Were you snowed in? Or do you wish you were? Burlington, Vermont is not and was not snowed in, but if I had to be snowed in somewhere, I’d definitely choose the marvelous Lake House in Lake Placid, NY. Remember the Lake House in all of its renovated mid-century, Adirondack, ski vibe?
Like any curious preservationist, I needed more information. I contacted the staff at High Peaks Resort (owners of the Lake House) and they were kind enough to share photos and a few renovation facts. Read on, traveling preservationists!
Originally opened as the Lakeside Motor Inn in 1961, it became the Lakeview Motor Inn in 1979, and provided a motel close to the lake with family amenities and entertainment. As other hotels were opened in Lake Placid, the motor inn fell out of favor, typical of most mid-century motels. Fortunately, this establishment has a success story
The Lakeside Motor Inn before the Lake View Inn name change. Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort.
AWH Partners, a NYC based development firm, acquired High Peaks Resort (including the motor inn) in 2014 and began planning the renovation with the architectural firm Mapos of New York City and Tag Collective, the design firm. In spring 2014, the inn closed for approximately eight weeks while the work was completed. Although there were not particular historic preservation guidelines to follow (no Secretary of the Interior Standards or local ordinances for this project), the owners wanted to recover the feel of the original 1960s motel, which had been remodeled in the 1980s.
The Lake View lobby (great room) before the renovation.
View of the lobby, prior to renovation. Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort. Looks cozy, but not trendy.
The Lake House lobby (great room) after renovation. Click for photo source (Lake House website). Note the open ceiling. Definitely a modern feel here!
The Lake House lobby, alternate view (great room) after renovation. Note the concrete floor.
Keeping the original feeling meant retaining and restoring the architectural form of the mid-century motel. A drop ceiling was removed in the great room (with the fireplace) to expose its A-frame architecture. Between the bar and the great room, a partition was removed to open up the space. Rather than replace the carpet, the concrete floors were re-finished and painted. You can see from the photos that the these changes were the right choice to give the hotel its “modern retro” feel. Read about creating the feel from Mapos.
Lake View room before renovation. Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort.
Exterior, before. The renovation gave the motel its striking red touches! Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort.
Aerial of the hotel in the property, 1960. Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort.
Aerial of hotel property, 2014. Photo courtesy of High Peaks Resort. check out the development since 1960!
What a great project. Many 1960s hotel struggle to survive, but the Lake House is one of the lucky ones – a fresh face and it is paired with High Peaks Resort so its visitors can enjoy all of the resort amenities. Want to see more photos? Check out the Lake House website and this collection from Tag Collective. Beautiful, yes?
Know of any other successful mid-century motel renovations?
Preservation in Pink 