Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

Back during the Bouckville Antique Show, a dispute between the owner and operator of the Hamilton Inn forced visitors out of the inn and left them scrambling for a place to stay.  Now the Hamilton Inn on East Lake Road is under new management and that's great news for visitors to the area, brides and lovers of fine dining in Central New York.  The Utica O-D had the following story:

Central New York innkeeper William (Ben) Eberhardt III recently signed a long-term agreement to operate the Hamilton Inn, located on the east side of Lake Moraine, on East Lake Road just outside of Hamilton.
Eberhardt grew up in the innkeeper business in Skaneateles. Over the last 30 years, his father Bill and their family’s company built a network of high quality hospitality venues throughout the Central New York region. Their flagship operation is centrally located at The Sherwood Inn on the north end of Skaneateles Lake.
A combat veteran who left the Army after 14 years of service and an ascent to the rank of major, Eberhardt brought his family and his management company to Hamilton in 2004 to independently lease and operate the Colgate Inn from Colgate University.
Eberhardt explained that with new agreements in place his company will now have operational oversight of both the Hamilton Inn and the Colgate Inn, both located in Madison County but distinctly different in character. His vision for his newly acquired Inn is distinctly different from that of the warmth and vitality of Colgate Inn (owned by the Colgate Inn LLC of which Colgate University is the sole member).
“The Hamilton Inn has an extraordinary reputation that it has earned all on its own. It is a quiet setting outside of the village for a more intimate, private dining experience,” said Eberhardt in a press release last week. “My very logical course of action would be that the Hamilton Inn continues its own pursuit as yet another regionally recognized landmark of first-class food, beverage and hospitality in that venue.”
Eberhardt’s company has had great success over the past six years providing hospitality to the many visitors of the community. He places all credit for these accolades squarely on the leaders within his company and its employees.
“I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by truly great people. They are the entire force behind all our success,” he added.
Additional personnel, as well as the existing Colgate Inn staff, will assist in transitioning the Hamilton Inn into its future role of hospitality and service to the surrounding communities of Hamilton and Madison.
Eberhardt explained that the inn has featured a beautiful setting for exceptional quality dining, comfortable lodging, and an extraordinary weddings venue since 1989. The Inn is currently operating its lodging facilities and Eberhardt anticipates re-opening the restaurant by the third week of October.
The inn will continue to offer a high quality dinner menu, private banquet space and overnight accommodations as well as on and offsite catering, he concluded.