Herrington Inn marks 25th anniversary in Geneva

GENEVA – The Herrington Inn and Spa, 15 S. River Lane, Geneva, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of opening its doors in 1993, officials announced in a news release.

Now a 40-room inn with fine dining along the west bank of the Fox River, it was first named the Herrington Inn. The spa portion of its name was added when the spa opened in 2003, within a 21-room addition that was completed in 2001, the release stated.

The Herrington has hosted several heads of state, many A-list celebrities and more than 600,000 guests since then.

“I have quite a few good stories about some of our famous guests,” Paul Ruby, president of Shodeen Hospitality, stated in the release. “Although I can’t share these stories, I encourage the public to tell us about their experiences at the hotel.”

A favorite Herrington memory contest will be announced soon, in which former guests, brides and grooms, and dining patrons can provide a story of their favorite experience at the hotel, restaurant or banquet facility.

The winner will be awarded a special 25th anniversary package of two nights in a one-bedroom suite, champagne, dinner for two in the gazebo, a signature drawn bath and in-suite couple’s massage.

The building was originally the homestead of Geneva’s first settlers James and Charity Herrington, who arrived from Philadelphia in 1835.

In 1874, a small creamery was built on the site, utilizing the fresh water spring that runs underneath the property, the release stated. Butter and cheese were produced there and milk was stored in barrels that were kept cold in the river.

The once-tiny creamery grew and later became known as the Geneva Rocks Spring Creamery, the release stated.

By the late 1890s the building housed the Lancaster Caramel Company, a subsidiary of the Hershey Chocolate Company.

Many men who worked at the iron factory across the street would walk down River Lane on their way home after work during this time as the women who made the candy would toss caramels out the window to them, the release stated.

The creamery building went on to have various uses, including as the city jail.

In 1982 when Geneva began to revive its riverfront district, city officials looked to redevelop the building that had been vacant for many years.

The city approved the plan for a riverfront hotel proposed by Kent Shodeen of Sho-Deen Inc., and in 1993 The Herrington opened its doors as a boutique hotel.

The first significant change to the hotel was the restoration of the 3,000-square-foot pump house, which now serves as the hotel’s meeting and banquet facility, the release stated.

All of the hotel’s 61 rooms boast fireplaces and whirlpool baths, the release stated. Many have four-poster beds, heated marble bathroom floors and balconies.

The Herrington continues to stay connected to its history as a creamery, the release stated, as chocolate chip cookies and milk in a glass milk bottle are served as part of the hotel’s turndown service and an angelic cow is incorporated into the Herrington Inn & Spa logo, the release stated.

The Herrington has been awarded the AAA four-diamond award for 24 consecutive years.

“We will no doubt keep our streak alive for our 25th anniversary year and many more to come,” hotel manager Jesse Mercado stated in the release.

The hotel will host an anniversary party Aug. 23, with proceeds benefiting the Geneva History Museum.