You deserve to treat your senses, your spirit, and your well-being at AURA, a historic converted 19th century Church. Enjoy a night, a weekend or a week in a place of peace, serenity and meditation. Reconnect with family and friends. Enjoy the Finger Lakes, wine and beer tasting, farm to fork food, play in Lake Cayuga, explore the former Wells College campus and discover how wonderful the experience of sleeping in a church can be. Come to AURA. Find yourself. Leave refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Have you ever dreamed of spending the night in a classic church? Well, its time to wake up from your dream and into reality. This unique location will truly impress your senses. AURA is a historic church building which has been artistically converted into a grand residence, nestled in downtown Aurora, New York. It is now available for you to experience.
There is always a reason to celebrate family, friends and good fortune. At AURA we take guest safety very seriously and strive to make your stay, whether a night or a week, as comfortable and secure as possible. Caring for ourselves remains extremely important. Mental health is intimately connected to physical health and treating oneself to a stay in a beautiful peaceful setting does wonders for both!
AURA is all this and more:
-Serene, unique location
-Ideal for a meditative retreat, peaceful weekend, or a place of serenity and solitude
-A place of reflection
-Great for romantic getaways, retreats, and family reunions.
-Unique place for family and friends to get together, share time and make memories.
- AURA has beautiful soaring cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors and stained glass windows, all within carefully crafted masonry brick and stone walls.
-Modern improvements:
*Gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and
new appliances, dishes, glasses and cookware to help you prepare a
special meal for two or a group.
* Four bedrooms that sleep 8 comfortably
* Spacious open concept living room with big
screen Smart television, magnificent surround sound
system, and full size competitive pool table which easily converts to
Table Tennis
* Wii available for entertaining the teens and tweens
* A baby grand piano also graces the main living
area for those musicians in the group, tuned and ready to play
*Comfortably air conditioned and heated with new HVAC system
*Completely renovated bathroom downstairs with sit-in rain shower and steam feature
*Relaxation room with two chaise massage chairs and Bluetooth enabled CD player for a calming experience
Three floors of living space:
-Main floor:
Two bedrooms and one bath with oversize tub. Larger bedroom with two queen beds (The "Angel" room), smaller bedroom in original bell tower with full size bed and star ceiling.
Lovely, well-appointed kitchen in the old altar
niche
Large open living room with comfortable couches and loveseats, inviting conversation and relaxation. Large cloud beanbags offer kids and adults alike a place to read and drift away
-Lower floor:
Beautifully remodeled bathroom with rain shower/steam feature, washer and dryer for guest use
Relaxation room with chaise massage chairs and CD player
Bedroom with queen bed and comfortable linens in soothing earth tones
-Upper floor (old choir loft) :
Open concept bedroom with claw foot bathtub
Private adjoining bathroom with shower in bell tower
King size bed with fluffy down comforters
-Outdoor area with fire pits, comfortable rockers and dual barbecue. Perfect for relaxing outside with a glass of wine while your meal is cooking.
-Located in the registered historic district of Downtown Aurora, a small village in Upstate New York. Aurora itself is a village (pop. 724) that contains a brewery, lively pub, historic museum, café, fine dining restaurant, free public library/Opera house, the world famous McKenzie-Childs art studio and mansion, and more.
-Part of the Finger Lakes wine and beer trail, a 210 mile interconnecting drive passing by over 200 wineries, 75 breweries, pubs, and cider houses.
-Creameries, restaurants, roadside stands and lots of antique shops to explore.
-Wells College, a small recently closed four year liberal arts university with architecturally beautiful buildings, is a five minute walk from the church.
-The Inns of Aurora, a wedding destination, is a five minute walk and houses a world class restaurant. The Spa at the Inn is open and available to book for treatments. There are also miles of hiking trails around the spa with beautiful lake views.
-Lake Cayuga is just across the street, and easily accessible via multiple public docks, one of which is a short one minute stroll away.
-Farmers market is available at the Wells College boathouse from Spring to Fall and offers fresh Mennonite baked goods, local honey, garden produce and farm eggs as well as a few food stalls.
-Local wineries offer live music and events on weekends.
-Many waterfalls and beautiful hiking trails are available within an hours drive
-Kayaks and canoes may be rented locally for fun on the lake
Amenities provided include all dishware and glassware, pots, pans, some bakeware, coffee maker, coffee grinder, microwave, Insta Pot/Rice cooker, blender, and toaster. Basic seasonings such as salt, pepper and a few spices are available. All beds have fluffy down comforters (with allergen protection covers for allergic guests) and feather pillows (down alternate pillows available). Bathrooms are equipped with thick, soft towels and shampoo/conditioner/body wash. All linens are washed in hypoallergenic soap with no dyes or fragrances. Umbrellas are available for your comfort for those sudden spring and summer showers. Beach towels and lifejackets may be borrowed if you would like to take a dip in the lake.
Entrance to AURA is via a unique 4 digit code (that you will be given shortly before your stay) which is deleted after each guest stay.
This property is nonsmoking and the policy will be strictly enforced. There is a tenant in the basement apartment so please be courteous. Noise curfew is at 9 pm outdoors and 10 pm inside and neighbors will ensure that this is enforced! **Please note that due to problems with excessive noise, a charge may be levied if neighbors complain and police are called. We want to maintain good relationships with our neighbors. You are welcome to celebrate and enjoy your stay but please be respectful of others nearby!
Please contact Patti for special discounts as well as special holiday rates.
We are extremely proud to share AURA with you. No additional fees for cleaning are added to your stay. However, we appreciate you treating our beautiful property as you would your own.
Please note that this is an 1800's historic building. Although it has been renovated and updated, many original features remain. The floors may be uneven and there are stairs up to the choir loft and down to the basement. Hand rails have been placed for your safety. There are step-downs to the main floor bathroom and the choir loft bathroom. Both have hand rails. Older guests with mobility issues may wish to consider this when reserving. The Church is not handicap equipped although many modifications have been made for those with mobility challenges. Children are always welcome but the Church is not childproofed for very young children.
Distances to Attractions:
Ithaca/ Cornell University - 36 minutes
Syracuse/ SYR Airport- 64 minutes
Rochester, NY / ROC Airport – 77 minutes
Buffalo, NY / BUF Airport -2 ¼ hours
Niagara Falls – 2 ½ hours
Toronto, Canada – 4 hours
Newark, NJ / EWR Airport – 4 hours
New York City, NY – 41/3 hours
