Thank you to all our guest volunteers who helped open up the Shaw, Bird-Werner, and Westervelt houses in June and close them down in late August and September. The ECOC would not be ready on time, nor continue to be in as good a shape without your help. Your time, effort, and skills are truly valued and appreciated.

Two months after another fantastic season, the leaves are falling, the air is chilly, the days are shorter, and the winter curtains have gone up on the ECOC for its long winter’s rest.

As you may know, this past season we debuted new weekday events. The Saturday Wine and Cheese social was a big hit, as were the Monday Midday Talks at the UCC Randell Chapel and our Porch Chats. Thank you to our presenters and facilitators for these events which enrich us.

Look out for information in the spring on pre- and post-season volunteer days. (As a reminder, if you volunteer for 16 hours, you earn a priority registration date for the next season.) Duties include painting, minor repairs and plumbing, window washing, gardening, cleaning, and opening up the rooms. There will be tasks for all skill levels.
Many hands make light work and a lot of fun too! If you are interested, send an email to ECOCManagers@gmail.com.

Before we know it, we’ll be heading back to Chautauqua and the ECOC, our home
away from home, to make new friends, see old friends, and immerse ourselves in the
community and fellowship of the ECOC.

~ Aimee Doershuk, ECOC Manager

We have fifty rooms available for guests during Chautauqua Institution’s 9-week season. The ECOC is comprised of three buildings: the Bird-Werner at 23 Roberts Ave, the Shaw at 25 Roberts, and the Westervelt at 28 South Terrace.

Location, location, location! – The ECOC’s buildings are located next to the Amphitheater (Amp, for short) where the morning religious (ecumenical) services, morning lectures, and evening performances take place. So, we are steps away from much of the program activity. The ECOC is one block from Bestor Plaza, the village green, which is bordered by the public library, post office, and most of the shops and restaurants on the grounds. The Plaza is also where one can catch the Chautauqua Institution’s bus and tram services. The ECOC is three blocks from Chautauqua Lake and the Sports Club.

Community – All our houses are shared living spaces with multiple guest rooms on each floor. Guests share all the porches and meet one another as they prepare and eat their meals in the community kitchens. Each kitchen has a host or hostess who is there to answer your questions and be a resource during your stay. There are many opportunities to build friendships with the other guests. Each week, we’ll have a Saturday social at 5pm on our second-floor porch, our Monday Midday Talk, our Tuesday afternoon social, plus more!

Affordability – Our buildings bring you back to the earlier days of Chautauqua. We offer old-fashioned, modest-sized bedrooms, each with a sink, ceiling fan and room fan*, and vintage charm. Each floor has one or two shared bathrooms. (A handful of bedrooms have half or full bathrooms, but these go first to those whose health require them.) We ask our guests to bring their own sheets and towels and to clean their room before they go. Our guests’ participation in this way helps the ECOC continue to offer the largest number of affordable rooms at Chautauqua.  *Our buildings are not air conditioned.

• In your room: pillows, blankets, bedspreads, mattress pads, ceiling fan and 1-2 fans.
• On your floor: cleaning supplies and a vacuum are provided for cleaning your room before you leave.
• In the community kitchens: cookware, small appliances, eating utensils, dishes and glassware, dish soap, dish towels filtered water, and ice maker. You will be assigned a table, refrigerator shelf space, and shelf space on or near your table for non-perishables.
• On the side patio: a propane grill, shared by all three houses, is also available for guests.
• A bike rack is available for guest use: The bike shop on the grounds rents bikes for kids and adults. (New York state requires children under 14 to wear a helmet.)

• Observe Quiet Hours ~ 11 P.M. to 7 A.M.
• We don’t allow smoking or vaping of any type or kind, candles, or illegal drugs in the three houses, on the porches, or around the buildings.
• Wine and beer may be consumed in the three ECOC kitchens and at the table by the grill. Wine and beer are NOT allowed in the rooms.
• Rooms have a limit to the number of occupants. We ask that you honor that limit.
• Please bring your own sheets and towels. If you are unable to bring your own linens, please check the box on the reservation form. Linen rentals (sheets & towels) are $20.00 per person.
• Because the ECOC is a 'community living' space, we ask our guests to do their part to help keep the kitchens clean, neat and orderly. Please leave your room neat and clean upon your departure to help keep ECOC rates affordable. Room and kitchen assignments may change. Guests who do not clean their accommodation will be charged a cleaning fee, due upon receipt.
• UPDATED Cancellation Policy: Before May 1st, reservations are refundable, except for the $100 deposit. From May 1 to June 1, reservations are 50% refundable, excluding non-refundable deposit. No refunds for cancellations after June 1.
• All guests must be capable of self-preservation and able to evacuate the building without the use of an elevator.
• Anyone living with a physical disability or cognitive impairment must be able to function independently or with a minimum of assistance provided by an accompanying caregiver. This means they can perform the Activities of Daily Living* with minimal assistance, safely use the kitchen facilities, and follow the rules of the ECOC independently.  *Eating, bathing, dressing, toileting/continence, managing safe entry and exit from the building.
• For those guests living with a cognitive impairment, there is a one-week limit on staying at the ECOC and supervision by a caregiver is required 24/7. Should the caregiver find it difficult to fulfill this policy, the guest and caregiver may be asked to leave for the safety of all.
• Because our guests live in close quarters (e.g., sharing kitchens and bathrooms), if a guest tests positive for Covid, they will be asked to leave in order to safeguard the health of our other guests.
• If you have children (12 & under) with you, we strongly recommend they be enrolled in Children’s School, Club, or Special Studies classes since we do not have a play area and our proximity to the Amphitheater requires relative quiet.
  • We ask parents to have their children (12 & under) always under their supervision while they are in the buildings (including kitchens and porches). Children are not to be left on their own while parents attend programs. And an adult must reside in the room with children 17 and younger.
• If you bring a bike, it must be labeled with the owner’s name and parked in the ECOC bike rack provided. Bicycle locks are recommended. Bikes cannot be stored in a guest’s room. Sometimes bikes disappear, so registering your bicycle with the Chautauqua Police Department may increase chances of recovering the bicycle if it is borrowed (or stolen).

*Booking a room with us means you agree to abide by these policies.

• Reservation Submittal Schedule:
  • Nov 15th – Clergy & 2025 Volunteers (min. 16 hrs. in 2025)
  • Dec 1 – Returning Guests
  • Jan 1 – New Guests
• To accommodate as many guests as possible, we have a 3-week limit for reservations. If you are interested in a fourth week, email ecocregistrar@gmail.com.
• Rooms are rented by the week from Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning**. Please indicate several room and alternate week choices on your Reservation Request. The 2026 Chautauqua season starts Saturday, June 27th and ends Sunday, August 30th. Information about the season’s themes can be found at CHQ.org. ** Week 9 gate pass ends on Sun, Aug 30. Room rate is higher because it includes an additional night.
• No specific room or certain kitchen is guaranteed from year to year. First floor rooms with half baths or full bathrooms will be given first to those whose health requires them. Preferred kitchen requests will be honored, if possible.
• All guests’ names must be included on the Reservation Request form at the time of booking. Changes must be reported prior to Check-In.
• A $100 deposit will be required with your reservation request. We invite you to add a $30 (per room/per week) contribution to your deposit to help us care for our buildings.
• Gate passes are required and can be purchased from the Institution in advance. If you drive to Chautauqua, you will also need to purchase a parking pass. These are not included in the room rate. See CHQ Gate Pass Prices for more info.
• **ROOM RATES: The room rate depends on if the room has a private bath or half bath and whether the guest is clergy. Rates do not include taxes. Please bring your own sheets and towels. If you are unable to do this, please contact the Registrar, and there will be an additional fee. We have single rooms, double rooms, family units and two (2) studio apartments that sleep 2-5 people.
• 2026 Weekly Rates* (not including taxes):
  • Sleeps 1 – $275-$330 (twin bed, only 6 rooms available)
  • Sleeps 1 or 2 – $370 (double/queen or 2 twins)
  • Sleeps 2 with a half bath – $530
  • Sleeps 2 with a full bath – $690
  • Sleeps 3 – $445
  • Sleeps 3 with a half bath – $595-$605
  • Sleeps 3 with a full bath – $765
  • Sleeps 4 with a half bath – $690
  • Sleeps 4-5 with a full bath – $770
  • Sleeps 2-5 (studio apt w/kitchenette & full bath) – $930
  • * Since the Week 9 gate pass ends on Sun, Aug 30, Week 9 room rates will be higher
    than listed above because they include an additional night.
• We have a limited number of Scholarships available to cover the cost of a gate pass and accommodation for one week. If interested, please see our Scholarships page for more details and links to the applications which are due by January 15th.
• If you are struggling financially and are planning to come for one week only, you can request a 10% discount to be paid from our Centennial Campaign's Affordability Fund. To do so, check the Affordability Fund box on the online reservation portal or our reservation request form.
• Check-in time is Saturday between 2:30 P.M. & 6 P.M. at the Office in the Shaw House at 25 Roberts. If necessary, alternate check-in arrangements can be made ahead of time by contacting the Registrar at 716-581-3659.
• Check-out time at the end of your stay is by 10:00 A.M. on Saturday. Please remember that your weekly gate pass also expires at 10 AM. If you exit the grounds after 10am, you may be liable for an additional Gate Fee.

1. Online: Fill out the Online Reservation Form. When completing the form, you can choose to pay your deposit online or to send a check. We invite you to add $30 (per room/per week) to your deposit to help us care for our buildings.
2. By Mail: Download, Print, and Fill out the *Room Reservation Request Form and ECOC Policies Agreement/Emergency Contact Sheet. Mail forms in with your $100 deposit (per room/per week) check. We invite you to add a $30 (per room/per week) contribution to your deposit to help us care for our buildings. Your Reservation Request Form, the ECOC Policies Agreement/Emergency Contact Form, and your Deposit are all required before we can process your reservation.

*Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download)

1. If you pay your deposit online, you will immediately receive an email confirming receipt of your deposit and reservation request. If you pay with a check, you will receive an email when we have received your deposit and reservation request.
2. **Clergy, Volunteers, & Returning guests will receive confirmation of their Week by Jan 26th. That is, we will confirm whether we have room for you for the week (or weeks) you have requested. New guests will receive confirmation of their Week after Feb 16th. If we do not have a room for you in your desired week(s), we’ll put you on a waiting list for that week or weeks.
3. Room confirmation and an invoice with your balance due will be sent by April 1st. Your full balance payment will be due by May 1st. All payments must be in US funds.
4. **2026 Cancellation Policy:
   1. Before May 1st, reservations are refundable, except for your $100 deposit.
   2. From May 1 to June 1, reservations are 50% refundable, excluding non-refundable deposit.
   3. No refunds for cancellations after June 1. 
   4. Any payment which isn’t refunded will become a tax-deductible donation, and a receipt for that donation will be emailed to you.
   5. If you find it necessary to cancel or reschedule your reservation, please notify the Registrars asap – ECOCRegistrar@gmail.com or (716) 581-3659. 
   6. Requests to reschedule will be accommodated on an ‘as available’ basis.