Lake Clear Lodge

A romantic sled ride and dinner for two is what we expected my fiancée and I, not even close! More like a sled ride for 8 around in a circle twice! If it wasn’t for the day’s snow fall and the several deer we saw , it would have been depressing. But the sled owner was kind and pleasant (not part of the lodge). It was down hill from there for sure! No password needed for us as they forgot to ask. We were lead downstairs to a cozy room with a very nice fireplace. We were told the librarian would take care of us with history and books. They must have forgotten the history part! The books were a cover for cocktails and appetizers. Needless to say one drink and a pretzel we wrongly assumed was included in the $240 we paid in advance. We were then told our dinner was ready and upstairs we went. Nice dining room just an ok meal nothing special. The waitress asked if we wanted desert and coffee, which I’m we did. By the way only the water was included in the original price. We decided not to stay for the raid(we had enough). The waitress then got our check. My fiancée and I looked at each other; stunned!!!! An additional $55 for 2 coffees one homemade donut one drink and a pretzel. Final tally $295! Extremely overpriced! To us this was to be a romantic evening to celebrate our engagement. Very, very disappointed to say the least.

We stayed for two nights and signed up for the Speakeasy Dinner and Sleigh Ride also. The cabin we stayed in (Writer's) had super cozy rooms and a spacious bathroom. Very comfortable. Made our own drip coffee (provided) each morning while we lounged by the fire (firewood provided). It's a beautiful and historic lodge. The basement bar and main floor dining room are unique treats. The hosts helped us with borrowing their cross-country skis one morning (full range or boot sizes to borrow also). They also had snowshoes available.

Although our room was clean, the plumbing could use an update. We enjoyed learning about the history of this lodge and taking part in the Speakeasy and the History of Beer. Breakfast is NOT available and other local restaurants (such as the ADK CAV Cafe at the airport) are highly recommended for meals.

We were staying in Lake Placid and drove to Lake Clear for the Sleigh Ride and Speakeasy dinner experience. The sleigh ride was pure magic through a fresh snowfall under a quarter moon. It was the highlight of the week for our family group of 10. We were served appetizers and adult beverages (shhh!!) in the cozy downstairs lounge area before the Speakeasy meal. (Loved the beer cellar!) The dinner was wonderful. Our group favorites - Vegetable Strudel, Beef Stroganoff, and Chicken Schnitzel. Would highly recommend this for a special occasion!

We stayed at this property on 10/8 & 10/9/2021. We ate dinner both evenings of our stay in their attractive dining facility. The owners, Cathy and Ernest, were very friendly and accommodating. I believe that virtually everything is prepared in their kitchen primarily by Cathy. Cathy and Ernest provide a menu that always includes a German dish. The pork schnitzel that my wife had (and shared with me) was perhaps the best I have ever had (including those I had when visiting Germany). We stayed in one of their Chalets. It was well equipped and clean. The living room had a gas fireplace, a love seat and two gliders with footstools. The view of the lake was a treat. We were at Lake Clear on the weekend which appeared to be the peak of Fall leaf colors - it was beautiful. We took the Stage Coach ride It was fun, but it convinced us that we would not want to travel cross country in one (slow, but bumpy ride). We both enjoyed the speakeasy that is downstairs in the main lodge. You have to know the password, but it's written on a piece of paper next to the door. Ernest takes care of tending bar and offering some appetizers for purchase. It is a charming place with an adjoining beer cellar which offers a huge selection of different beers. Ernest also makes a great Sidecar. Food and drink in the speakeasy are paid as extra cost items. We found this place to be a relaxing fun retreat. It has a long history. It was very quiet. There is no TV, but I had one bar on my cell phone while in our Chalet. Free WiFi is available in the main lodge. In summary, this was a nice get-away treat for the two of us. Charley G

Extremely overpriced and one of the the weirdest experiences of my life. It felt like a fever dream. My fiancée and I booked the sleigh ride and the dinner, which ended up being $280 for just the two of us. We felt uneasy as soon as we got there. The staff was nowhere to be seen upon our entrance into the lodge, which was where they told us to go in the instructions via email after booking the sleigh ride. Once we figured out where we actually had to go, the sleigh ride itself was fine- maybe could have been lit up better with more lights to see our surroundings, but the dinner and “speakeasy” experience was confusing, awkward, and just strange. First of all, we did not eat dinner right after the sleigh ride. First you must tell the staff member the password to the “speakeasy” downstairs, and this staff member was unnecessarily rude to a family who did not understand what was going on (no one really knew what was going on, it was very confusing). Staff: “do you know the password?” Customer: “giggle water” Staff: “it’s a yes or no question!” Customer: “…yes” Staff: “what’s the password?” Customer: “giggle water” Staff: “ok go whisper that to the bookshelf over there..” Just terribly unnecessary, uncomfortable and weird. Once we were ushered downstairs, we were told to sit at very specific seats and read a packet of information that they gave to us. The staff here haphazardly performs a fake “police raid” (it was just a member of the kitchen staff with half of a police Halloween costume on) but in the process of doing so, it just came off as trying too hard and not letting people just enjoy the moment. The host ran around yelling at everyone to help him hide cups, distilling equipment, etc. and began shouting at a group of young kids trying to take pictures of the moment. “No photos!! You’ll ruin it for everyone!” When ironically he was the one ruining it for everyone… if you’re going to include something like this, maybe go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to make it more accessible and easy to enjoy. It was a nerve wracking chore to be a part of. Cool concept, poor execution. They also did not provide the prices of the cocktails that they offered at the speakeasy, and it turns out each drink was nearly $20 after an added (undeserved) gratuity. By the time we were told to go upstairs to be seated for dinner, we were completely ready to just leave, and chalk it up as a loss of $280 for a pretzel and a weird story. But we stuck it out and had the included so-so dinner. It wasn’t terrible, but again, just a bit odd. It included a “salad” of some sort which consisted of three spoonfuls of fermented veggies and a couple string beans. Again, I’d really just skip this place entirely until the owners give up the reigns on this otherwise beautiful and historically rich establishment. Best of luck.

I could not recommend this experience more highly to any couple visiting Lake Placid in the winter. My girlfriend and I booked the lantern-lit sleigh ride and speakeasy dinner experience. We were greeted warmly by staff upon arrival, which was a short drive from the main area in Lake Placid. After being given the opportunity to meet the horses, we were taken on a beautiful and informative ride through the woods. There were kerosene lanterns set up at regular intervals and we were provided with blankets. The sleigh operator provided some preliminary information about the prohibition era history surrounding the property, which was fascinating. This included the chance to see a reconstructed distillery hut. Upon arrival at the speakeasy, we were greeted by one of the owners of Lake Clear Lodge (Cathy) and directed to the speakeasy door, where we recited a password to get in. Downstairs, we were given an authentic speakeasy experience and enjoyed some of the honey bourbon made in-house. The other owner of the premises gave us a particularly informative presentation on the prohibition era history of the Adirondacks and some unique historical facts about the speakeasy itself, which has been the gathering place of many well-known historical figures (I won't spoil here) seeking the curative properties of the surrounding forest. Overall, the speakeasy was fun, charming, instructive, and one of a kind. Finally, following the speakeasy experience, we were sent upstairs to a beautiful dining room. The room had romantic lighting and beautiful music. The food itself was absolutely delicious and the waitstaff were extremely polite. If you are in the area for a winter getaway and want to enjoy a unique couple's experience, look no further than the sleigh ride and speakeasy dinner. I can honestly say that it was the crown jewel of our otherwise incredible trip.