A King Suite at the Comfort In and Suites Plattsburgh

When I travel, I generally look to find nice hotels with unique amenities.  While I do stay in chain hotels frequently, I don’t always expect to find anything especially unique in them.  So I was quite surprised to see all of the wonderful family-friendly amenities during our recent stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites Plattsburgh in the Adirondacks.

We traveled to Plattsburgh, in the Lake Champlain region of New York, over Christmas break to visit Ausable Chasm and to ski, and stayed in a king suite – pictured at left.  The suite, which was one large room, included a king bed, a pull-out couch, a dining area with a table, microwave, and refrigerator, and a large bathroom with a shower and whirlpool bath.  The room itself is huge, and offered plenty of room.  Everything is very new, and extremely clean.  The only issue I’d have about the room is the location, which was right across from the weight room and adjacent to the small water park.  Noise wasn’t a huge issue, but we could definitely hear sounds from both locations.

The hotel amenities are the big draw here though.  The aforementioned small water park is perfect for little ones.  It includes two water slides and a splash area.  My five-year old son and my seven-year old daughter absolutely loved it, and wouldn’t leave.  But, as much as they loved the pool, they loved Champy’s FunZone even more.  It includes an indoor miniature golf course, a two-lane bowling alley (sized for kids), and loads of arcade games.  The Comfort Inn and Suites Plattsburgh also offers a full exercise facility, which is complimentary for hotel guests.

Comfort Inn and Suites
411 Route 3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518.562.2730

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: I received a complimentary stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites.  All opinions are my own.

The Lobby in the Main Lodge

The Lake Placid Lodge, a Relais and Châteaux resort on the shores of Lake Placid in the Adirondacks, is offering several great packages – perfect for a fall romantic getaway for a couple.

The Four for Three Romantic Escape, valid October 16th through June 23rd, 2012, includes a complimentary night stay if you pay with an American Express Card.  The package also includes a full breakfast every morning, accommodations in a lodge suite or cabin, Lodge-made cookies or chocolates at turndown service, and champagne on arrival.

If you are a foodie, the second annual Fall Gastro Getaway sounds like a fabulous weekend.  Taking place October 20th-23rd, 2011, the weekend includes culinary activities hosted by in-house Chef Nathan as well as Top Chef Masters Season Three winner Chef Cardoz.

The weekend includes some of the following activities:

• Chef demonstrations
• Tasting menus
• Beer tasting
• Fly-fishing rod building
• Autumn harvest communal dinner
• Nature hike

The Lake Placid Lodge, a deluxe resort located right on the banks of Lake Placid, offers thirteen hotel rooms and seventeen cabins.  Each of the rooms and cabins are different – with unique designs and decor.

Lake Placid Lodge
144 Lodge Way
Lake Placid, NY 12946
(518) 523-2700
Photo credit: The Lake Placid Lodge

The Entrance of the Mirror Lake Inn

This Memorial Weekend, my family drove the almost six hours from Boston up to Lake Placid, for some rest, relaxation, and quality time together.  We stayed at the Mirror Lake Inn right in the town center of Lake Placid on Mirror Lake, and had the most perfect relaxing time.

The Mirror Lake Inn is a throwback to days of old, when families had fun on paddleboats and hanging out on the lake.  We arrived on Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, and even though it was before check-in time, our room was ready.  The room (or more appropriately, suite) was absolutely perfect – with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large table with chairs.  With two televisions, two showers, a porch, and a refrigerator, it’s really a wonderful home base for a Lake Placid family vacation.  The decor of the room and the Inn is reminiscent of an Adirondack lodge, and is very comfortable.

The Main Room in Our Hotel Suite

Service at the Mirror Lake Inn is topnotch.  Everyone is so helpful and friendly – from the waitstaff at the restaurants to the cleaning staff.   We were also so impressed with all of the hotel amenities.  There’s a world-renowned spa, an indoor and outdoor pool, a workout room, three restaurants, a private beach on the lake, a whirlpool, and a sauna.  We were able to take advantage of the complimentary lake boat rentals, taking a paddle boat out the first day and a row boat out the second day.

My kids loved the indoor pool the most.  The pool, which is Adirondack themed, is incredibly kid-friendly, with a 1 1/2 foot area, as well as a bridge and small waterfall.

We dined at the Mirror Lake Inn several times.  The first day, we had a quick lunch at the Cottage, across the street and right on the lake.  The food and atmosphere is casual and the view is breathtaking.  For those booking a bed and breakfast package, a full Adirondack breakfast buffet is served at the View restaurant.  I highly recommend adding that option to your room, because the breakfast is hearty, and the perfect start to your day.

The View of Mirror Lake from Our Room

Our real treat was dinner at the AAA four-diamond restaurant, The View.  We ate at the 5:30pm seating, which is the “family” seating.  I just love this concept, because it can always be difficult dining with the children at nice restaurants.  The food at the View is excellent, and we really enjoyed dinner.

We were all sad to leave, because we had such a relaxing, enjoyable long weekend together as a family.

The Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa
77 Mirror Lake Drive
Lake Placid, New York 12946
518-523-2544

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: We received a complimentary two-night stay at the Mirror Lake Inn with breakfast and dinner at the View, (with a media rate for the third night).

Skiing at Gore Mountain

After a few storms that missed the area, the Adirondacks of New York have finally received a good amount of snow.  The Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center is offering a few Ski and Stay packages in partnership with Gore Mountain, where my family recently skied on our first family ski vacation.

The Gore Mountain ski getaway packages all include accommodations, breakfast in the White Lion restaurant, two-day adult lift tickets to Gore Mountain, morning newspaper, and a shuttle to and from Gore Mountain (a great perk, as the mountain is about a half-hour away).  It’s valid from now through March 31, 2011.  Holiday rates start at $735, regular weekend rates start at $583, and midweek rates start at $514 (for a double-occupancy room).  Singles through quads are also available.

The Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center offers three separate sections, the Grand Hotel (which is the main building), as well as the Standard West and the Premium East (both more traditional motels).  The hotel is located right at the beginning of Lake George Village, and many of the rooms have a beautiful view of Lake George.  Amenities include three on-site restaurants, an outdoor pool, an on-site museum, free Wi-Fi access, and a business center.

Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center
48 Canada Street
Lake George, New York 12845
(800) 234-0267

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: Our Adirondack winter vacation, including lodging was complimentary.