The Lake Placid center point is approximately the area of Olympic Regional Development and the area of Cascade Cross Country Ski Center.
If you want good weather, the best times to visit Lake Placid are from late May to early or mid-September. The most popular month to visit is July, when the weather is at its warmest. The busy tourist season means that accommodations are much more expensive at this time. Spring is less busy. Consider booking your stay during the month of May or in early June, when the weather is pleasant, but the hotels are less busy and offer better rates.
Another good time to visit Lake Placid is during the fall. If you book your stay in September, or better still October, you'll save money and also be able to enjoy the fall colors at their best. The weather at this time of year is still mild enough for hikes and boating on the lake, but the hotels will be offering more attractive rates.
Because the Lake Placid region offers plenty of winter sports, the months of December, January, and February can be expensive too. Hotels near the ski and snowboarding slopes often bump their rates up significantly at these times, although, those further away from the winter sports facilities are often very cost-effective.
There are some great discounts available on accommodations in Lake Placid and nearby. Many of the hotels in the region offer attractive deals on group bookings, sometimes reducing costs by a third when compared to a similar number of individual bookings. Members of the military and veterans can benefit from discounts, as can seniors. Most hotels also have deals available for those traveling on business.
The Rodeway Inn offers discounts on certain rooms for members of AAA and CAA. There are also military and government discounts, as well as discounts for seniors. The hotel gives reductions for group bookings, which can yield significant savings. Not all rooms or stays are eligible. The hotel is conveniently located in Lake Placid and is convenient to many other points of interest. Rooms come with flat screen TVs and HBO.
Assistive technologies, such as accessible showers and listening devices, are available for guests with disabilities. There is an outdoor pool open June to September only and a spa tub. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and rooms have facilities for making coffee and tea. Outdoors, you'll find a pleasant picnic area and barbecue grills. The hotel offers business facilities, including an event space.
Another great hotel offering various discounts is the Hampton Inn & Suites. The hotel has a fitness center, an indoor pool, a seasonal outdoor pool, a spa tub, and outdoor tennis courts. Parking is wheelchair accessible and many of the rooms also have mobility accessible features. The hotel offers numerous suites with adaptations for hearing impairment, such as assistive listening devices and visual fire alarms.
A free hot breakfast is available, and the hotel also provides bagged breakfasts for guests in a hurry. Discounts are attractive, with significant reductions available for military personnal, veterans, and government employees. Members of AAA and CAA receive discounts on eligible suites. Group discounts are more modest, but still significant.
There are plenty of options around Lake Placid for thrifty travelers, especially if you're flexible on dates. The best rates are usually found mid-week, but you can find quality budget accommodations on weekends too.
One terrific budget option is Spruce Lodge Bed & Breakfast & Guest Cottage. Spruce Lodge offers a range of rooms and suites at a very modest price, without sacrificing on any of the comfort you'd expect. Rooms have free Wi-Fi, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. Facilities for skiers include a ski shuttle to take you to the slopes and storage for your skis. During the warmer weather, you can enjoy a barbecue outdoors on one of the hotel's grills. Guests receive a free breakfast every day. This is a small property and the seven guest rooms fill up quickly, so make sure you book early.
Another excellent choice for the budget-conscious traveler is the Quality Inn on Lake Placid. Room rates are modest and include plenty of free amenities. Wi-Fi is free and rooms come with microwaves, mini fridges, and coffee makers. The views are lovely, overlooking the lake or the hotel's outdoor pool area. Accessibility is good, with lots of adaptive features such as roll-in showers. The hotel has a business center, a computer station, and free newspapers in the lobby. There is a garden, a picnic area, and outdoor tennis courts. As well as the hotel's pool, you can also relax in the spa tub.
Lake Placid has a number of attractions. The town itself is full of great amenities, such as restaurants and boutique shopping. The area around Lake Placid is famous for its skiing and winter sports facilities, such as the Olympic Ski Jump Complex. There's plenty to do and see here all year round, however, the glorious Adirondack State Park offers activities and sightseeing all year round. The eponymous Lake Placid is outstandingly beautiful, offering fishing and boating for much of the year.
Below are the GSA reimbursement limits for hotel spending in Lake Placid, NY excluding taxes per night. See gsa.gov for more details.
Applies to Essex
| Season Begin | Season End | Lodging Rate | Meals & Incidentals |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026, 2025 | February 28, 2027, 2027 | $170.00 | $86.00 |
| March 1, 2027, 2027 | June 30, 2027, 2027 | $145.00 | $86.00 |
| July 1, 2027, 2027 | August 31, 2027, 2027 | $225.00 | $86.00 |
| September 1, 2027, 2027 | September 30, 2027, 2027 | $170.00 | $86.00 |
Below are reviews of the city of Lake Placid, NY from an actual visitor's perspective.
Hiking
Lake, mountains, canoeing, white face, John brown, ski jump, double rainbow on Sunday.
Beautiful and walkable.
High peeks is in a perfect location to get out an explore.
The lake!
City is beautiful and very nostalgic!
Everything!
Lake Placid has its own cozy, Adirondack vibe. Nice to see and take advantage of the good old-fashioned outdoor activities in the Winter (toboggan chute, dog sled rides, ice skating, etc). Always enjoy whatever activity is going on in the Olympic center. Large selection of restaurants - although really miss the Adirondacks Steak House that used to be on Main St!
Lake Placid is magical, such a beautiful town, with the mountains and the lights and activities on Mirror Lake and the Olympic center.
Quiet, cozy, quaint
We loved our ceremony venue, experience outdoors. It was beautiful. And we did ziplining there the next day. We also loved our reception location, Smoke Signals, for their delicious food!! The views and foliage in Lake Placid are unreal, like out of a movie.
Jimmy's 21, Olympic Center, very dog friendly.
Love Lake Placid, beautiful, quaint, and fun historic sport town.
The people.were friendly and helpful and the town was so picturesque with lots of outdoor activities for all skill levels.
Lake Placid is a great walkable town. There are many shops and eateries to peruse on Main Street. The Olympic Center gives much fascinating history about the Olympics as well as arenas to watch practices and sometimes games. Whiteface Mountain is a short drive. You can drive the mountain, take a shuttle or if the gondola is in operation take that. These can take you to the top of the mountain for spectacular views.
The city of Lake Placid is beautiful with many things to see & do !
We love the ambience of the town!
The town itself was wonderful. Plenty of nice shops and places to eat. Mirror Lake is beautiful.
Enjoyed the town!
The ECAC Hockey Tournament is a must if you can make it. Main Street is always wonderful!
Mirror Lake and tours!
Excellent restaurants and exquisite scenery!
Excellent restaurants and exquisite scenery!
The view!
Lake Placid is amazing!
Like Placid as a town is very clean and everyone is very kind and it was an enjoyable experience.
Friendly people, rich in history. Fun outdoor activities!
It was quiet and peaceful while we were there.
Shops!
Lake Placid is awesome. Excellent for walking and photography.
Restaurants, shops, Olympic Spirit endures.... one of the beautiful parts of New York State!
The room was clean, comfortable. The staff was friendly.
Unique shops and eateries!
It must be the happiest city we have ever visited. We have been here many times and always love it!
We are already planning to return. This was my first time here and we live about 2.5 hours away yet feel like a million miles away from home. Very friendly town with great mom & pop shops and eateries!
Beautiful area!
Dog friendly hotel.
Our trip up there was for tradition. Our children and now grandchildren have all been to Santa Claus Village.
We have been frequent visitors of Lake Placid for many years. Clean and inviting! I never want to leave, just a magical place! Clean and inviting!
Not allowing chain stores is great! It adds charm and creative individuality.
Cute shops and interesting museums and beautiful setting.
We generally like the variety of stores and walkability of the town. People are nice, lots of French being spoken.
Unique shops and eateries!
We have been traveling to Lake Placid for over 30 years. It's the best of the Adirondacks!
Hotel is near lots of restaurants and convenient to many attractions.
Been going there for years. Love the mountains!
Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Breakfast was very good. Location was terrific.
Perfect natural setting in the high peaks area. For the active person.
I love the shops and the places to eat. The Black Bear is amazing! I loved watching the kids skate on the lake.
visiting the olympic building, hockey rink, visitor center for speed skiing which I highly recommend the views with the foliage and mountains are beautiful
Great vibe, great food, beautiful surroundings with the backdrop of the majestic Adirondacks.
Lake Placid is a great place to visit. There's so much to see and do in and around the area. We were only there for two days and wished we could have stayed longer. I loved the fact that parking in the lots on the main street was so easy. They also have lots of places to eat at.