Romantic Adirondacks Getaways
The Adirondacks are romantic in a way that has less to do with design and more to do with what the landscape does at the right time of day. A canoe on a quiet lake at dusk is not something that requires architectural intention. The properties that work best for couples in the Adirondacks understand this — they put you in close contact with the landscape rather than building a resort experience around it. A private lakefront cabin, a cottage on a mountain pond, a simple inn in a small Adirondack town with a good restaurant down the road.
6 Properties
The Lodge at Lake Clear
Featured StayLake Clear · Lodge
Built in 1886 as an inn, trading post, and post office — and still owned and operated by the family of its original builder, Millard Otis. Cathy Hohmeyer runs what is the only Adirondack Great Camp still in continuous family ownership since construction, now known as Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge. Twenty-five acres with an 1886 main lodge, three artisan chalets with wood-burning fireplaces, two specialty cabins with Jacuzzi tubs, and six suites. A 1920s speakeasy with a hidden wine and beer cellar is still fully operational. Adirondack Alps Restaurant, nature trails, and a sunset beach on Lake Clear.
Built 1886, still owned by the founding family — the only Adirondack Great Camp with this continuity. Hidden 1920s speakeasy on site. 25 acres on Lake Clear. Adirondack Alps Restaurant.
Mirror Lake Inn
Featured StayLake Placid · Inn
A lakefront resort on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid — the lake is a half-mile-long body of water distinct from Lake Placid itself, and the inn's private beach sits directly on it. Forty consecutive years at the AAA Four Diamond level. Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Michelin One Key recipient in 2024. Multiple dining venues, including The Cottage and The View, with the Wine Spectator Award. Owned and operated by Andrew and Denja Weibrecht. Lake Placid's Olympic venues — the 1932 and 1980 arenas — are within walking distance.
AAA Four Diamond for 40 consecutive years. Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Michelin One Key 2024. Private beach on Mirror Lake. Family-owned by the Weibrechts.
The Point
Featured StaySaranac Lake · Resort
Eleven individually named rooms — Mohawk, Algonquin, Iroquois among them — in a Rockefeller great camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built by William Avery Rockefeller II. The first Relais & Châteaux property in North America, now 39 years in the network. Forbes Five Star — the only such rating in Upstate New York. All-inclusive: meals, wine, and activities are part of the rate. The price is significant; the exclusivity is the point. Black-tie is encouraged at dinner, but not required.
Eleven named rooms in a Rockefeller great camp. First Relais & Châteaux in North America. Forbes Five Star. All-inclusive model. The most expensive and most exclusive address in the Adirondacks.
Lake Placid Lodge
Lake Placid · Lodge
Thirty rooms and cabins on the shore of Lake Placid — five in the main lodge and seventeen original lakeside cabins, which date to the 1920s and survived the 2005 fire that destroyed the main lodge. Both the lodge and cabins have since been restored to their Adirondack Arts and Crafts character: twig furniture, bark siding, stone fireplaces, and hand-crafted details throughout. Relais and Chateaux member. The Artisan Restaurant and Bar earned a Wine Spectator Award. Kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoe rentals from the waterfront. Part of the Opal Collection.
The Fern Lodge
Chestertown · B&B
Five guest rooms on a 70-acre wooded property bordering Friends Lake in Chestertown, each with a king bed, stone fireplace, private luxury bath with a deep-soaking Jacuzzi tub, and lake or mountain views. Every stay includes an evening boat tour, nightly turndown service with chocolate truffles, a homemade breakfast served privately, and complimentary kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards on the lake. On-site: a movie theatre, sauna, wine cellar, game area, and lakeside fire pit. Five rooms that operate as a private retreat.
Paradox Lodge
Schroon Lake · B&B
A small B&B on Paradox Bay on Lake Placid, two buildings and eight rooms. Cedar Lodge rooms have king beds, jetted tubs, dual sinks, and European showers; Paradox Lodge rooms have private baths and lake or mountain views. Complimentary kayaks and canoes on the water. The owner prepares breakfast from scratch every morning and it draws consistent mention in reviews. On Saranac Avenue, about a mile from the Lake Placid village center.
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Browse Now →What Makes It
- •The private lakefront cabin or cottage is the Adirondacks romantic ideal — not because of what the property provides but because of the specific quiet of being on a mountain lake away from other people. Look for properties with private or semi-private lake access rather than shared beach setups.
- •The fall color season in the Adirondacks (usually late September to mid-October at lower elevations) overlaps with the end of the busy summer season, producing a period where prices drop slightly but the landscape is at its most dramatic. This is the best romantic timing in the region.
- •Saranac Lake has a walkable village with a good enough food scene to make a stay there feel complete — restaurants, a historic downtown, and access to the surrounding lake chain without the resort-town pricing of Lake Placid.
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