The Best Inns and Bed and Breakfasts in the Adirondacks, New York

More than a hotel, the Pines Inn is the home of the ever-smiling Segger family, always on hand to share favorite spots and local secrets with guests. The house, dating back to 1907, now features a small fitness center, hot tub and reasonably priced restaurant that even locals love. A snug sitting room is the highlight, ideal for cozying up with a book by the fire or challenging the family to a game of table football after a day out exploring Lake Placid.

Once the place to see and be seen in Elizabethtown, this historic inn in the Adirondacks has gone back to basics to focus on all that made it great when it first opened in 1808. It now offers a grocery store, four elegant bedrooms and a relaxed restaurant serving up comfort food staples and the best local produce. Choose from plates loaded with regional cheeses, honey and homemade bread, succulent vegan burgers and desserts to die for – the walnut bourbon bundt cake is worth the visit alone.

Expect the personal touch at this charming five-suite hotel in Lake Placid’s oldest building. It was once the home of Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey decimal system, and the current owners, Stacia and Mike Takach have thought of everything – from the communal fire pit, for marshmallow toasting, to the fireplaces and hand-picked antiques in each room. Add fresh coffee delivered to your room each morning, yoga on the front lawn and complimentary evening drinks on the front porch and you’ll never want to leave.

Ideally located for all Lake George’s activities, handy motel Nordick’s is a short walk from the Prospect Mountain trailhead for sweeping views across this picturesque region. The glassy waters of the lake itself are moments away for keen kayakers while the sandy Shepard Park Beach is just down the street. Steamboat cruises, the Great Escape amusement park and factory outlet shopping are all nearby to keep even the fussiest visitors entertained.

Get back to nature without skimping on luxury at this Lake Champlain property, a 19th-century B&B on a 440-acre (178ha) horse farm. Guests can choose to join farm activities including cheesemaking, gardening and caring for livestock or ride through rolling meadows and pastures on the Inn’s own horses. Leave plenty of time to indulge in breakfast first; the decadent spread of fruit tarts, crepes, French toast, farm-fresh eggs, homemade jams and cinnamon buns needs to be seen to be believed.

Business visitors, budget-conscious families and travelers will love this handy hotel on State Route 9, 6mi (10km) from the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport. There’s a fitness center, indoor pool and a smart meeting space on-site, with Queensbury restaurants and shops within walking distance. Kids will need to be dragged away from nearby mini-golf, roller skating and the Six Flags Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom 1.5mi (2.4km) away.