Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa offers the best in luxury accommodations and unique experiences for its guests. Located in Lake Placid, NY, the Inn has been a popular destination since it opened in the early 1920s.
Ed and Lisa Weibrecht, who bought the Inn in the mid-70s, have made major renovations over the years to provide up-to-date amenities and modern design, while still keeping the classic Adirondack charm. For the last three decades, it has been given the AAA Four-Diamond Exceptional award, and is a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
The Inn is beautiful all year round, but the holiday décor is really spectacular. This is when they go all out to provide a true winter wonderland full of holiday magic for their guests.
“It’s a special place to be during the holidays,” says son Andrew Weibrecht, who, along with his wife, Denja, helps run the Inn. “My mother, Lisa, has decorated the hotel since the late ‘70s and she tries to outdo herself every single year. We have hundreds of thousands of bulbs and Christmas lights on the exterior of the property. We have Christmas trees throughout the lobby, the dining room, living room, and everywhere else in between.”
Before COVID-19, Lake Placid traditionally held a Holiday Village Stroll, and the Inn offered a package with this that included breakfast with Santa and a personal visit from him and his elf. There would be magic tricks, holiday singalongs, and a snack of cookies and milk. It was always a special treat filled with holiday cheer for the kids and their parents right in their own rooms.
“Christmas at Mirror Lake has become a tradition for a lot of families, and they come every year, one family for over 20 years, so it’s been great to see the different generations visiting,” says Chris Jarvis, the director of rooms.
Close to 70% of their business is either guests who have stayed with them before, or those who have been referred.
“Our goal is when someone leaves, we don’t want them to go home and just feel like they want to come back; we want them to feel like they have to come back,” says Chris. “And a huge part of that is our staff. They’re warm, genuine and friendly and truly care about the guests’ experience.”
“Two of the most common compliments we receive are about the staff and the level of service they provide, and the cleanliness of the establishment,” adds Andrew. “Even pre-COVID, we have always been obsessed with providing a clean, welcoming environment.”
The Inn has 128 rooms, which can comfortably accommodate couples as well as large families, and all have spectacular views. Guests may not be spending much time inside though. The Inn and the town offer plenty to do outdoors.
Mirror Lake is a hub of activity and is just steps from the Inn’s front doors. When the lake is frozen enough, there’s ice skating and dog sled rides for families to enjoy.
In the years they haven’t had snow, they’ve blown snow on the hills so kids can go sleigh riding. Local farms also have horse-drawn sleigh rides, and North Pole, NY, the home of Santa and his reindeer, is not far from the Inn.
“We try to think of every little thing that people could want or need out of the holiday experience,” says Andrew. “It’s pretty magical.”
The resort is also a short drive from White Face Mountain, says Andrew, which is a prime destination for skiers.
Andrew knows all about skiing. He competed in three Olympic games and medaled in two in alpine skiing. In 2010 in Vancouver, he received the bronze medal, and in 2014 in Sochi, he won the silver medal.
“His medals are on display at the front desk and guests like to have their pictures taken with them,” says Chris.
Last year, Andrew and his brother, Ethan, who was a professional big mountain skier for many years, started a ski rental business as a convenience for guests so they wouldn’t have to wait in lines at the mountain or go downtown to one of the ski rental shops.
“We set it up so that we take the guest information, bring the equipment to their rooms and fit them right there,” says Andrew. “We have everything ready and waiting for them in the morning.”
Lake Placid is unique in that it has hosted two winter Olympic games. During the winter, all of the Olympic venues are operational, and people have the opportunity to go on bobsled rides down the Olympic bobsled track.
“The Olympic arena, where the ‘Miracle on Ice’ game happened, is open, as well as the 1980 Olympic Oval,” says Andrew. “They have skating there every night. The Nordic ski venue just added snow making and is going to be a fully operational world-class venue this winter.”
Back at the Inn, there is a European spa offering all types of massages and other upscale services. The Maple Sugar Body Scrub is one of the most sought-after experiences, along with the Vichy shower and Dry Float European Soft Pack.
“One new offering is a salt room for salt therapy which helps with respiratory health,” says Chris.
For dining, there are two restaurants on the property. The View, which is AAA Four Diamond rated and a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winner, is their fine dining restaurant. The other is the Cottage Café, which offers more casual fare. Whenever possible, most of the food and drinks at the Inn are locally sourced.
“We get a lot of our meats and produce from local farms, and a lot of the liquors and draft beers come from regional local breweries,” says Andrew.
The Inn takes every precaution to keep guest and its staff safe. Andrew says that they have invested about $400,000 in equipment and upgrades to the property since the pandemic started.
They’ve also expanded their outdoor areas and put in several fire pits to keep guests comfortable and allow them to stay distant from others.
“We have over seven acres, so we’re really driven to use every bit of that and let people spread out,” says Andrew.
To find out more or to book a stay, go to https://mirrorlakeinn.com/.
Adirondack Waffles
INGRIDIENTS
2 Eggs, separated
2 c. Buttermilk
2 c. Cake Flour
½ c. Butter, melted
½ tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1/8 tsp. Salt
½ c. Confectioners Sugar
¼ c. Canola Oil
DIRECTIONS
01 Pour Buttermilk in a large mixing bowl; add Egg Yolks and Vanilla, whisk to combine. Gradually add melted butter. Set aside.
02 In mixing bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Salt. Set aside. In small bowl of mixer, whip Egg Whites until frothy; gradually add Sugar and beat to soft peaks. Set aside. Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir to combine. Fold in Egg Whites.
03 Brush preheated waffle iron with Canola Oil. Cook 1 minute. Flip. Cook 30 seconds.