Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid

Location

Lake Placid is best known for hosting the Winter Olympics in both 1932 and 1980 and has become synonymous with skiing, ice-skating, tobogganing and dogsledding. However, it’s also a four-season destination with cycling, golfing and hiking trails that reward trekkers with views over the Adirondack Mountains. Back at the lodge, there’s a boating club with launches from its exclusive private beach. The club has a range of craft available along with water-skiing and tubing sessions.

Accommodation

Traditional, all-suite accommodation has been beautifully designed using timber for the exteriors and handcrafted regional furniture from the Adirondack region for the interiors. Suites, ranging from 700 to 2,300 square feet in size, create a cosy ambiance with cast-iron fireplaces complemented by radiant floor-heat, jetted tubs and plush-top beds featuring a selection of pillow types. There are granite counters in the kitchens and fine linens on the bed while cedar and mahogany balconies or slate patios look out over the surrounding mountains.

Dining

The KANU Dining Room is the lodge’s premier restaurant venue. An open kitchen serves innovative American cuisine in the great dining room, featuring cathedral wooden ceilings and stonework walls. Only the finest regional ingredients from local farms and seas are used in the sommelier-paired menu. With its comfortable armchairs and live music, KANU Lounge serves more casual fare. Think wood-style pizzas and artisan sandwiches. Round off your evening with the ice cream parlour’s cones, sundaes and milkshakes from the Adirondack Creamery.

Facilities

At Whiteface, guests enjoy a full complement of activities and amenities. Head outside for tennis courts, an ice skating rink, a catch-and-release fishing pond, a nature trail and hot tubs dotted around but remember that activities are seasonal. A special mention goes to the nightly ‘cigar and cognac’ evenings in the lodge’s lean-tos. For year-round entertainment, there’s a surround-sound cinema, a game room and a heated indoor swimming pool. Revitalise yourself with a session in the lodge’s state-of-the-art fitness centre or book a treatment in its excellent spa.