Mirror Lake Inn — Hotel in Town of North Elba

We stayed at MLI for our anniversary in an ADA Oak Knoll Room. This review is focused esp on accessibility.

Pros: well decorated, large, clean room comfy beds and arm chairs in the room beds were different heights to accommodate different needs gorgeous views of the lake and fun to hear the loons at night food was good, room service is prompt plenty of close handicap parking mostly friendly staff spa on site; we tried the salt therapy and loved it wheelchair accessible indoor hot tub with ramp and transfer platform -large indoor pool with lift and built-in bench -thoughtful anniversary gift on arrival awesome luxury roll-in shower in the room- this was a highlight

Cons: -very hilly property - be prepared if you are mobility impaired (and even if you're not) -I tried to go into the main entrance to check in and immediately encountered three sets of stairs. There was a staff member giving a tour to other arriving guests and he simply said that I could not come in because of the stairs. (We later found out on our own where the accessible entrance to the lobby was) -needs more wheelchair van parking -a rollator walker was left at the lobby's accessible entrance blocking one of the double doors for our entire stay -non ADA compliant barn door to the bathroom in the "ADA" room- very heavy and difficult to grip, impossible for me to open and close by myself; had to ask my partner to do it -many spaces and amenities were unusable for disabled guests because they lacked accessibility, to the point where I'm not sure how they can justify charging the full resort price. Inaccessible spaces and amenities included: -the cottage restaurant; lakefront; private beach with lounge chairs; canoe, paddle board, and kayak rentals; fishing dock; lake swimming platforms; jacuzzi in the spa; outdoor pool and pool deck; evening marshmallow fire pit; lawn games; fire pit sitting areas around the property; gym (had a ramp but it was incredibly steep); balcony off the lobby; bike rentals; ground floor entrance to the Mountain View building; elevator in the lobby (a tiny steep ramp at the elevator entrance plus the elevator not stopping flush with the floor most of the time made it very difficult to use). no accessible suites - We interrupt wanted to stay in a suite and l spoke to the reservations desk multiple times in the weeks leading up to our trip. We were told different things every time we spoke to them. For instance, we were told we could stay on the bottom floor of the lake house but were later told by the same rep that she checked it out again and there is actually a large step to enter the suite. This back and forth happened several times with different suites. It was confusing and frustrating, and we finally ended up just staying in a regular room.

Tips: -We figured out that you have to go up a very steep hill to the back of the main building, where there is handicap parking and a step free entrance to the lobby, and you can check in that way. -You can use the elevator in the lobby to access the spa and indoor pool. -there is a small park in the main shopping area of town that allows you to get close to the lake. It was disappointing that that I wasn't able to get close to the lake at the Inn. -If you stay in the Mountain View Building, I'd recommended using the walkway on the second floor of the main house instead of trying to go through the entrance on the ground floor. That's what I ended up doing for most of the time there, which took a lot of time just to be able to get back to the room but was better than needing someone to push my wheelchair over the high doorway threshold.

If I hadn't been with an able bodied travel partner, I would have really been stuck on a number of occasions. As pretty as it is there, I would really think twice about returning, given how limiting the resort was based on my...

I'm disappointed that I even have to give one star. The property itself is very dated and in desperate need of a complete overhaul. We arrived last week for our honeymoon and wanted to leave the second we arrived. The staff was rude. The rooms were dark, dated, dusty, and smelled musty. No "luxury" amenities - cheap bath products, a bottle of cheap champagne ($6.99 after looking it up), cheese and strawberries upon our arrival for our honeymoon - hardly justifying the $785/night "suite." The pictures online do not represent the rooms accurately at all. NO housekeeping due to Covid - we asked for a vacuum due to the salt on the roads and they left a non electric one outside our door which didn't work and refused to empty our trash. They would leave new towels in a trash bag in the hallway if requested. I have traveled locally during Covid and find it interesting that every other hotel increases their customer service when they have to reduce things like housekeeping. The general attitude of all of the employees was poor and seemed as if we were bothering them and they were annoyed. They probably get the same feedback regularly and are burned out.

The only employees we encountered that was pleasant were Tess, the manager at the restaurant, and Mariah, our server. The two of them need to give the rest of the employees a lesson on customer service and how to treat guests. There were kind, gracious, pleasant and define the hospitality industry.

The spa - FILTY. Not distributing sandals or robes due to Covid. If that were the case then I would expect the floors to be clean. They were dirty and covered in dirt and salt. The hot tub was COLD. Upon telling the front desk of the spa, and wiping a clean paper towel on the floor to show how dirty it was, they literally just gave me a blank stare and said sorry. We had a couples massage which my husband enjoyed, but mine was painful and I'm still sore and bruised days letter (I asked multiple times for less pressure). We also booked the salt room and half way into the session we noticed a CAMERA on the wall - I later asked the front desk and they said "oh yes, that's for your safety, the girl who brought you to the room should have told you" and when I said she didn't the attendant replied "oh it's because she's new." Spas come with an expectation of privacy. We felt totally unsettled once we realized this. Were there cameras in our massage room or other areas that we didn't see and we're notified of?

The daily breakfast is not included and is limited to 4-5 options and arrived cold every day and the cost ranged from $40-60. Pathetic. Our breakfast at McDonald's was better quality on the day we left.

We were so disappointed that we left early. The front desk manager was rude and he tried to tell us he was going to charge us for our full stay. He finally agreed not to charge us for the remaining nights after telling him about our experience.

The Inn has so much potential and it's sad to see the state it is in. My husband stayed at Mirror Lake 20 years ago and loved it. We both think no updates have happened since that time. Sad. Extremely...

After many years I returned to Lake Placid, and as this was the first time with my family i thought we'd splurge and stay at Mirror Lake Inn. Bottom line, this is a wonderful, classic resort with a beautiful atmosphere and transcendent vibe. We stayed in a Little Whiteface suite in the Colonial House which is a great choice for a family, with a separate bedroom and second full bath, along with the magical patio looking over the lake. We were welcomed by a complimentary cheese plate, bottle of wine, and a handwritten note - all excellent touches. The facility is at once of another age and in possession of all the modern amenities including a nice indoor pool, spa, hot tub, and very well-appointed gym. The beach and water toys were excellent, The View restaurant was wonderful and perhaps the only real fine dining in the region, and The Cottage was fun for a casual dinner and drinks. I found staff overall to be extremely courteous and helpful. | There is no question I wouldve delivered a straight 5-star rating except for two points. The first i feel is fairly straight-forward, the second maybe a bit unlucky on our part but i thought couldve been handled better. | I love a good bar, especially an old bar where i can drink with 'ghosts,' sometimes late into the night. So we were quite disappointed to find out our first night that your bar closed at 10pm, and in fact the bartender that night insisted we actually clear the room at 10pm. The next couple of nights staff was more flexible and at least let us hang out later. I understand that perhaps there are guest rooms nearby the bar. But for a resort of this caliber and price point, I think that there should be a bar on premises open till at least midnight during peak vacation season. | The second point was the fact that in the middle of the second night of our stay, the air conditioner for our room wasnt working properly making the room uncomfortably warm. We went out early the next day, but upon returning and finding that the room was still really warm, I called the front desk and they dispatched maintenance to address the problem. Repairs were made, filters changed, and the problem was declared fixed. Unfortunately it was obvious again by mid-night that the aircon wasnt working. Upon check out the next day i brought the issue up at the desk and was offered a $200 resort credit for the inconvenience. I accepted it and we checked out. But to be honest, i dont think that was fair compensation for two nights without a/c for a room that cost about $1400 per night. | These points aside, I have to say I really enjoyed our visit and look forward to returning to...