NEW CAMBRIA RESORT HOTEL BRINGS MODERNITY TO HISTORIC LAKE PLACID
The official launch a few weeks ago of the waterfront Cambria Hotel Lake Placid — Lakeside Resort was a milestone event with both virtual and live appearances by tourism leaders and New York state officials.
Cambria is the town's most recent opening and the first newly built getaway in a decade, signalling that good times are rolling in Lake Placid and the greater Whiteface region. With huge mountains and lakes, it's the consummate year-round destination for just about everyone: outdoor adventurers, culture lovers, shoppers, business travellers and sports teams coming to train and compete at this two-time Olympic location.
The scene: Cambria suits all those visitors. It's full-service, comfortable and convenient, with an indoor pool, informal dining at Haystack Bar & Bistro and 185 spacious rooms and suites at highly attractive prices. The fresh, airy modern design stands out in a historic community.
Cambria also has a singular hilltop location on the site of the former Quality Inn, with Lake Placid below. The Lake Placid Conference Center and the town's celebrated Main St. are one kilometre away.
Another departure from local style is that Cambria is part of a global chain, Choice Hotels International, one of the world's largest hospitality companies. Choice has more than 7,500 hotels in 46 countries with 22 brands, including budget conscious Econolodge and the urban Radisson.
Cambria was ranked No. 1 in the Upscale category in the J.D. Power 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. (“Upscale” is Power's third category from the top, out of nine for hotel and extended-stay lodgings).
“You can be yourself here,” said Indy Adenaw, senior vice president of the upscale brands of Choice Hotels, which includes Cambria. “It's authentic and free of pretension, with indulgences like deluxe bathrooms and an indoor pool.”
In the summer, there will be terrace dining and drinks, and shore life on Lake Placid with fire pits and a wedding gazebo. Lodging: Guests can customize their stays with studios, standard or deluxe rooms, one- and two-bedrooms suites and bridal suites. Some rooms have balconies, bathtubs, bunk beds for kids, two TVS, and for light bites, some units have wet bars, mini fridges and microwaves.
The rooms bring in nature through striking Adirondack murals and accents of wood and leather.
The bathrooms are crisp and clean, done in pristine white and grey, with polished chrome. You'll feel spoiled with efficient rain showers, lemon-infused toiletries from Pure by Gloss and Bluetooth-enabled mirrors so you can sync your device and listen to your favourite playlist or podcast.
Dining: Haystack Bar & Bistro does casual fare, lots of wines by the glass and New York state craft beer like Paradox Pilsner and Raquette River Mango Wheat Ale. The signature cocktail is a margarita and there is a colourful gin drink called Adirondack Aviation. Weekday specials, 4 p.m. to 9
p.m., are great value: Sunday is comfort day with mac and cheese and shepherd's pie; Mondays feature jambalaya, gumbo and crab cakes; Tuesdays highlights Tex-mex; and on Wednesdays, it's Alpine bratwurst and schnitzel.
Hearty breakfast choices are cinnamon French toast, avocado toast, steel-cut oatmeal with berries, breakfast poutine, or the Adirondack Benedict.
Lunch might be burgers, flatbreads, wings, chili, or an open-face turkey sandwich, and dinner adds short ribs, steak, maple-glazed salmon or a feta-olive risotto.
Lake Placid: The lineup at Lake Placid Center for the Arts includes onscreen performances by the (British) National Theatre and the (New York) Met Opera. The Lake Placid Legacy Sites Passport is one ticket to four astounding Olympic venues: Whiteface (skiing, snowboarding, hiking), the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex, and Mount Van Hoevenberg (bobsled, luge).
The Adirondack Rail Trail, a path for cycling and walking, now runs about 16 scenic kilometres between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, with planned expansion to more than 50 kilometres, reaching Tupper Lake.
In Tupper Lake, the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory will be the perfect place — in the path of totality — for experiencing the solar eclipse on April 8. As well, the website of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism will have scientific info, safety measures, viewing tips and news of celebrations.