Elk Lake Lodge — Hotel in Town of North Hudson

All pre-arrival communications were quite friendly and helpful. They were all just as nice when we arrived and during our stay. We started a 5-night stay with 3 nights in Windfall, which was very private and quiet. We had to negotiate a nightly rate because they require a minimum of 3 occupants here. At $175/person (weekday rate) that would have been $525/night for the two of us. We got them to agree to $400 which we greatly appreciated. Although the views and privacy were great this unit is badly in need of renovation and new furniture. Several window screens were not properly attached, inviting bugs and vermin to enter if you opened those windows (one large mouse actually leaped onto the screen when we turned on the light, ruining my wife's sleep). The screen door to the deck would not properly close and one of the sliding door screens had a large hole. At dawn I distinctly heard bats scrabbling above the bathroom ceiling as they returned to roost. A discoloration of a bathroom ceiling panel made me wonder if the droppings are collecting there. Big Darling was a huge improvement - newly renovated with intact screens plus ceiling fans, luxurious showers and another gorgeous view from the deck. But that's what I expected based on the website. Still, $250/night/person is a pretty steep price. Breakfasts were quite tasty and substantial and the lunches prepared based on the selections made the previous night were also quite good. Where they dropped the ball consistently was at dinner, when you'd think the opposite would be true. Veggies, other sides and dessert were downright plain - no better than a decent diner. Salad and soup were served nightly except Saturday, of all nights, when we were told that salad was not served because of the sloppiness of the main course (ribs) and soup was withheld because it was too warm outside. What!? We'd selected to have the salmon instead of ribs but our sides were those suited for ribs including terrible corn-on-the-cob (we were not the only ones complaining about it) and bagged cole slaw - my portion of which had a disgusting strip of plastic in it. The manager was not at all upset when we reported this - simply thanked us for telling him. We overheard several fellow diners being told that their wine selections ($10/glass) were unavailable and they offer no soft drinks at all. Their water tastes like it spends far too much time in a pipe before entering your glass. You can bring your own soda, wine and beer, so you really should do so. In 6 days I saw not a single fish break the lake's surface and neither saw nor heard an eagle, osprey or other raptor. There were at least 2 pairs of loons on the lake, one with a juvenile offspring. Flies and mosquitoes were still biting humans in mid-September. Hiking trails were inviting and exclusive. The beach was clean and the watercraft plentiful, prepped and ready to go at dawn. There's a large deck for lounging and swimming. The water is typically cold for mountain lakes, but clean and refreshing. If you're willing to spend as much as is needed for lovely views and food that is just good, then by all means go for it. Just don't expect the place to entirely live up to how it is described on...

Beautiful spot and for those that know what they are getting, I could understand it being more highly rated, so I didn’t want to rate it lower. BUT we were extremely disappointed in the value. The website and good reviews are misleading and I wish I had known what we were getting, so hopefully this will be helpful for others:||Prices are stratospherically high (and not listed on the website). My family of 4 paid $1900/NIGHT for a 3 bedroom 2 bath cabin, staying for 2 nights. At this rate I expected impeccable luxury and first rate dining. This is not that. Reviews called this the “jewel” of the Adirondacks. But they could only possibly mean the views from certain places. The cabin was sparsely and uncomfortably furnished, some screens had holes or windows didn’t close, letting in the notorious Adirondacks bugs. It looked and felt like an old summer camp cabin or park cabin which would have been reasonable for $300-500 a night. I did not go inside other cabins but assume they are the same.||We had a view of the driveway and a sliver of a mountain from one upstairs window. I thought all the cabins were lakefront allowing one to walk out to the dock or beach; none are. Some other cabins did have a view of the lake from their porch…I wish ours had been priced accordingly or it had been clear on the website. The beach is a tiny spot that no more than two families can fit in, next to roadway and the lodge. It holds the kayaks, canoes and rowboats - the only recreating provided - so is busy and if you dont get there early, they are gone. There are no grounds as the lodge and cabins are ust along a gravel road, so no other spots for games or sitting or other spots for views of the lake. ||The dining room is plastic tablecloths and paper napkins. While portions are ample, the food was mediocre, like food cooked from frozen. I had expected local fresh food like trout or venison, but instead our first night was overcooked salmon, dry corn on the cob, baked potato. Next night similar quality. Minimal choice and it was a problem for my spouse with allergies even though they had asked about allergies before arriving. Alcohol extra. Lunches are sandwich and chips.||The staff was all super nice and welcoming, and what you are really paying for is the access to their privately maintained trail system and kayaking on the private lake. And I assume upkeep of such. For a particular kind of traveler, the $$$ rate and the facilities may be worth that. For us, we thought we were getting a luxurious relaxing vacation spot. ||PS There is a "dinner bell" - an actual bell they ring that can be heard from the cabins - at 7 am each day for breakfast. And there are no blackout shades or any kind of drapes on the windows, so you are up before that anyway (a garbage truck also picked up recycling cans at 6:45 am one morning). We felt like we were at summer camp, and being fleeced. I wish I had known as this was just not a value for us at...

I took my Dad to Elk Lake Lodge for his birthday and it was our first time staying here but it will not be our last! We stayed 4 nights. Everything was incredible. This is truly a special place.

The land itself is just absolutely gorgeous. It is out of the way of touristy or built up areas so is an incredibly peaceful retreat. Staff works so hard to maintain guest areas and the rest is beautifully wild. We were the only ones out fishing on the lake or on hiking trails much of the time so it felt like our own personal getaway.

Every single staff member that we interacted with was incredibly welcoming, informative, and attentive. We felt so taken care of. They even put a candle in my Dad’s dessert knowing we were celebrating his birthday. They all seemed so happy to be a part of this wonderful place and I think that really showed in their interactions with us and the other guests. It felt even better than the service you would find at ultra luxury properties.

The food was delicious and checked every box in both terms of quality and quantity. Everything was very fresh, of very high quality, and expertly prepared. Breakfast was wonderful, having the choice between lighter and heartier meals was really nice to allow for flexibility with whatever our plans were for the day. The trail lunches were really well prepared and allowed us to have some picnics with stunning views. Dinner choices were great, something for everyone’s tastes, and again so delicious. The chef even prepared one of the lovely brook trout we had caught earlier in the day making for an extra special treat. My Dad remarked that it was like eating dinner in a fancy restaurant that actually served normal portions. Wine and local beer selection were great and we did also bring some other local beer with us.

We stayed in the lodge and were very comfortable, it was like upscale camp accommodations which was perfect for us. The cabins looked really cute and I’d love to stay in one in the future as well.

We had an amazing time fishing and hiking during our trip and really enjoyed the more relaxed moments in the lodge near the fireplace or on the dock gazing at the mountains and the loons dancing across the water.

I want to thank everyone at Elk Lake for the amazing experience I was able to share with my Dad. It was truly unforgettable and I can’t...