a private chef follow their client for the summer, needing a place that felt like home but wasn't permanent. Business travelers appreciate that they can work quietly without making small talk over continental breakfast. Event Goers Classic Boat Show, Dickens Christmas, Syracuse University occasions, other college events. We had a group of friends from Buffalo who'd lived there their whole lives and never heard of Skaneateles until their 60s - they loved discovering the village during a quieter weekend. They came in the summer, and they've already booked a return visit to check out the Dickens Christmas festivities in December. What All Our Favorite Guests Have in Common After thousands of check-ins, we've noticed our happiest guests share certain traits. We love all our guests equally, though different, kind of like children... They're curious rather than demanding. They're interested in learning how things work rather than expecting everything to work exactly like their last hotel stay. When we had a guest who couldn't figure out our digital locks and drove away before even stepping inside, that told us something important - we work better for people who approach new experiences with a "let me figure this out" attitude. We had another guest check out because they didn't like our smart TVs and "just wanted to watch the news." That's totally fine - they know what they want, and it wasn't us. What none of us realized (because we don't watch the news on TV) is that all our smart TVs have a live feed to watch news and all kinds of content through digital broadcast - missed opportunity. On the flip side, we've had guests figure out how to cast their own content and generally make themselves at home with the technology. Our best guests are open to the possibilities of self-led hospitality. We are able to keep our operations simple and our costs low, so we can pass more value to our guests with each stay. They prefer having their own space and figuring out their own schedule rather than coordinating with front desk hours or breakfast times. They appreciate authentic experiences - they're not looking for manufactured hospitality but genuine connections to the place they're visiting. Your Room Options The Studio Queen bed, coffee station, smart TV, private bathroom. Best for couples who plan to be out exploring, business travelers who need simple and clean, anyone who doesn't want kitchen responsibilities. Think of it as a really nice hotel room that doesn't smell like industrial cleaning products. The Bungalow Private bedroom, pullout sofa, kitchenette, separate living area. Good for small families or couples who want more space and the ability to make breakfast without putting on real clothes first. The kitchenette handles breakfast and snacks but isn't meant for recreating that amazing pasta you had in Italy. The Chapman House Full kitchen, space for up to 6 people, private deck, cafe booth that becomes everyone's favorite morning spot. Choose this if you want to cook together, have a larger group, or just like having options for where to spend time when someone inevitably wants to watch a different Netflix show. The Elmer (Opening Spring 2026) Four bedrooms, chef's kitchen, multiple living areas, sleeps 10-12. Weekly rentals for family reunions, large friend groups, or anyone who thinks they can get a dozen people to agree on dinner plans for a week. Practical Stuff Rates: Demand-based pricing. Weekdays cheaper, weekends more, special events premium. Book direct at thegatehq.com for best rates. What's included: Parking outside your door, WiFi, climate control you can adjust, and smart TVs. And of course, the hot water, private showers, and heat that our predecessors introduced in the original Chapman Motel debut. Check-in: Completely self-service. You get a text with your door code. No front desk, no key pickup, no required small talk. What we're not: Full-service hotel with daily housekeeping. Party destination. Trying to be cheapest or fanciest. We're for independent travelers who value character and convenience. You'll Probably Like Us If... You value independence over service. You prefer self-service to hand-holding. You want character without resort prices. You like having your own space. You don't need daily housekeeping. You approach new experiences with curiosity rather than rigid expectations. You might prefer traditional lodging if you want daily housekeeping, concierge service, formal check-in procedures, 24/7 front desk, or resort amenities. Better to know upfront than discover it after booking. Local Knowledge We live in Skaneateles and have learned what works for visitors: Restaurant reservations: Not required, but recommended for large groups and particularly in the summer. Village timing: Summer weekends can feel overwhelming, so mid-week visits are a great way to discover the leisurely charm of Skaneateles. Day trips: Finger Lakes wineries, Auburn attractions, Syracuse activities, boat rentals - we can help plan efficient routes. Seasonal reality: Summer is beautiful but crowded. Fall has great weather, fewer people. Winter is quiet but some attractions close. Spring is for the flowers and those who love them (particularly peonies). Ready to Book? We're designed for travelers who appreciate thoughtful details and value independence. Book directly for the best rates. Questions about which room works for your trip? We read and respond to emails and happy to help guide you. When you stay at The Inn at the Gate, you're choosing hosts who understand travel from experience and care about this place because we live here. —Seth & Lynn