16 Best Hotels in The Adirondacks and Thousand Islands, New York

The lodge, 5 mi south of Lake Placid, was built in 1927 on the shore of Heart Lake. It's run by the nonprofit Adirondack Mountain Club, which also runs the High Peaks Information Center here. The lodge has private rooms, family bunk rooms that sleep four to six, and a coed sleeping area with 18 beds. The main room has a stone fireplace, and the dining room serves homemade breads and soups. You may also order trail lunches here. There's a small beach on the property, and trailheads are steps away. The lodge has canoes and kayaks, and snowshoe and cross-country-ski rentals are available at the information center. Also on the grounds are two cabins, three canvas cabins, 36 campsites, and 36 lean-tos. A Modified American Plan for dining is available to lodge guests staying for three or five nights.

The family-owned hotel, named for the famous ski jumper, sits on 2 acres three blocks from the Olympic Center. Every year, the owners renovate a new bit of the property. All but two rooms have been renovated since 2000, and many are now larger, have bigger flat-screen televisions and refrigerators and feature granite countertops and wood ceilings.

At this two-story chain property, interior corridors connect the rooms, which are big and bright and include desks. The heated indoor pool is a plus, as is an outdoor deck overlooking a placid pond The on-site restaurant, McKenzie's Grille, is open almost every day.

The large 1903 Adirondack inn on Big Moose Lake has a central fireplace, a cozy lounge, a front porch with rockers, a floating gazebo with checkerboards, and canoes. Accommodations, located in the three-story lodge, are simple and have brass beds. Most rooms have a lake view, and one has a fireplace and a whirlpool tub, but some rooms and common areas feel a little like granny's parlor. A restaurant serves American fare in an attractive space with lake views; and a deck with umbrella-shaded tables offers lakeside dining.

This budget family motel is in a quiet area 5 mi from the Gore Mountain Ski Center. Its dark-wood exterior and the guest rooms' knotty-wood-paneled walls give it a rustic chalet look. Rooms are basic but spacious. There's a restaurant on-site that serves American-style fare like burgers and wraps, and an Adirondack-style pub.

The former Best Western Golden Arrow is under new management, and sits right in the heart of Lake Placid, on Main Street. Beautiful views of Mirror Lake are available from the lobby and some rooms, which have balconies. But what really sets the property apart is the owners' decision to go as green as possible. Expect recycled and ecofriendly gifts to greet you on arrival (perhaps a pine-tree seed in a terra-cotta pot filled with earth, for example). Have a seat at Charlie's, the resort restaurant, for a view of the green roof. The roof, finished in summer 2008, is an insulating blanket of plants grown on a flat section of the property's roof. Some of the herbs grown there might go into dishes served at Charlie's. Kids' programs are available.

Like many others in its chain, this Hampton Inn offers clean, modern and spacious rooms and breakfast until 10 am. You can enjoy it with a free newspaper.

Some rooms have views of the harbor at this hotel with a range of accommodations. In addition to standard rooms there are larger minisuites, with roll-away beds, that can sleep up to five people. Minisuites have refrigerators, microwaves, and in-room hot tubs.

The two-story hotel is set back 200 feet from the road, on a hill. Rooms, graced with wood furniture and soft earth-tone colors, are attractive and spacious. High-speed Internet access is available. Kids will love the kiddie pool, game room with oversize chessboard, indoor pool, and miniature golf course. Adults might dig the shuffleboard setup and basketball courts.

The Queen Anne Victorian, built in 1890, is a block from the St. Lawrence River and has a turret and a curved porch. Guest rooms are tasteful, with four-poster or brass queen beds, hardwood floors, large windows, and sitting areas.

Ivy tendrils scale the facade of this five-story redbrick hotel built in the 1920s. A large fireplace graces the lobby, where cushy chairs invite lingering. Rooms are traditional, with lace-fringed windows, soft colors, and dark-wood furniture. The indoor pool, under a massive skylight, is a nice size. The hotel is across from the city park in downtown Glens Falls.

The small lakefront motel has standard rooms and efficiencies with private screened-in porches and balconies with water views. Some units have kitchenettes. You can rent canoes, rowboats, and paddleboats on the property.

Most rooms at this two-story motel have knotty-wood paneling and forest views; some have two queen beds and a pull-out couch. The location is convenient to canoeing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

Located right on the banks of Long Lake, the cottages, efficiencies, and motel rooms at Shamrock are trim and tidy, though not overly luxurious. All are located a skip away from the sand and near recreation opportunities. Open year-round.

Housed in a beautiful old Victorian home and set among rambling, 3-acre grounds, this relaxing B&B is comfortable and filled with antiques. It's run by Todd and Karen Hennessy, and Karen makes delicious sit-down breakfast in the morning and refreshments in the afternoon. The owners have chosen not to set up Internet access, and to keep the phones and TV downstairs in the main area. "This is where you go to get away," Karen says.

The two-story European-style Gasthof (guesthouse), built in 1920 at the foot of Whiteface Mountain, has a large porch and a deck. Fireplaces, skylights, and whirlpool tubs are among the extras in some rooms. The three-room suite includes a sitting room with a TV and a bedroom with bunk beds. The dining room is centered on a German Kachelofen (tile stove) and features a traditional German Stammtisch (corner booth for regulars) and an English-style bristle dartboard. Breakfast for overnight guests includes apple pancakes and blintzes.