The Point, tucked mysteriously on the edge of Lake
Saranac in Adirondacks, is something of a legend among the editors of travel
magazines. It's always listed at the top or close to the top of those "best
hotel" or "most romantic spots" lists. Everything from the hefty price tag
(the never-discounted rooms start at $1250 per night) to its beautiful,
isolated location, to a ridiculously blue-blooded history has sustained the
place's reputation as the pinnacle of high living
When I heard one of the world's most luxurious and
expensive hotels was not located in London or Dubai but rather rustic upstate New York, my
curiosity was piqued. I was unaware that certain early-twentieth century
robber barons preferred the lush wilderness of the Adirondacks over bourgeois
destinations like the Hamptons. These overstuffed, bored rich folks built spectacular "camps" nestled in the forests and lakes of upstate New York and hoped that no one would notice.
The heyday of
the robber baron is now gone, replaced by the heyday of the sports star, the
movie star or the internet mogul, but the greatest of the Adirondack camps,
once owned by the Rockefellers, is, now The Point - a resort of unparalleled
luxury that promises you too can live like the gilded age millionaires old.
So, the question I wanted to know
is, just what the hell makes a hotel room (with one bed) worth $1250 per
night? Do vestal virgins feed you grapes? Do they carry you to the
restroom? What?
Luckily for
me, I was able to spend a night at The Point and discover how people like P
Diddy and Warren Buffet can afford to live. Allow me to share.
1) Staff members greet guests with good Champagne as their cars and luggage are whisked away by valets.
Everything is unloaded into your room for you as you are toured the relatively
small but meticulously kept grounds. (I refused, nay, kept a death-grip on my
purse - the valets no doubt recognized me as a peasant right then and there.)
2) Once inside, everything is included and tipping
is forbidden. There are three fully stocked bars open 24 hours. If an attendant
is not available to make your drink, you are free to make your own. And generous
as you wish. (This explained why do many guests slept so soundly on the chaise
lounges scattered throughout the property.)
3) The kitchen is also open twenty-four hours, and
although the hoity-toity chef plans a dinner menu â you can have whatever you what
made any time day or night. If they don't have it, they will have it FedExed
for the next day. (Oh the agony of choice. With each meal, I begged for
suggestions from the chef.)
4) There are several boats available to the guests.
These include canoes, kayaks, three small, but gorgeous wooden motorboats, a
cruiser, perfect for a summertime cocktails, speedboat boat for waterskiing.
And thereâs the replica of Mr. Rockefeller's boat, the 33-foot mahogany
Hackercraft. I took out one of the small outboards and thoroughly enjoyed
put-putting about the lake. Before I left, one of the staff members gave me a
map so I wouldn't get lost. (He also handed me a cocktail for the road. So, I
assume they weren't too worried about me wrecking the boat.)
5) After boating, I went to the pub for a quick game
of pool in the cozy pub. The pub also has darts, cards and one of the fully
stocked bars. There is also a nearby croquet field and badminton equipment. A
VCR and TV is there, but it is not hooked up to cable because you are supposed
to be getting away from it all here. There's a selection of old movies in VHS.
(That's gloriously old school rich.)The pub, like every other building, also
has big, green umbrellas available just in case it rains â which was one of my
favorite touches even though it did not rain.
6) There are no phones in the rooms, but there are
wooden phone cubicles where long distance is unlimited and free. (Hi, Mom! They
placed a cookie with my name on it on the pillow! No kidding!)
7) All the rooms have working fireplaces and fires
are ready-made for guests. All that's necessary is to light them. The sumptuous
beds offer fluffy mattresses, down featherbeds and plenty of space. The room is
also stocked with complementary bottled water and snacks including fresh fruit
and the bathrooms are chocked full of Kiehl's products. (Soon, my bag was
stuffed with them, too.)
8) The hotel holds a cocktail hour in the early
evening, which is a perfect time to meet the other guests. Since it was a
beautiful night, we had cocktails and Horsdoeuvres on the cruising boat. The
staff helpfully reminded me that I should wear flats on the boat, but I could
change into my heels at dinner. This prompted an amusing visual image of a
stiletto-ed trophy wife plunging headfirst into the lake. (By the way, it's Crudités not carrot sticks.)
9) Dinner is served at eight, either in your room or
in the community dinning room. jackets & ties are required and black tie is
suggested on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Big round tables, a fireplace and giant
dead animal heads lend a rustic vibe to the fancy food. Appropriate wines are
served with each course. As the wine flowed, I began to field delicately-worded
but still vulgar questions from my dinner companions about just how it is that
was that I could afford to be there. My suggestion on how to handle these
Caddyshack moments? Answer like old money, with a smooth evasion. (Let's
face, real billionaires wouldn't have to come to this joint, would they? They
already own joints like this.)
10) After dinner, guests are invited to a
bonfire, including s'mores, on the point itself, which overlooks the lake. Not
only were there s'mores, but a small bar had been set up there as well.
Brilliant.
11) In the morning, you may choose breakfast in bed
or breakfast on the deck overlooking the lake. I'm an early riser, so I was
able to enjoy the sunrise on the deck with my morning coffee. Again are no
menus - you just order what you like and they make it. You want eggs benedict?
You got it. You want an atkins-approved omelet? You got it. You want fresh
blueberries, granola and yogurt (like I did) - you got it - all served with a
smile.
12) I needed to leave early, so the hotel manager
offered to send me away with a box lunch for the road. My car was brought
around (filled with gas), my luggage and the box lunch packed inside and
chilled bottled water in the cup holders.