Motels and Hotels

Wildwood on the Lake (2135 Saranac Ave., 518/523-2624, www.wildwoodmotel.com, $68–138) offers a cozy fireplace lobby, a picturesque locale a 10-minute walk from the village, unique outdoor lakewater pool, lakeside barbecues, and free boat rentals for guests.

Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn (2764 Main St., 518/523-3700, $78–218) offers friendly service and an easy location to wander around town.

In the upscale motel category find the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort (150 Main St., 518/523-3353, $129–220 d), offering excellent-value accommodations. On the lake, the completely non-smoking hotel has its own small beach equipped with boats (free for guests), heated indoor pool, sauna, restaurant, lounge, and nightclub. Most of the rooms have balconies.

Luxury Inns and Lodges

High Peaks Resort (2384 Saranac Ave., 518/523-4411, www.highpeaksresort.com, $149–269) features a choice of private dock or three pools for swimming, health club facility, and full service spa. The resort also offers two onsite restaurants. Worth noting are the resort’s online specials which can net web-savvy travelers up to 50 percent off room rates.

Entering the large, heavy-beamed lobby of the all-suite Whiteface Lodge (7 Whiteface Inn Ln., 800/903-4045, www.thewhitefacelodge.com, $400–488), guests are hit with that quintessential Adirondack scent of woody goodness. Resort offerings are extensive, including top-rated restaurant Kanu, generous and luxurious suites, romantic surroundings, movie theatre, full service spa, indoor/outdoor pool, lake swimming and canoeing, and the property hits all of the top awards lists.

At the end of the village reigns the posh Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa (5 Mirror Lake Dr., 518/523-2544, www.mirrorlakeinn.com, $240–350 d for rooms and $420–660 d for suites in summer, about a third less off-season), a grand Colonial-style structure that was rebuilt after a 1988 fire. Also on-site at this AAA Four Diamond resort are the Averil Conwell Dining Room, a bar, cozy lounges, a spa, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, and a private beach.

On the shores of Lake Placid lies secluded Lake Placid Lodge (Whiteface Inn Rd., 518/523-2700, www.lakeplacidlodge.com, $440–900 d), an authentic great camp complete with a stone fireplace and moose head. Now a member of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux group, the lodge boasts 17 very attractive guest rooms, 17 cabins, and a breezy porch overlooking the lake.

© Avalon Travel and Sascha Zuger from Moon New York State, 5th Edition