Ecumenical Community of Chautauqua

ECOC

Reservations

Announcements

  • If you are a returning or new guest, please read all the details below because we’ve made many changes to our Reservation process for 2025.

Manager’s Message

Come to Chautauqua and participate in our volunteer workdays in June and the last week of August! To get our buildings ready for our guests, we’ll be painting, doing minor repairs and plumbing, window washing, gardening, cleaning, and opening up the rooms. At the end of the season, we’ll do minor repairs, clean, and close up the rooms. There will be tasks for all skill levels. We’ll tackle a number of important jobs and have fun while we’re at it. Many hands make light work!

It’s a great time to meet or reconnect with other ECOC guests. We’ll have a cookout and community dinners. Plus, if you volunteer for 16 hours, you will earn priority room assignment in 2026! We hope you will come early before the season or stay late afterwards to help out. If you’re interested, please email us at ECOCManagers@gmail.com.
~ Aimee & Holly

What the ECOC has to offer

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 meet and greet, our Monday midday talk, our Tuesday afternoon social, and a game night.

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.

What the ECOC provides

  • In your room: pillows, blankets, bedspreads, mattress pads, and pillow covers are provided.
  • 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.)

What the ECOC asks of our Guests/Policies*

  • 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 on porches or in the rooms.
  • Rooms have a limit to the number of occupants. We ask that you honor that limit.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • We ask our guests to CLEAN their own room and kitchen space at the end of their stay. By doing this, you help keep room rates low.
    • If you are unable to clean your room, you can let us know and pay the cleaning fee when you pay your balance by May 1st. Cleaning fees are as follows: $45 per room without a bath, $55 per room with a half bath, $65 per room with a full bath, $75 per family room with half or full bath, and $125 per apartment. Guests who do not follow the ECOC room cleaning procedures will be charged the corresponding cleaning fee for their room.

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

Important Info on Reserving a Room (** = new)

    • **All returning guests and ministers can submit a reservation request beginning December 1. New Guests can submit reservations requests beginning January 15.
    • **For 2025, guests can submit a reservation request to stay at the ECOC for up to 4 weeks if your stay includes either the first week (Week 1) or the last week of the season (Week 9). If your stay does not include the first or last week of the season, you may submit a request for up to 3 weeks.
    • 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 2025 Chautauqua season starts Saturday, June 21st and ends Sunday, August 25th. Information about the season’s themes can be found at CHQ.org.
    • 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.
    • **Note for clergy: Due to increased operating costs, clergy discounts are available only by request.
    • 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 up to six (6) people.
    • 2025 Weekly Rates (not including taxes):
      • Sleeps 1 – $250-$300 (twin bed, only 5 rooms available)
      • Sleeps 1 or 2 – $335 (double/queen or 2 twins)
      • Sleeps 2 with a half bath – $480
      • Sleeps 2 with a full bath – $625
      • Sleeps 3 – $405
      • Sleeps 3 with a half bath – $550
      • Sleeps 3 with a full bath – $695
      • Sleeps 4 with a half bath – $625
      • Sleeps 4/5 with a full bath – $770
      • Sleeps 6 (studio apt w/kitchenette & full bath) – Apt A – $845; Apt B – $830
    • We have a limited number of First-time Visitor Scholarships available that cover the cost of a gate pass and accommodation for one week. If interested, please see the Scholarship page on our website, download the application, and submit it by January 1st.
    • 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.

How to submit your Reservation Request

  1. Online: Fill out the Online Reservation Form here. After completing the form, you can pay your deposit online or send a check.
  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.

After you Submit Your Reservation Request

  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. **Returning guests will receive confirmation of their Week by Feb 1st – that is, whether we have room for you for the week (or weeks) you have requested. New guests will receive confirmation of their Week after Feb 15th. If we do not have a room for you in your desired week(s), we’ll put you on a waiting list for those 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. **If you find it necessary to CANCEL or RESCHEDULE your reservation, please notify the Registrars immediately – ECOCRegistrar@gmail.com or (716) 581-3659. Requests to RESCHEDULE will be accommodated on an ‘as available’ basis. Your reservation is 70% refundable if cancelled by June 1 and 50% refundable if cancelled between June 1 and June 14. Any payment which isn’t refunded will become a tax-deductible donation, and a receipt indicating such will be emailed to you.