A sunny fall day at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa.
Last weekend we took our own advice and took a scenic fall road trip from Toronto to the charming village of Lake Placid. Located in the upper east part of New York state, you’ll find Lake Placid tucked into the picturesque peaks of the Adirondack Mountains.
By default, its landscape has made it the perfect alpine destination (we’re thinking we should come back in the winter), as proven by the fact Lake Placid has hosted not one, but two Olympic winter games (1932 and 1980). The remnants of these historic events are speckled throughout the region, including the Olympic Center and Lake Placid Olympic Museum, and the frighteningly high Olympic Ski Jumps, which you can ride up and explore.
It makes sense that this world-class village also has world-class accommodations, including the Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa, which we were lucky enough to stay at during our visit. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, this AAA-rated Four-Diamond resort recently was given the honour by Conde Nast Traveler of being the #1 resort in the Northeast, receiving 94 out of 100 points.
We arrived quite late to the hotel (like 2 a.m.) and were happily greeted by a lovely woman at the front desk, who quickly checked us in knowing we were half-zombies. We couldn’t help but notice the soft chocolate chip cookies looking yummy under a glass domed tray, which we (of course) had to taste test. To our delight these fresh cookies were frequently replenished throughout the day — and we couldn’t resist finding a reason to pass by to grab one, or two.
Scenic accommodations at The Lake Cottage.
Chilled from the drive (and the time), the interior of the resort instantly warmed us up, with the rich woods, rustic-style furnishings, and cozy fireplace in the lobby. It was a pretty cool weekend, which just made us think about how perfect a place it would be to retreat back to after a day on the slopes.
Like the lobby, the extremely spacious guest rooms were furnished in classic Adirondack style. We stayed in a Classic Suite, sans fireplace, but with a massive bathroom and jacuzzi tub. There are plenty of guest room styles to choose from including Classic Rooms with balconies, some with cathedral ceilings, unique Signature Suites and even Family Rooms. Across the street from the main house is The Lake Cottage, situated on the shore of Mirror Lake, where you can enjoy scenic accommodations, with rooms that include stone fireplaces and large balconies.
One of our highlights of the trip had to be the spa, which we hit up early Saturday morning. It didn’t take us long to understand why it was awarded the Conde Nast Travel Reader’s Award for Top 25 Spas in North America and Top 100 Resort Spas in the US in 2011. We were warmly greeted and showed into the luxurious changerooms. We each received a key-locked locker, and appreciated the small bag hanging inside for jewellery. The grooming area had all of the essentials (and more) including razors, mouthwash, combs, hairspray, deodorant and lotion. There was also a whirlpool within the changeroom, perfect if you didn’t want to head into the co-ed pool area. The waiting area was complete with fireplace, plush seating, as well as snacks, tea and water to enjoy while you waited.
The dock at Mirror Lake Inn.
When it came to the treatments, we each tried something different — the Mirror Lake Ceremony and Our Signature Facial. We had amazing therapists, who were not only friendly, but very knowledgeable too. The Mirror Lake Ceremony is an amazing treatment that we learned is typically done to Indonesian brides before their wedding. Essentially it’s a body scrub, followed by a full-body massage with a hydrating lotion that leaves your skin baby soft. Our Signature Facial is a standard facial taken to the next level thanks to the hand and foot massage. It’s no surprise we both left the treatment rooms in total bliss.
While we only tried two treatments, the spa offers literally everything you could want to put you into complete relaxation, including massages, body treatments (including the popular Adirondack Maple Sugar Body Scrub), Asian influenced treatments and even microdermabrasion.
Though we loved the chocolate chip cookies, we actually sat down for a proper meal before heading out for the day. We hit The View, one of the onsite restaurants that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, for a buffet breakfast. Though it wasn’t a massive selection, it had everything we wanted, including an omelette station, fresh fruit and yogurt, as well as home fries, smoked salmon, oatmeal and fluffy pancakes. After dinner in town, we popped into The Cottage, which we noticed earlier was bustling on the patio. Another cozy drinking or dinner destination, there is often live entertainment too.
From the cozy accommodations, ultra-attentive staff, luxurious spa and delicious dining options, we highly suggest checking into this award-winning resort next time you are heading to Lake Placid. We’re already thinking about when we can return.
Where to Find:
77 Mirror Lake Drive
Lake Placid, NY 12946
(518) 523-2544
mirrorlakeinn.com
