High-end luxury in a pickup town: Mirror Lake Inn surprises in Lake Placid
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (Oct. 16, 2006) - Luxury isn't supposed to live in a place like this.
Lake Placid is a hearty, outdoorsy family-vacation spot. You can go to dinner in a T-shirt, in a flannel shirt - heck, even a near-muscle shirt - and not feel too out of place.
The fishing's great, the wild turkey hunting is a hoot (unless you're the turkey of course), the Olympic venues are cool, the people are friendly. You're just not likely to find a French maitre 'd among them. The vibe's more pickup trucks than private jets.
Only there's a hotel that challenges all those preconceived notions. Welcome to Mirror Lake Inn, an enclave of pampering in an environment of rugged individualism. Of course, as soon as you pull up to the skinny main drive of the clapboard white building, you've probably been welcomed.
If it's afternoon, warm chocolate chip cookies are waiting in a basket on the front desk. This isn't Las Vegas' idea of luxury. There's no gorgeous blonde in a skirt that's but a rumor asking if you need any change. Mirror Lake Inn stays true to Lake Placid's low-key character.
It just turns up the comfort level several notches.
Stepping into your room doesn't bring you back in time as much as it brings you to what back in time would be like if it was peppered with modern luxuries.
The ceilings are delightfully high, harking back to a time when people knew that man needed some room over his head to truly relax. The beds are plushy modern with high-thread-count sheets and pillows a plenty. Even the older looking desk turns out to be much more comfortable for doing some laptop work than many new hotels' reputedly ergonomic numbers. And when the last time you saw hardwood floors in a hotel room?
About the only big disappointment is that the bathtub's much too small for soaking. It's the only thing that does just look old.
Request a room with a balcony overlooking the pool and you can sit out there above all the rubes.
Of course, those rubes are likely to be stockbrokers, doctors and splurging couples. Rooms at Mirror Lake Inn start at an average of $280 per night and quickly rise from there to near $400.
That makes Lake Placid's reasonably priced historic golf like even more of a bargain. Luckily, Mirror Lake Inn puts you close to a good half dozen courses over 100 years old. Forget the 1980s Miracle On Ice reputation that still hovers over Lake Placid, obscuring plenty. The best time to get your Mirror Lake luxury on is the summer.
One of the cool things about this place is there's actually a lobby you'd want to hang out in. Scratch that. A parlor. This cozy room off the lobby looks like your vision of a multimillionaire's library. It's all nicely accented wood and books on the shelves in editions you cannot find at Barnes & Noble.
The best thing about this room is the old school games set up around it. No not Donkey Kong. Think checkers and backgammon. Families and couples alike seem to delight in playing something without a computer screen.
"This is the first time I ever played this," one boy who looked to be about 10 said. "When did they come out with this checkers dad?"
Even with all the low-tech fun, the best part of a Mirror Lake Inn stay just might be the location. Oh sure, it's an easy couple-minute walk to main street and its shops and restaurants. But that's not the location that sets Mirror Lake Inn apart. That would be the fact it's right on Mirror Lake.
It's name notwithstanding, the town of Lake Placid actually overlooks Mirror Lake. (Lake Placid, the lake, is outside the city. Confusing, but that's upstate New York.) And Mirror Lake Inn boasts some of the best lake views anywhere, particularly if you can get a room on the fourth floor.
Along with the view, you get the View - the best restaurant in Lake Placid. Get a table on the underappreciated screened outdoor patio and you'll be looking over the lake with a gurgling creek practically right underneath your feet.
"Not many restaurants have their own creek," the View hostess said, smiling.
Just one. In the place where luxury meets Lake Placid. Might want to put a throw pillow in the pickup truck.
If you go
Mirror Lake Inn
77 Mirror Lake Drive
Lake Placid, NY
Phone: 518-523-2544
Lake Placid Golf: 518-523-2445
Web: www.lakeplacid.com
Fast fact
A stay at the Mirror Lake Inn was once a Wheel Of Fortune wheel prize contestants could win by landing on its space and picking the right letter.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed before making reservations and/or travel plans.
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