I didn't book this room, I travelled for work. First night my coworker and his wife and I arrived later in the night, the place looked closed .. But we were greeted by welcome notes and codes for our rooms, we were the only guests in the place... We were in the bird rooms..smaller and cozy cute rooms. I will admit the mattress wasn't my favorite.. We misunderstood the booking due to our boss doing the booking the rooms. But they were very accommodating and upgraded us for our second night stay in the tree named rooms. Which we first was staying on a Tuesday night and then we stayed over on a Thursday night. On our Thursday night we were actually greeted by everybody that work there full bar and restaurant was open and it did not disappoint. I personally enjoyed the tree rooms bigger bed. The mattress was super comfy we also had a steam shower in the bathrooms. I must say the sheets and comforter that they use on the bed are super soft and some of the most comfy sheets I've ever stayed in at a hotel. I do enjoy that they have a couple public rooms where there's couches pool tables and Outdoors there is a fireplace Let's talk about the Birch restaurant. Ally is an amazing bartender!!! The menu had soooooo many choices I wanted try. I had one of their specials the soup which was a creamy queso style soup. Also went with the braised rib with real mashed potatoes. And one of their homemade desserts. Opera cake. (Hopefully thats how it was spelled) Also included in your stay is breakfast which there was numerous choices to choose from I chose two eggs any style with their local resourced bacon wheat toast and then also homemade ketchup and jelly!!! Brewed green tea and OJ.. My vacation in the Lake George region yearly and can't wait to take my son for a nice dinner here. It says it's an adult only inn. But they assured me I could actually have my son stay the night but since there's only one bed per room we most likely will opt to stay somewhere else but maybe a nice girl's trip staying in one of the Lakes rooms which features Big soaking Jacuzzi tubs!! Also they have a Tranquility room where you can just meditate and relax and a sauna. I feel the only thing that this place is missing is a gym and a hot tub. But they provide snowshoes in the winter time and have a nice hiking trail that you can do all year round and you're very close to friend's lake. Very happy to have stayed at this place. read more

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Chef claims he's an alcoholic. Yelling and screaming and swearing and banging could be heard in the dining room. Maybe worst dining experience of my life. Server was unfriendly. The food was so so and the front desk person was less than classy given the price point of the stay read more

What a mess! The room was gross. We were supposed to have champagne and strawberries in the room upon arrival. We got there nothing was there. Lady at the front said it was never submitted, it was just out into the computer. Also you can not use the lake. You have zero access to even get to it. Nothing in the area do either. We asked for a lake view, there is no lake view. read more

Friends Lake Inn - "Lake view" - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

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Nice room, way overpriced in our opinion. NOT on the lake. Great staff but also understaffed.

We recently had our wedding here, and there were so many things that went wrong, it was almost comical. The fiasco started at 9:30 am, when I watched their delivery driver accelerate, despite the utility lines being visibly caught on his truck, ultimately tearing down the transformer, resulting in a total power outage. This was not a matter of an unpredictable "act of God," as they tried to tell me it was. This was a preventable incident resulting from negligence, and was the responsibility of the inn, though they insisted it was not. An inn charging the prices they do and who caters to weddings, should have a generator capable of powering the inn in these types of emergencies, but they did not. The power outage disrupted every key part of our wedding--from getting ready in the dark, to essential vendor delays, food complications, and critical ambiance issues. Guests were uncomfortable, and many of the elements we carefully planned and paid for were compromised or lost altogether. It is not enough to simply say that efforts were being made "behind the scenes." There was a distinct lack of communication, leadership, and proactive care. Many guests witnessed the chef and other staff cursing and drinking shots at the bar early on in the morning, which explains the lack of professionalism. The "director of events" should have been there onsite since the debacle started, but she didn't get there until after 2 and I had already left to get my hair and make up done, which I had to arrange myself. I had to go to another hotel to meet the make up artist, and sit in a camp chair, because the inn made no arrangements for us. They actually sent her initially to a dark room with no electric. I still could not tell you who was in charge or who was the manager. My maid of honour had to instruct the staff of what to do. She told them to make a bar outside, serve cold apps, and prepare to move all the tables outside if things aren't fixed by 5pm and we will grill and do dinner outside. Luckily the electric came on minutes before I walked down the aisle. Then, even though we paid for an open bar, my husband had to get his own bottle of Jameson (which is the only thing he drinks) because they ran out on Thurs night, despite us informing them that was all he drank, when we went for our tasting. When I complained about this, instead of an apology, we were reprimanded for bringing our own bottle because we were putting their liquor license in jeopardy. To top it all off, one of the servers was extremely rude to my nephew and when I told her she is not to speak to my guests that way, she started screaming at me. This was all because my nephew went behind the bar to get ice for his drink. If she had been doing her job, an open bar would always have a bartender, and he would not have needed to get ice. But her attack on him and myself was uncalled for. I heard later she was rude to everyone she encountered. Then when my uncle got upset because she was yelling at me, the staff tried to kick him out! At which point I became very upset and insisted that she be the one kicked out. Which they finally did. But as she walked out she screamed at the top of her lungs "mother fucker," which was heard by many guests. The event coordinator did arrange to have the open bar extended and they paid for the dj to stay extra (which was a suggestion from my maid of honour) which we appreciated. But then, the next morning, the bartender tried to charge me another $400 for the extended bar. I almost lost my mind. I questioned the charge and she said nvmd. And it's not over! On sat, there was no hot breakfast served for anyone, which was promised to myself and all of our guests. No compensation was made for us or any of our guests. They then closed the restaurant on Sat and gave everyone the day off, saying the power outage had caused them to lose all their food, which was untrue, since they served breakfast on Sunday. In addition, there was no internet or cable for all of Sat and Sunday. When I asked for compensation, since the entire weekend was a complete disaster from start to finish, I was told that I was wrong, that they went above and beyond, and I should be happy with $1000 back to pay for my children's room and my make up. I complained that this was not acceptable, and I was met with more condescension and dismissal. And to boot, a few days later, they charged me an additional $250 for my bridesmaid's bouquets, which the coordinator neglected to remind us to bring with us, so we walked down the aisle without them. I asked for the owner's name multiple times, but it wasn't shared. We stayed calm and made the best of it, but I am extremely disappointed that the most important day of our lives was handled so poorly, with no adequate apology or attempt to rectify things. Our wedding will always be tainted with negative memories, which is sad, unfortunate, and unfair. Luckily, I have an amazing husband, which is all that really matters. read more

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We only Dined at Friends Lake Inn on a quiet Monday Evening right before Thanksgiving but the food and staff were amazing! Best French Onion Soup I've ever had. The Lamb and Duck were outstanding as well. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Duck and Lamb - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

Nice spot. We've dined here several times and the food & assortment are decent. Not really a lot to,chose from in this area, but we enjoy it once in a while. read more

Stayed at their Cabin which was very cosy (maybe lay off on the air fresheners) and quiet, easy walk to the main inn/restaurant/pub. Staff were very friendly and accommodating, wait staff were great would recommend the bar side for eating for music and atmosphere. Overall a great experience, they even shipped back an item my wife left behind. Only reason for the 4 out of 5 is due to the walking trails which were terrible and also the restaurant/inn decor was a bit dated. read more

We had a wonderful stay at this inn. The customer service was great. The room (Cedar) had a nice cabin feel. We used the tub and the steam shower. The breakfast in the morning was delicious as well. We will be back. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Tub - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

I was so disappointed. The hotel is very dated, the room smelled musty, the place needs a total makeover! The prices however, are comparable to a brand new hotel. We lost power for a few hours, and not even the water worked... for the prices they charge, they should have generators in these situations. There are no refrigerators in the room, there is no handicapped accessibility (I walk with a cane) and the stairs don't even have a handrail all the way down. They charge a 20% gratuity for a breakfast, even if you don't go to breakfast. The jacuzzi on the property isn't used anymore, there was so much I was dissatisfied with. The wait staff was great but I was not thrilled with the desk staff. I would not recommend this place at all! read more

We stayed at Friend's Lake Inn over the Columbus Day weekend, and I have to say my wife and I loved every moment of our visit. We stayed in the Great Lakes room which was very clean and comfortable. The whirlpool bath took care of the kinks in my back from the long drive up from Brooklyn. Also, the room has an amazing stone wood-burning fireplace which made the room very warm and cozy during the evening. The staff are very friendly, courteous, and accommodating; especially Nicole and Betty...they were fantastic! The bartender gave us a list of restaurants to check out and he was right on point. The chef recommended we check out Gore Mountain and take the gondola ride up to the top. There are no words that can describe the view we experienced. Nothing but mountains and fall foliage for miles. Next year, we are bringing the family and staying in the cabin. Can't wait to get back! Thank you Friends Lake Inn for making our weekend memorable! -DR read more

We just spent 4 days at this wonderful little gem in Upstate NY, and I'm pretty sad to be leaving. I chose to stay here specifically for room 14, which has a giant jetted tub under a window facing the lake. Had I known what the rest of the room and the Inn were like, I would have had about 400 more reasons to stay here. First, the inn is gorgeous. The location, the careful balance of rustic charm and quality comfort. The people are genuinely warm, welcoming and friendly. The food is AMAZING. And when they say free breakfast, they don't mean get up early and head to a sideboard for some cut fruit, packaged pastries and cereal dispensers. They have a nice breakfast room, but you can order anything from the menu and they'll bring it to your room. One word of warning: dinner isn't served on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, and there was no fridge or microwave. So you'll have to go find dinner or have something shelf-stable on hand. I recommend heading to the nearby Stewart's, grabbing a few deli foods and some ice cream, and bringing it back to eat in the giant tub while you watch a movie. I'll miss this place. read more

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My partner and I stayed here for our honeymoon in 2016 and loved it. For our five year anniversary this year, we booked the same room we had stayed in five years ago for two nights so that we would have that room for the whole day on our anniversary. When we arrived, our room was over 80 degrees. We turned up the room's A/C and left for a few hours to let it cool off. We came back to an even hotter room. We went downstairs to ask Donna at the front desk for help, and she came up to look at the A/C unit and try to get it working for us. An hour later, it still wasn't cooling the room at all, and Donna moved us to another room at the Inn for our first night, but there were other guests checking in the next night, so we couldn't stay there past the next morning. Although we were disappointed we couldn't spend our first night in our honeymoon room, we were optimistic about the rest of the stay at that point. The next day, Jeff came up to look at the A/C, and immediately started saying that the reading on the machine must be wrong because it didn't feel like over 80 degrees to him, despite the room still being extremely hot and uncomfortable to stay in. He then tried to fix it himself and asked us to wait another hour to see if that worked. When we reported that the room was still not cooling off, he finally called a technician to come fix it. The A/C wasn't fixed until 3pm, so on the day of our anniversary, we didn't have access to a room to stay in for most of the day, since ours was too hot and then occupied by a technician, and the one we spent our first night in was being readied for the next guest. These things happen, and things break down, and normally I wouldn't fault the Inn for that, but Jeff's handling of it was really disappointing. It could have been resolved earlier if he hadn't been so reluctant to call a technician out to fix it. No one at the Inn ever acknowledged that it was our anniversary day that we were stuck without a room. We spent most of the day in the downstairs game room or out on the balcony of the room for short intervals (although hot - this was the second week of August - the outdoor temperature with a breeze was cooler than the room). When we came up from the game room during repairs, they had left the door to our room wide open and the technician was no longer in the room - not very respectful and not at all secure. By the time the A/C was finally fixed and the room started to cool off, we were heading into our last night and gearing up for check-out morning, with very little time left to relax and enjoy the room. We had reservations at the Inn's restaurant for dinner and thought it might at least be a special night to end the day. Donna wished us a happy anniversary as we passed by the front desk, which was really sweet, but that was it as far as any acknowledgement of our five year anniversary. I've had restaurants that I ate one meal at do more to celebrate anniversaries - usually a special dessert on the house with some kind of "happy anniversary" message. Nothing like that here, which makes you wonder why they even ask when you make the reservation whether you're celebrating a special occasion if they're not going to do anything. Especially given the disappointing day we had, I was surprised to be paying the full dinner bill and not having anything done to acknowledge the anniversary. When we checked out they refunded the cost of our FLI mug and our picnic lunch that we didn't eat much of anyway (bread and cookies were stale) in recognition that our stay was disappointing. Although we appreciate that, the refund was less than $100 total, and at around $400/night, to not have access to our room that we booked for most of the day is just not acceptable. We paid for a room for two full nights that we could only occupy from about 3pm our second day to morning checkout the next day. We specifically planned this trip to be able to be back in a special room on our anniversary and just spend the day relaxing together, and instead we were left wandering around most of the day waiting to be able to return to our room. We don't travel much and had saved up to be able to take this special trip, and it was so disappointing to have it turn out this way and to have most off the Inn staff, especially the manager Jeff, fail to acknowledge or empathize with how this all impacted our experience. I'm giving one star for the location which is still beautiful, and one star for Donna who was absolutely wonderful throughout our entire stay. I can't justify awarding any more stars than that this year. This place meant a lot to us, but I don't expect we'll be returning again. I would strongly encourage you to book elsewhere if you're celebrating any kind of special occasion. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

During this tricky time for travel, I can't imagine having spent a lovelier weekend anywhere else. With near zero degree weather, we were still able to enjoy hours outside on their snow shoe trails and come back to the gas fireplace, charming window seat, and steam shower in our room. We had a lovely dining experience: delicious food, charming atmosphere, and friendly waitstaff. Some amenities were not available due to Covid precautions, but Dawn and Donna made sure that we were still able to find everything we would need for a fun adventure. They went above and beyond to make us feel at home. We would have been happy to have stayed longer, and look forward to returning. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

We made our second trip to Friends Lake Inn this weekend for our wedding and had an incredible experience. All of the staff went above and beyond to make sure we had everything that we needed all weekend. Mary, our house keeper was very attentive and kind and even gave us flowers! Nicole took wonderful care of us and Rael at the bar was great too! All of our meals were perfectly cooked and delicious, especially our wedding dinner! Best steak we have ever had. Breakfast in bed the next day was a nice touch as well. We stayed in the Great Room and it was the perfect space to get ready for our ceremony and to come back and relax when the day was done. The common areas, like the billiard room, made it easy for our family of 9 to spend time together each night. We also enjoyed a nice fire in the fire pit outside. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a weekend getaway, intimate wedding or just a delicious meal! The only negative thing I have to say is that communication leading up to the wedding could have been a little better and if you're eloping I would recommend hiring your own photographer (we did) as we were not content with the quality of the photographer included in our elopement package. Thank you FLI for a wonderful wedding weekend. We will be back! read more

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Friends Lake Inn is the best place to stay in the Adirondacks. It is a nature lovers paradise. It is peaceful, on beautiful grounds with a lot of history. There is so much beauty around the inn. The rooms are clean, comfy and quiet.Dining there was also a treat.We had such a nice stay. The owner and all of the staff were so pleasant. We were only there for 2 1/2 days and hope to return for a longer stay the next time. We will be sure to let our friends know about this wonderful place nestled in Chestertown NY. read more

I Have always had a tremendous time at the FLI!!! For over 10 years we have been skiing at Gore. We Treat ourselfs to FLI For dinners ever year and it has JUMPED IN THE LAST 3 years to a SPECTULAR PLACE I have always been treated with the best service STAFF FOOD ETC EXCELLENT! I would come more often but its getting VERY POPULAR AND I DO NOT PLAN AHEAD!!! People R starting to enjoy this beautiful Retreat!!! read more

I booked a room to celebrate a special occasion. We were coming from NYC and wanted to go away for a romantic getaway from the city. I found the place from search online. The room rate was about $300 a night for just the basics without the frills. Consider going after Memorial Day, the beaches nearby Lake George are not be open until after Memorial Day. The property has some trails so you can do hiking and a private lake area to go boating. When I was there the trails were still recovering from the Winter and we had to use caution during our hike. We wanted to get to Palmer Pond, but ran into a guard dog from someone living in along the trail and had to head back because the dog charged at us when we got close. The lake area is beautiful, but you will have to get the boat out yourself and can be heavy and difficult unless you have two strong bodies to get the boat into the water. The Inn is nice and "Cozy". We stayed in room #2. The room was not very big. I was very disappointed with petite size toilet room. My knees hit the wall when I sat down on the toilet. This makes a Manhattan bathroom look palatial in comparison. For those coming from NYC or city folks, you may find this helpful: The Inn is located in Chestertown and nearly 3.5 - 4 hour drive from NYC. There is much to do near the inn or places to eat other than the Inn or a few small places in town. We ended up driving to town of Hague and south to Lake George. There seems to be more selection of things to eat and do. We ate breakfast and dinner at the Inn, but did not choose the selection with the food option. Food at the Inn was good, but will cost you. It was not cheap. It cost as much as a fine restaurant in the City. The restaurant had fake flowers during breakfast and fast candles when dined for dinner. These touches made the place feel cheap. The staff at the Inn were nice and friendly. If I were to go back, I'll stay nearby the Lake George area, where there are more places to eat and things to see and do. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Very small bathroom. My knees hit the wall when I seat down. This is room #2 - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

No cons here! To start off...we stayed here over the weekend and stayed in the field stone room with the dining plan included. We also had a bottle of prosecco and cheese plate in the room prior to our arrival. While the room was expensive, it was totally worth it. We had our own private entrance with a private deck. The bed and sheets were comfortable along with the jetted tub in the bathroom. The weather was perfect to light a fire in the fireplace both days. The food...phenomenal. We had breakfast and dinner both nights which did not disappoint. We also added a picnic lunch for the full day we were there and it was light and not to filling, so we could have room for a very full dinner. Cocktails and wine were very good as well. We decided to go on a 2 mile hike through the wooded trails behind the inn which was beautiful for fall weather. The service was amazing. Every staff was very attentive, friendly, easy going, and accommodating to our needs. This is our second time at friends lake inn and we will definitely be back. We can't say enough good things about the inn! Steph and Pete read more

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This place sucked. we had to wait an hour and 1/2 to just get bread on the table. Also, I ordered a burger medium, and it came in well with the bun being 10 times bigger. Another thing Is that the burger was stuck to the cheese and the cheese was cold and soggy. This place really SUCKS!! read more

We had a lovely dinner at friends Inn this evening , only to be followed by total ineptness and attitude. After dinner our server, Kim was so kind as to set up the out door fire for us. As we sat around the fire one of us noticed that they charged her credit card twice, another in our group was charged three different charges. They went inside to get it corrected. They waited inside for 20 plus minutes as Corey ( who had his mask around his chin) told them I'll get to it in a minute. This went in for 20 minutes. Again asking what is the status Corey told us if we did it have an attitude he would help us. Corey co tinted to be very brisk and rude.... this should have been handled In a minute. Such a shame it was a nice evening until Corey ruined it, read more

My wife and I arrived slightly early to check-in and were pleasantly surprised to have our room ready for us! We had a beautiful view of the fresh snowfall and the pristine white landscape was extraordinary to wake up to. The staff was very helpful and excited to share knowledge about the local mountains, winter activities, and local attractions. I strongly recommend visiting the Friends Lake Inn and plan to lodge here next time we visit the area. A pleasant, relaxing, and quiet getaway lodge close to Gore Mountain and Lake George. read more

By far the worst customers service I have ever experienced. Editing to respond to the comment left by Tammy: We chose not to stay at the inn not due to inability to afford it, but on principle due to their lack of working with us. Tammy states that she tried to work with us, but in fact she was extremely rude and condescending (as she continues to be by claiming that I cannot afford to stay at their business) and refused to refund a fee, as well as insinuating that $75 was a small fee (if so, then refund it instead of fighting with us, Tammy), and so we have chosen to take our business elsewhere, as will our family and friends. We were given a $350 gift certificate here by our in-laws who have stayed here and loved the place. We picked out a charming room with a jacuzzi and fireplace and expected to contribute an extra $125 on top of the gift certificate. Unfortunately when I tried to book our room on their website, I put in the code on the gift certificate in a spot asking for a "promotional code" when checking room availability, and mistakenly thought the gift certificate would be applied. It wasn't. And things went downhill from here. I called, thinking this would certainly be remedied, as $475 for a hotel room is way out of our price range. I was told that in order to rebook the room using the gift certificate, there would be a $75 refund fee. I asked that this be waived because it was a mistake, the website was misleading and we were still going to be going there for the weekend and did not want a "refund" but wanted to properly use our giftcard. There is no way they are charged this much by their credit card company to issue a refund. For a place so pricey, they should have a better website that explains how to use a gift certificate. Instead of the customer service we expected, I was told rather rudely by an employee named Donna, that she couldn't waive the fee, and that the promotional code and gift code were not the same thing. I would have to contact Tammy, the owner. ELEVEN e-mails later between Tammy and me, in which she was extremely argumentative, and several phone calls from my fiance, we became so frustrated over $75 and horrible treatment, that we gave up and decided that we'd rather pay $75 NOT to stay there because we'd feel unwelcome. This is the worst customer service I have ever experienced. We gave the gift certificate back to our in-laws and suggested that they stay there instead of us, but I have a feeling our family will just be out $425 because the owners and staff there are so unhospitable. read more

I have been to the Friends Lake Inn before and the food and service was excellent. I was very disappointed in tonights visit. Meal took 2 hours and one of the entrees was cold and soggy. Service was poor. It appeared that there were issues in the kitchen as well as being short staffed in the dining room. I hope this was just a bad evening and not reflective of a decline in the restaurant quality. read more

We had a wonderful stay at Friends Lake Inn to celebrate our anniversary and Valentine's Day weekend! The staff was friendly and welcoming, ensuring we had a comfortable stay. We stayed in the Cedar room, which included a steam shower, jacuzzi tub and a balcony that overlooked Friends Lake. The room was finessed with cute touches like comfy bath robes and k-cups and coffee mugs to use the Keurig machine in the room. I only wish our room had a mini fridge to store some perishables because we brought fixings to make charcuterie boards. We really enjoyed the amenities that the inn had to offer. We used the sauna and tried snowshoeing for the first time. We are big foodies and the chef at Friends Lake Inn is wonderful! The morning breakfast choices were delicious as well as the dinner menu. Our food was cooked to perfection! The staff was maintaining COVID social distancing with spacing guests in the dining room for breakfast and dinner. Dinner was so cozy in the dining room by a wood burning fireplace! We will definitely be staying at Friends Lake Inn again! read more

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Spent 5 days here Aug. 2012. I am in Love with this place! For a romantic getaway, family reunion etc. this fits the bill. Friendly, accommodating staff, who are not all over you, but are there to give you anything you need. The chef is very talented, and innovative and with a wine cellar that goes on forever the possibilities are endless. The wine bar at the inn is a great place to chillax, 8 stool bar with a variety of wines "on tap" fireplace, couches, and a very cozy atmosphere, they have a full bar, and a nice menu that changes. The real gem of this place was the restaurant. We had three dinners there and nothing disappointed, the Hudson Valley Foie Gras mango and carmalized onion chutney over sunflower bread crustini was so good I had it twice, the Antelope medallions with greens a smoked balsamic dressing and pickled red onion (appetizer) we're so tender,succulent, and tasty my mouth is watering just writing this! Smoked mozzarella and grilled asparagus ravioli in red sauce was also fresh and delicious. Dinner was an event, the seared Elk chop with juniper cherry Demi glacé, porcini celeriac mashed and roasted baby beets, was so good, I can't believe I hesitated to order it. It was such a beautiful looking dish I couldn't wait to dive in, and it was ... Heaven! The Duck and the steaks were also quality dishes with lots of flavor. I had a special of a rib eye with a smoky jalapeño Demi, and that too was outstanding. Desert was of the same standards, Banana's foster prepared table side, dulce de leche creme brûlée, peanut butter mousse with banana cake covered in chocolate. They seem to have a vast selection of fine cheeses. We had breakfast one morning, before kayaking on Friends Lake and the smoked salmon was a must have and the duck hash was spicy and delicious. Breakfast is served in a separate dinning room that overlooks the Lake what a great place to wake up, for 14$ and all you can eat, why go anywhere else. The peppery homemade smoked salmon is a must have! One last tip, there is a private dining room in the wine cellar for a small party, I estimate no more than 14 people (check with inn for capacity) but for a special occasion this space, with a special menu by the chef, is something out of the ordinary. If you need something a cut above in this area, look no further! read more

Friends Lake Inn - Path to the sauna - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

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Ours was a 3-night stay in this gorgeous and very clean and comfortable inn. We stayed in the Lakeview room which required climbing 2 flights of stairs (and it takes a bit of effort to actually see the lake from there - the tree in front of the inn could stand a good pruning). We thought this was a place for couples only, but at our first breakfast there was a table with at least 5 children (noisy ones). We were told by our server that the new owner's policy would discourage this in the future (these were old bookings from the former owner), and the people were leaving. However, the following morning there were different children there. The absolutely incredibly delicious breakfast made up for the disturbance (although we'd prefer a 7:30 instead of 8:30 seating). We did not have dinner there but enjoyed a terrific dessert one evening. The staff (especially Mary) could not have been friendlier or more helpful. The grounds were impeccably maintained and the pool was sparkling clean and most welcome on those hot afternoons. To get to the lake you need to either drive or walk across the street and a couple hundred yards down a dirt road where you'll find a narrow beach, a small short dock and the watercraft (grab a paddle at the inn before you set out). I kayaked 2 mornings just after dawn and greatly enjoyed the peace, quiet and families of ducks that kept me company. The hiking trails are easily found and followed. Bring your bug spray and nets! A bear visited the property in the pre-dawn hours which was both frightening and exciting. It was very vocal - my wife woke up thinking it was in our bathroom but it was in the yard below the balcony. We found its scat the next day. Our few requests were quickly addressed. The bar is well stocked and comfortable. There's even a billiards room downstairs (all but one of the cues need tips) with comfy couches and chairs, a TV, movies and games. Although a bit pricey this is the kind of establishment the southern Adirondacks really needs. We're glad to have given them our business and plan to do so again next year. I highly recommend you do the same. read more

Have been coming here since 1995 and have never been dissappointed. The food has been great and the service excellent. The wine dinners have been exceptional. The staff is very knowledgeable and offers great advice to any questions about the meals. read more

Came on a Monday night with a party of 10. The place was about 50% full. It took them 20 minutes to sit us despite plenty of open seats. Took another 20 minutes to serve us water. Still waiting (10 minutes after the water came) for bread. The staff says the new owners won't hire the needed staff and it is a constant problem. Was finally served a cold cheeseburger and fries 2 hours after we got there. Not one offer of a discount or free round of drinks. I've gotten better service and food at Wendy's. read more

The restaurant has fantastic food! Definitely a place to splurge as the expense is well worth it. We went out for my birthday and we each had a taste of everyone's meal. All were fabulous... from the oyster appetizer, the salads, and every entree, including the pork chop, mahi mahi special, filet mignon and seafood sampler. Yhen the desserts were to die for! I had the beer brownie sundae, and what a Treat that was! read more

We stayed at the Friends Lake Inn on Sunday night to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Using a gift certificate from a friend, we had a great time. The hotel is lovely as are the grounds. The wine list is HUGE! We started with a flight of 3 red wines that were excellent followed by dinner which was included in our room package. The food was excellent especially the artisan cheeses that we had as a starter and the strawberry shortcake for dessert! The room was nice enough - we got a complimentary upgrade when we checked in so we got a king bed instead of a queen. The downside was that we had, I think, the only room that did not have screened porch so we could not leave the door to our patio open for the night. The bed was "ok" but not as good as what we see at some of the hotels we've stayed at. All in all, the stay was great and we'll plan to come back again in the future. read more

Enough good can not be said about this gem of a restaurant almost on the shore of Friends Lake. It's north of Warrensburg, NY and just a little south of Chestertown; however...if you love great food, a wine list that doesn't end, great service and a really special night out...go there and enjoy every minute of the experience. Their wine list is unbeliveable, the dinner menu is seasonal changes and is superb. Tonight I picked a really nice bottle of Sicilian wine which I loved with my Artisan Cheese appitizer. My main course was steak and lobster tail. It all came to an end with a double expresso machiato. My wife's meal started with a lobster and cucumber salad with a wasabi lime dressing followed by the summer bouillabaisse which she loved. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Just go there and see for yourself. read more

Friends Lake Inn - Steak and lobster tail. Mmmmmm - Hotels Near Me - Chestertown, New York

Stopped in to the Wine Bar for dinner on the 3rd saturday in August of 09. This place promotes itself heavily for its Wine Spectator award (yes, the same one that lots of chains like the Melting Pot now get too, because all you have to do essentially is submit an application and pay the fee; no one comes to actually try out the restaurant). However, there was little emphasis on wine. The menu contained under ten wines by the glass. There was also no emphasis placed on storage; the bottles were just uncorked and poured. We only got two glasses of wine and never got the chance to order a bottle with dinner because our waitress couldn't handle stopping by us as well as the two other parties in the place. Those times that she did stop by she struggled to bring the proper dishes. All three of us (the only people eating in the bar area) were served wrong or delayed dishes. The dinner menu was dated. It would have been considered contemporary in 1990. Began with an appetizer of mussels in an alfredo sauce, which wasn't heavy and creamy like we expected, but a thin cream sauce with scallions. The dish was tasty, and could have been improved if the mussels were bigger. The salad as an entree with steak had great potential. The steak was excellent. Unfortunately, the salad had just come directly out of the refrigerator and was way too cold and jarring with the warm steak. The other entree was chipolte braised short ribs with potatoes, which was well prepared. read more

best place great property great staff great lake. great town. great beer, a lot of snow. nice everything.

I can't understand the people who give this place one- and two-star ratings. We spent the night of April 16 there, and had a fabulous dinner including cheese course, elk/wild boar stew, venison, and winter cioppino. Everything (food, service, room) was top of the line. We've been going there for years, and that's the way it always has been. I've seen absolutely no decrease in quality with the new management. We'll keep going back, for as long as I can make the trip. read more

Had my anniversary dinner here; did not stay overnight. More upscale than most places in the area. The service was superb. I had goat cheese/basil ravioli. It was ok. Nothing to write home about. My husband had foi gras which he said was amazing. For dinner, he had the pork chop (which I tried ) and it was succulent and juicy. Delicious! I had oven roasted chicken which was also juicy and moist...and you can dry out chicken easily so i was very pleased. We received a special menu for our anniversary which said happy anniversary on it. I thought that was really sweet :-) read more

We came here for an intimate wedding reception and had a great experience. The bartender was friendly and knowledgable; the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really nice and apropos for the surroundings in the Adirondacks. I am not a fan of potpourri but I loved the log cabin potpourri that was in the woman's bathroom! It's smelled delicious, warm, and comforting. My only complaint, if you can even call it that, is that the hor doerves were so beyond good that I wanted more but they weren't replenished after they ran out. This could have been due to what the wedding party ordered and nothing to do with the restaurant...I just wanted more and more of those mini crab cakes yum!! This is absolutely a place to visit and I'd love to go back for a weekend getaway and stay overnight next time. read more

This is a well-run property with nice, rustic accommodations and good food. The staff is wonderful. We stayed in the Lake Placid room, which was spacious and had an especially nice bathroom with clawfoot tub and steam shower. However, we never would have chosen this property for our getaway had we known there was no access to Friends Lake. The photos on the website are extremely deceiving. There is essentially no view from the Inn of this lake, which is across the street, down a long gravel road, and largely obscured by a private home. You can walk down the buggy road and look at the lake, but you can not sit there, swim, or launch a kayak/canoe. The reservation form includes a disclaimer to acknowledge their pool (never mentioned or pictured on website) is closed, but really should acknowledge that they have no lake access. The Inn is a 20 to 30 minute drive from other lakes and anything else you might want to do, this is not a destination unto itself. read more

All the big stuff is great - beautiful property, comfortable rooms, a great pool, access to a lovely pond for kayaking and scenic hiking trails. But so many little things were not quite right. Why was there an abandoned lawn mover in the middle of the yard all weekend in peak season? Why was the phone by the pool missing? (Hello liability risk!) Why was one of the front double-doors always locked? Why did I have to ask for a steak knife after they brought me a $30 pork chop? Why did the inn's map to the hiking trails not have any scale information whatsoever? Why do the servers say they haven't eaten the food and the people at the front desk seem unfamiliar with the property? Also, bizarrely, after a complimentary breakfast I was handed a bill for $1.15 for tax. Individually these are small things, I know. But for $300 a night, two nights in a row, I regret to say they added up to "does not meet expectations." read more

What a wonderful place to visit with their extensive wine cellar! Beautiful location with lake view, what a beautiful place. Their Brie dip is to good for words. read more

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