Colonial Motel
11329 Lake Road
North East, PA
A tidy single-story motor court a short walk from Lake Erie's beaches and a few minutes from a dozen wineries.
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Colonial Motel
The Colonial sits just off Route 5 in North East, the little town at the heart of Pennsylvania's grape belt, where Lake Erie tempers the summers enough to grow wine. It is a classic single-story motor court, an L of rooms with doors that open straight to the outside and a spot to park right in front of each one. Bernadette and Lou run it, live on the property, and have spent recent seasons freshening the place up with new carpet, paint, decor, and beds. The result is simple and cared for, the kind of family-run stop that is getting harder to find along the lake.
What Colonial Motel Is Known For
Owners who live on site show it in the upkeep and the welcome. The front desk closes overnight, but Bernadette and Lou are on call because they are right there, and guests keep coming back for a room that is clean, safe, and affordable in a stretch of shoreline where that combination is not always easy to find.
Amenities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Kitchenette in some rooms
- Free parking
- Picnic area
- Barbecue grills
- Vending machine
What Guests Love
- Walk to Freeport Beach and downtown North East
- Family owned with owners on site
- Recently updated rooms, carpet, and beds
- Fridge and microwave in every room, kitchenette in some
- Picnic area and barbecue grills
- Minutes from the Lake Erie wineries
Worth Knowing
- Single story with exterior room entrances and drive-up parking at your door.
- The front desk closes overnight, though the owners live on site and are on call.
- Some rooms add a kitchenette, so ask when you book.
- No pets.
- Freeport Beach and the town are an easy walk; the wineries are a short drive.
The Room
Sixteen ground-floor rooms come with the essentials done right: a refrigerator, a microwave, air conditioning, and free WiFi, with a kitchenette in some if you ask when booking. Everything is on one level with exterior entrances, so unloading the car is a few steps and there are no stairs or hallways to navigate. It is built for a clean, easy night between beach days and winery visits rather than for lingering indoors.
The Grounds
Out back there is a picnic area with barbecue grills, handy for a cookout after a day on the water or a haul of bottles from the tasting rooms. Parking is free and sits at your door in the old motor-court way. Freeport Beach and the mouth of Sixteenmile Creek are an easy walk, and downtown North East, with its coffee and restaurants, is close by.
The Experience
This is a base camp for the Lake Erie shore and the wineries that ring it, and it plays that role well. Park once, walk to the beach, spend the afternoon tasting your way along the grape belt, and grill dinner back at the picnic tables. Erie and Presque Isle are a twenty-minute drive when you want a bigger beach or a state park.
Details
North East, PA 16428
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colonial Motel pet friendly?
No, Colonial Motel does not accept pets. You can filter the Road Trip Planner map for pet-friendly Boutels nearby.
Does Colonial Motel have EV charging?
No, Colonial Motel does not have on-site EV charging. The Road Trip Planner map shows public chargers near the property.
Does Colonial Motel serve breakfast?
No, breakfast is not included at Colonial Motel.
What is there to do near Colonial Motel?
Freeport Beach: 0.4 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Mazza Vineyards: 2.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Presque Isle State Park: 24 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
How far is Colonial Motel from Freeport Beach?
Freeport Beach is about 0.4 miles from Colonial Motel, close enough to walk (roughly a 5 minute drive).
How far is Colonial Motel from Mazza Vineyards?
Mazza Vineyards is about 2.5 miles from Colonial Motel, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is Colonial Motel from Presque Isle State Park?
Presque Isle State Park is about 24 miles from Colonial Motel, roughly a 50 minute drive.
How far is the Colonial Motel from Freeport Beach?
It is a short walk, under half a mile, to the Lake Erie beach at Freeport.::Are the rooms on one level?::Yes, it is a single-story motor court with exterior doors and drive-up parking.::Is it close to the Lake Erie wineries?::Yes, North East sits in the grape belt and several wineries are a short drive away.::Does the Colonial Motel allow pets?::No, pets are not permitted.
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Things to Do Near the Lake Erie wine country
Freeport Beach
0.4 miles away
A free public beach on Lake Erie in North East, about a mile and a half north of downtown at the end of Freeport Road, off Route 89.
Lake Erie Shoreline at Ripley
5.6 miles away
New York's westernmost stretch of Lake Erie coast, in the far corner of Chautauqua County at the Pennsylvania line.
Shades Beach Park
6.1 miles away
A wooded township park on the Lake Erie bluffs just east of Erie, with shaded picnic groves, easy trails, a boat launch, and a stony shore known for beach glass. Take the lakeshore road east from Erie to reach it.
Barcelona Lighthouse
14 miles away
This squat fieldstone tower on the Lake Erie bluff at Westfield made history in 1831 as the first lighthouse in the world lit by natural gas, piped two miles from a burning spring through hollow wooden logs.
Erie Maritime Museum and US Brig Niagara
15 miles away
People are surprised a genuine 1813 tall ship sails out of Erie. The Erie Maritime Museum at 150 E Front St tells the story of the Battle of Lake Erie, where Oliver Hazard Perry beat the British fleet and sent word We ha...
Presque Isle State Park
16 miles away
Presque Isle is a rare thing: a wandering sand peninsula that the lake actively rebuilds, so its shape is never quite fixed.
Erie Zoo
16 miles away
A right-sized zoo for a half-day with little ones. The Erie Zoo at 423 W 38th St has been going since 1927 and is compact enough to see fully without wearing kids out, with lions, tigers, orangutans, and a childrens farm...
Panama Rocks Scenic Park
18 miles away
This is a natural playground kids remember. Panama Rocks at 11 Rock Hill Rd is a loop trail through and around enormous moss-covered rocks, with passages to squeeze through, crevices to peer into, and small caves to expl...
Waldameer Park and Water World
19 miles away
This is a full family day right at the gateway to Presque Isle. Waldameer, open since 1896, splits into an amusement park and the adjoining Water World, so you get roller coasters, a big Ferris wheel, and kiddie rides on...
Mazza Vineyards
2.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
One of the anchor wineries of the Lake Erie grape belt, part of a cluster of tasting rooms within a short drive of town.