Saranac Lake, New York
The Point
Adirondack Great Camp citadel
Adirondack Great Camp citadel
Secluded on a wooded Adirondack peninsula, the private camp pairs vintage house-party hospitality with open-air campfires and nightly cocktail hours.
“The setting is transporting, with soaring ceilings, 19th-century Hudson River School oil paintings, and mounted game...”
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Anticipatory service featuring round-the-clock kitchen requests, pre-set private terrace breakfasts, and bespoke picnic baskets prepared on demand.
Remarkable
A 1930s Rockefeller Adirondack Great Camp preserving original log structures, hand-waxed native timber, and stone fireplaces.
Remarkable
Decades of unbroken Great Camp rituals, including twice-weekly black-tie communal dinners in the Great Hall.
What they say
Forbes Five-Star
Forbes Travel Guide
2026
UK Gold List
Condé Nast Traveler
2026
Also in AFAR.
No signs direct visitors to this intimate camp, helping it maintain its decidedly residential ambience.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Set on a seventy-five-acre peninsula on Upper Saranac Lake, the retreat is surrounded by deep pine forests and mountain wilderness.
The rooms
Rustic log cabins feature wood-burning fieldstone fireplaces, hand-waxed native timber, and clawfoot tubs, intentionally unplugged from televisions and phones.
Restaurant
The Great Hall
Guests gather for communal multi-course dinners of regional game and freshwater fish before a towering fieldstone fireplace.
You’ll turn off one country road and onto another that takes you deeper into the woods... it feels like you’re entering another world.
At the table
A rustic lean-to bar sits on a rocky outcrop, where drinks and outdoor barbecues are served beside Adirondack chairs.
How it began
William Avery Rockefeller II built Camp Wonundra in 1933, creating a private wilderness compound that longtime guests restored decades later.
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.