Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort – Best Hotel in Lake Placid for Families

The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is located in Lake Placid, NY right in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains. This hotel in Lake Placid is by far one of the most kid-friendly hotels we have ever visited. If you are visiting Lake Placid with kids, The Golden Arrow is a must. There are many different options for rooms to accommodate families, and there are some great activities right at the hotel making it a perfect place to stay in Lake Placid with kids. In addition, the location can not be any better is that it is centrally located in the town and easy to walk to everything.

Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort Location

Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is in the perfect location in Lake Placid because it is on the main street, and directly on the water. From the hotel, you can easily walk to the shops and restaurants in Lake Placid. The Golden Arrow is also one of the only hotels located on Mirror Lake with direct water access. The hotel is literally a stone throw away from the lake, with a super clean sandy beach to enjoy Mirror Lake from. There is also plenty of parking available at the Golden Arrow, and it is free for guests staying at the hotel.

Golden Arrow Dining: Generations

Directly attached to the Golden Arrow resort is the restaurant Generations where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served. The restaurant also offers a bar with a happy hour that does not disappoint. The restaurant offers a great view of Mirror Lake whether you sit inside or outside to eat. The menu at Generations has something for everyone and the food is super tasty. The kid’s menu is perfect with HUGE portions making it easy for two to split something and still have room for ice cream down the street at Emma’s ;).

The Beach at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort

The beach at the Golden Arrow is easily a place you could spend a few afternoons hanging out at when you are staying at the hotel. There are a ton of options for kids and adults to have fun in and out of the water. The beach is all sand and it continues about 20 feet out into the lake. The sand is a white crushed limestone brought in fresh every spring. This sand helps protect Mirror Lake and is also not as annoying to clean as beach sand. The sand creates a very large and shallow swimming area for everyone to enjoy the water. There is a swimming section roped off with buoys creating a safe place to swim even where the water is deeper. There are also 2 docks in the swimming area you can swim out to not too far from the beach and they are perfect for jumping off of. The water in Mirror Lake is absolutely pristine because there are no motorized boats on the lake and the water is surprisingly not freezing cold. This also allows for very gentle water with no waves making it a wonderful place for little kids to swim!

In addition to swimming in the lake, the kids can play on the shore in the sand. If you don’t bring your own beach toys, there are some there to borrow! Along the beach, you will find lounge chairs and tables as well. There are also some grassy areas with benches, picnic tables, and even a swing! The beach at the Golden Arrow Lakeside resort offers snacks and drinks for purchase during the prime season, but you can also bring your own food and drinks to enjoy.

Not only can you hang on the beach at the Golden Arrow, but guests also have access to kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes. On the one end of the beach you will find a shack that offers food and drinks, but also this is where you can get towels or pick up a complimentary life jacket to borrow and request to take out a watercraft! My kids loved being able to hop on a paddleboard with friends they made and paddle around the lake. Because there are no motorized boats, Mirror Lake is a perfect place to try kayaking and paddleboarding since the water is so calm. We also found the lifejackets helpful for little kids playing in the water, or swimming out to the docks to jump in the lake.

If the beach isn’t your thing, or if you are visiting during the colder months, there is also an indoor pool and two hot tubs for guests to enjoy. The Golden Arrow has a gym too, complete with showers and a sauna.

Types of Rooms at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort

The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is incredibly family-friendly in that they offer a wide variety of room styles to meet your needs. They of course have your traditional hotel room setup for a good number of rooms, where you will get 2 queen beds or a king bed with a pull out sofa. Many of the rooms at the Golden Arrow offer a beautiful view of Mirror Lake too and you can also get a room on the ground level allowing you to walk right out onto the beach.

The Golden Arrow also offers many options for larger rooms/suites which are a total bonus for a family staying in Lake Placid. Some of the rooms offer multiple bedrooms and full kitchens, and even fireplaces! These larger rooms make the Golden Arrow a great place to stay with your family when visiting Lake Placid with kids. Read all about the different types of rooms here!

Things to do in Lake Placid with Kids

• Hiking in the Adirondacks
• Swimming in a lake
• Boating on Lake Placid
• Visit the Olympic Center
• Drive to the top of Whiteface Mountain
• High Falls Gorge
• Fishing

Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort in the Winter

The Golden Arrow can be enjoyed year-round and in the winter you will find a totally different vibe than the summer. When Mirror Lake is frozen over you can go on a dog sledding ride, ride down a toboggan chute onto the lake, or even go ice skating on the lake. The Lake Placid area has plenty of other activities to do in the winter as well including downhill and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. And not only in the winter, but year-round you can visit the Olympic Center and sites.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort

The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is serious when it comes to being eco-friendly, an initiative we can all get behind! Some of our favorite ways they are being green include: local food found at Generations, the limestone sand helps the environment, and they even have a green roof that helps the hotel reduce its carbon footprint. You can see the green roof if you sit by some of the windows in Generations. Read more about ways the Golden Arrow is eco-friendly here!

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