The Best Hotels to Book in Lake Placid, New York, for Every Traveler
Among the Adirondack Mountains in New York, Lake Placid is a small town with a big reputation – it’s one of the original resorts for winter sports in the USA. Since the late 1800s, people have flocked here to ski the spruce-carpeted peaks, ice skate across the glassy lakes and amble along Main Street, dotted with attractive chalet-style buildings. Pick one of these hotels in Lake Placid and become a part of its history.
Eastwind Lake Placid, for opulence amidst the outdoors
Inspired by the historic beauty and community of the 1980 Olympic Games, Eastwind Lake Placid is a year-round, boutique retreat in the heart of the Adirondacks. Tucked alongside the Chubb River and a short walk from the town’s Main Street, the property boasts 25 designer-curated accommodations featuring vintage Scandinavian design and postmodern details. Eastwind Hotels is famed for its innovative incorporation of the Scandinavian notion of camping within its design, as best exemplified by its curated, antique-filled Lushnas, which offer a comfortable, luxurious stay all-year-round. Offering a Scandinavian-style dry sauna, cozy bar & lounge, a seasonal pool, firepits, and smores, a communal BBQ pit, complimentary bikes, and private-access stairs down to the beautiful grass-laden landing of the Chubb River, Eastwind Lake Placid is perfect for those looking to experience the beauty of the region without sacrificing any of the comforts.
Placid Bay Hotel, for tech-minded travelers
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Snuggled against the shore, this smart hotel in Lake Placid is a masterclass in Scandinavian design. The Whiteface Suite, with its wooden ceiling beams highlighting Nordic charm, offers staggering lake views. The ligneous rooms have marble accents, USB ports and voice-controlled Alexa devices, which are as attentive as the family who’ve run this place for more than 40 years. Play cornhole while picnicking, kayak for free, and say hi to chattering ducks as a rainbow appears above the misty mountain.
Whiteface Lodge, for rustic luxury
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Glimpsing this head-turner, rising above the treetops like a wooden fortress, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was far older than its years. The vast suites-only hotel was built in 2005, but the details make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, with hand-milled tree trunks forming its structural skeleton, crafts in the higgledy-piggledy wooden furnishings, and stone fireplaces. But you won’t be short of contemporary comforts either, as each suite has a flat-screen TV, a cast-iron fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen.
Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, for understated style
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There are few prettier resorts in Lake Placid than this one. Think upscale New England country house with white shiplap and balustraded balconies. Gabled windows jut out from the roof-like periscopes, scoping those shimmering lake views. Inside, the feel is refined rustic – stone fireplaces, taxidermied woodland beasts – but it’s less hunting lodge and more of a stately Scottish home. Expect elegant-legged furniture, lashings of soft leather and velvet. Dress up for dinner at the View restaurant, or dress down for the Cottage, a cozy local favorite on the water’s edge.
The Lake Placid Stagecoach Inn, for a homey atmosphere
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You won’t find a more authentic Lake Placid experience than at this 1700s-built boutique inn – the oldest in the area – with a wraparound porch and softly squeaking floorboards. Showing you to your cozy, cabin-like room, owners Stacia and Mike continue the tradition of hands-on innkeepers, helping to serve breakfast, complete with home-made yogurt. They even host a complimentary nightly cocktail hour with a generous spread of local cheese and charcuterie. There are woodland trails starting at the back door, and you’re only a five-minute drive from the town center.
High Peaks Resort, for oodles of space
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You’re spoilt for choice at High Peaks Resort, on the shore of Mirror Lake, with three accommodation options. The largest of the lot is the Resort, with an outdoorsy, campsite-chic vibe. Think suspended canoe-shaped lights in the lobby, the Trailhead Market gift and gear shop, and walk-in river-rock showers in the bedrooms. Next, there’s the retro-modern Lake House, all clean mid-century lines and pared-back rooms with pops of red. Then there’s the homey Waterfront Collection, with views of the water.
Crowne Plaza Lake Placid, for a prime location
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You couldn’t be closer to the heart of the action than at this hotel in Lake Placid, overlooking Main Street. Step outside, and you’re practically on the doorstep of the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum, essential if you want to learn about the sporting legacy of the area. Once you’ve been inspired by the story of the Miracle on Ice, cross the street to Lake Placid Skate Rentals and take to the snow-dusted surface of Mirror Lake for an elegant (or fumbling) twirl. After a day with the wind in your face, warm up by the fireplace in the stately lobby, with a warming whiskey in hand.
Lake Placid Inn Main Street, for an independent stay
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When it comes to feeling at home on vacation, there’s nothing to beat the cozy privacy of a home away from home. These glam holiday apartments in Lake Placid are sleek, with an urban palette of gray on black. And they have everything you need to feel you’ve carved out your own little permanent corner of town. With a fully equipped kitchen, calming, rustic-contemporary decor (think sliding barn-style doors to the bedrooms) and high-speed wifi, you’ll have the ideal private, personal base from which to explore.
The Pines Inn, for vintage charm
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The Pines Inn has been welcoming guests to Lake Placid since 1900, and reassuringly, it has lost none of its charm during the intervening decades. Imbued with history, the red-brick structure sits off Main Street, just a short walk from the town center. While the rooms straddle the line between quaint and dated, they’re cozy and comfortable – and brilliant value for the area. The Segger family, who owns and runs the hotel, is warm and welcoming, making you feel at home.
Town House Lodge, for quaint country digs
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“Ah, it’s cute,” you’ll say as you pull up outside the Swiss chalet-like main office building of this boutique motel in Lake Placid. The oohs and aahs will get louder as you drop your bags inside your room. Whether you go for the standard double or one of the spacious king suites, you’ll get warm contemporary wood paneling around the walls and on the headboards, stylish floating TV units and flashes of brilliant color from the soft furnishings. Using the spick-and-span communal kitchen is a sure-fire way to make new friends. Get cooking.
Philipp Meier contributed additional reporting to this article.
For an even more adventurous stay, check out the best hotels in the Adirondacks, or try these inns and bed and breakfasts, bookable with Culture Trip.