The Mirror Lake Inn & Spa is the perfect lake getaway from New York City. The hotel is situated just a few blocks from downtown Lake Placid, but feels like its own destination. From enjoying luxurious dining on-site to being pampered in the spa, you can’t go help but relax and enjoy the stay.
Staying at Mirror Lake Inn & Spa
Upon entering the hotel, you can immediately sense the attention to detail and warm hospitality. The main lobby features comfortable seating areas, a fireplace, and delicious cookies and coffee. The rooms are spacious and many include balconies for relaxing with your newest book. Notably, each of the 131 rooms has a stellar view of the nearby Adirondack Mountains and Mirror Lake.
Unwinding at Mirror Lake Inn
While lake getaways are inherently relaxing, take your visit a step further by heading to the spa to unwind and get pampered. His and hers areas feature steam rooms and hot tubs, and there is a large pool, which is great for families. There is also an adjacent warm pool with beautiful woodworking on the walkway surrounding it. A gift shop is also downstairs and features locally made items like birch bark tea and jewelry.
The View Restaurant, Taste Bistro, and The Cottage
The Mirror Lake Inn & Spa has a variety of excellent dining options.
Start your day with a hearty breakfast at the View Restaurant, which includes staples like french toast with local maple syrup and vegetable-filled omelettes. It is for dinner that The View truly shines though. Many of your meals ingredients like cheeses and meats are sourced from local Adirondack farms, while the herbs and vegetables often come from the hotel’s own garden. Items change seasonally, and we had the pleasure of sampling offerings like braised duck and ricotta gnocchi.
Also within Mirror Lake Inn is the Taste Bistro and Bar. It is more casual, but certainly does not skimp on quality food and drink! Grab one of the local beers on tap as you enjoy live music (available on Fridays and Saturdays). We recommend the fried brussel sprouts. There’s no reason to be skeptical of ordering seafood here – the fisherman’s stew and salmon fillet are hearty, fresh, and delicious.
Across the street is the Cottage Restaurant, which sits on the shore of Mirror Lake. It is truly a locals hangout and in the winter they even host a broomball league on the iced over lake! The restaurant has abundant outdoor areas – in the summer enjoy the cool breeze from the lake, and in the winter sit next to the outdoor fireplaces.
Exploring Lake Placid
Mirror Lake Inn is walking distance from downtown Lake Placid, which is chock full of shops and eateries. It is walking distance from a Placid XPRSS shuttle stop, which is a free shuttle that runs throughout the area. Lake Placid also hosted the 1980 Winter Olympics, and venues like the ice skating rink, ski jumping tower, and toboggan run are now open to the public. Grab the Olympic Sites Passport ($35) for entry to a combination of attractions.
Get Outdoors in the Adirondacks
In the summer, the area hosts excellent hiking, mountain and road biking, and golf closeby. The Barkeaters Trail Alliance (BETA) are a great local non-profit which helps to build and maintain many trails, including the winter Jackrabbit Trail that runs from Keene Valley up into Lake Placid. High Peaks Cyclery is a great local outdoor shop for gear and trail advice. They also operate High Peaks Mountain Guides, which offer guided activities for every season, from ice climbing and backcountry skiing, to mountain biking, rock climbing, and watersports.
For wintertime visitors, try the nearby Whiteface Mountain. The ski resort offers some of the highest elevation and expert skiing available on the east coast. Bundle up — the nickname ‘ice face’ comes from the fact that it can get quite cold and windy during winter storms.
How to Get to Lake Placid from New York City without a Car
The Amtrak train is the most popular option. The closest stop is 40 miles away in Westport, NY. A shuttle can be arranged with an advance reservation. Alternatively, there is a bus route with NY Trailways directly from NYC’s Port Authority for roughly $75. It takes about eight hours from NYC. You can also check out the oM guide to renting a hybrid car in Manhattan.
Photos courtesy of the Mirror Lake Inn & Spa
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram