More about The Whiteface Lodge
The Whiteface Lodge
by TripAdvisor Member Aegisride
Just got back from a lovely weekend in Lake Placid. Brought my wife and two boys up for her birthday and had a wonerful time at The Whiteface Lodge. So much to do--we had a rainy Saturday and took full advantage of the indoor/outdoor pool and hot tub, bowling alley, move theater and game room. We were exhausted keeping up with them. When the weather cleared we went down to their Canoe Club (on Lake Placid) and one of the staff helped us take the boys out fishing on one of their boats. We love Lake Placid and have stayed at several of the nicer hotels (including the Mirror Lake Inn). In addition to lots to do with the family--the Lodge is spectacular from an architectural standpoint.....the wood and stone is so magnificent and impressive plus it is so beautifully appointed inside. The other thing we all noticed was the staff--very friendly and eager to help. We were so pleased with the Lodge we will come back as soon as we can.
The Whiteface Lodge--the Greenbrier of the North
by TripAdvisor Member FourteenGreens
We have stayed at several destination resorts; one of our favorites is the Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. This place, the Whiteface Lodge, is equal to the Greenbrier in terms of quality, amenities, and friendliness, but has the added advantages of being much easier to get to and having all the charms of Lake Placid at your doorstep. While you are at the Resort, you feel like you are in another world, but close nearby are all the restaurants and outdoor attractions you could want. Plus, each suite has a complete, really complete, kitchen, so that if you choose, you can cook in your room, really a plus for families with small children, and groceries are readily available nearby.
We will definitely stay here again. Truly lovely.
The best Family Hotel in Lake Placid
by TripAdvisor Member JCJ1225
We stayed at The Whiteface Lodge in August. This hotel is definitely first class with a rustic look of the Adirondacks. The first thing that impressed me is the amount of amenities on the property itself. This is a real family place and if you have young children there is plenty to do from the indoor/ outdoor swimming pool to Bowling, a movie theater, Tennis, Kayaking, Canoeing, etc. This place makes you feel like you are at home not a hotel. After the second day or so I noticed the employees at the lodge would say hello and remember my name, it made it a little more personal during my stay. I am definitely staying at the lodge again next summer.
Relax
by TripAdvisor Member rvckath
I just returned from the Whiteface Lodge and was thrilled with my stay. Our room was elegant yet practical with two small kids.
The amenities were great and we used everything from the movie theater, bowling, game room, childrens face painting, indoor/outdoor pool and every night smores in front of an outdoor camp fire. We also ate at Kanu and the food was top notch. The somilier arranged a great bottle of wine and the wait staff was excellent. We also spent one night in the outdoor pavillion in front of a great fireplace listining to a live band. In addition another evening was spent in the lounge sans kids listining to a great piano player. Overall a very relaxing highend trip. We will be returning again in the future.
Informal luxury in an incredible setting
by TripAdvisor Member rharris99
We managed to snag one of the last 1 bedroom units available between Christmas and New Year in 2005 and stayed here for 3 nights. We were blown away with the unbelievable quality and apparent authenticity of the how the hotel has been constructed. You know you are somewhere special when this initial impression extends from the stunning entrance lobby right down to the smallest detail in the rooms as well. It's very obvious that this place is someone's dream and has been executed with amazing finesse. As we discovered, this is actually the case and this man (Joe Barile) casually wandered up and introduced himself as we were walking in the grounds during our stay!
The room itself was very cosy and deserved the title of "suite" that they have bestowed upon it. It had a balcony with amazing views of the mountains, a full kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, washing machine, 2 flat screen TV's. The lounge would have converted to an adequate second sleeping area via a convertible (but comfy) sofa but we didn't try this out with just the 2 of us there. One thing we thought was great was the full kitchen as this gives you the choice of endulging in the (very good) restauarant/bistro food or just making something casual/simple for ourselves instead. We've stayed at so many luxury resort type places where you feel you are almost held to ransom by having to buy food and drink in their outlets and it was a refreshing change to have a choice. The shops are very nearby too so it's easy to decide to do this at the last minute.
The hotel has an amazing array of services for guests to use and it is definitely "kid friendly" as well. We don't have children and were slightly concerned that it may be a little overrun during the holiday period but we didn't find this to be the case at all (and the place was totally full).
I think for us, the enduring memory of enjoying the quiet, comfortable room with the fire going and snow swirling outside the window will stay with us for a very long time. We also returned since, in summer, to repeat the experience and see what it's like in a totally different season. We enjoyed this just as much and we will certainly return to The Whiteface Lodge in the future as well.
5 Star Facility, 3 Star Service that will hopefully improve
by TripAdvisor Member RedWagonFarm
We are looking forward to returning to the White Face Lodge and view it as a hotel/resort that has the potential to be in the class of the best resorts we’ve been to in the United States. It may take some time for the staff to fully reflect the facility.
Interior Common Space
The structure itself is a wonder, as represented in the photographs and by the member photos. The guest rooms are tasteful and comfortable and very well appointed. Modern touches like the heated bathroom floor are terrific. We wish the in room fireplaces were wood burning and not gas fired, but that’s probably not practical these days.
We would note that the interior décor in the common spaces is just this side of overwrought. The bear in the canoe in the great room was cute, but to have the bear stare longingly at the beehive in the canoe? The classical music in the great room was fine, but intermixed with the nature sounds? Well, the birds were fine, but the sharper image sound machine ocean noises? Jarringly silly and out of context! We made fun of the synthetic ocean noises with the other diners in the restaurant.
Location/Property
The property location itself is fine but unremarkable. It is conveniently located. While we had some concern about the proximity to the Price Chopper market and a major traffic route prior to our arrival, we thought this concern was unfounded after our stay. While the resort is close to a major route into and out of town, we slept with our windows open and couldn’t hear any traffic noise whatsoever. While the Lake Placid lodge has a wonderful location on the water, its grounds don’t have the room for all of the activities that the Whiteface has. Another local top rated hotel, the Mirror Lake Inn has the major Lake Placid town street running right in the middle of its seven acres. After visiting each we would definitely stay at the Lake Placid Lodge and would not stay at the Mirror Lake Inn.
The landscaping is attractive, but a little fussy and didn’t really reflect the nature of the Adirondacks. We suspect the stamped concrete walkways were designed so that snow removal could be handled more easily than a genuine stone path. We did like (and partake in) the charmingly laid out s’mores ingredients around the outdoor fireplace. On a a rainy day it was fabulous to have the pool, hot tubs, theater, game room, and bowling alley as distractions.
Staffing/Service/Food
We would say the service overall is distinctly uneven. Our experience with the senior staff and management was generally lovely, thoughtful and accommodating. The housekeeping staff did an excellent job. The younger line staff seemed inexperienced, occasionally overwhelmed and unsophisticated. Prior to our arrival we spoke to the assistant general manager about our concern with room noise and he agreed to show us a few choices upon arrival. When we mentioned this to the front desk clerk on arrival, she looked startled, "put out" and replied “Only someone from real estate can show you other rooms.” Fortunately, the manager we spoke to was in the adjacent office and came out and showed us some different room configurations.
After the DVD player in our room jammed, the first response was to have the DVD removed and a note left stuck on the TV that stated “The DVD is broken please don’t use it.” It took a full 24 hours and many repeated calls to get it replaced.
Despite the nearly empty dining room at breakfast time, the servers seemed overwhelmed and a little cautious and service was very slow. (The food was still well prepared.)
Our Saturday dinner was a different story altogether. We think of ourselves as serious “foodies” as New York City residents and regulars at top notch restaurants. Still, it’s not often we find a meal we truly enjoy. We are still talking about how much we enjoyed the dinner in the main dining room. It seemed like the evening servers and staff were from a different universe, elegant, accommodating and responsive. The recipes were imaginative, the ingredients were really fresh and the food was superbly prepared. We rarely think of a hotel restaurant as a destination restaurant, if the White Face Lodge were local, we’d return in short order.
Family Resort or Luxury Adult Resort, are both possible?
A major question is whether this is a luxury resort for adults or a luxury resort for families? We were there on a relatively quiet late September weekend so young families didn’t overwhelm the guests and the majority of guests appeared to be adult couples. But the “suites only” lodging and the large number of family friendly amenities make this a resort clearly intended to attract the family crowd.
That said, we will probably return both for our romantic solo weekends as well as when we travel with our large family and children in tow. If you are expecting an adults only retreat, you should only go to the Whiteface if you don't mind being around children. Highly recommended!
Terrific getaway
by TripAdvisor Member nylon88
Excellent resort for families with young children. We went with my in-laws (in their 60's), our 18 month old daughter and brother-in-law. The resort is really great value for the activities they offer. While we were there, they would set up a campfire outside everynight with all you need to make smores. There is a kitchen in each room, they were able to provide a highchair for our room and of course a crib. Its a great resort if you are travelling with a mixed age group as everyone can find an activity. Although you might not find a true rugged Adirondack experience here, this is a really great place for young families who just want an easy relaxing getaway. I highly recommend it.
Fabulous hotel
by TripAdvisor Member letsgotraveling
This Lodge is about a year old, but built to look like one of the old Adirondack Great Camps. There are huge great rooms with enormous stone fireplaces, a cozy pub with more fireplaces, old 10 pin bowling, a movie theater, two pools, three hottubs, a spa, a paddle tennis court, a beach and canoe club. Everything except food and spa treatments is included in the price, even the use of canoes and kayaks. There is a fancy restaurant and a casual bistro. The construction is amazing. Our suite had a living room, kitchen, bedroom, balcony, and a bath and a half. We had a fireplace and a jacuzzi. The staff was outstanding and extremely friendly. And we had a great view of Whiteface Mountain from our room. I highly recommend it!
Not Worth The $$$$$$$$!
by TripAdvisor Member Do-gooder1
Not quite what it is trying to be. Still needs to work out internal logistics and upgrade the quality of the service to warrant the very expensive price tag. Very disappointed in the demeanor of the certain senior staff members but others were very friendly. It has a lot of potential to be a first rate luxury hotel but just isn't there yet. Save your money for a few years until it has learned how to run itself like a true luxury property.
Sign in with Facebook
