The Best Upstate New York Hotels

Heated outdoor swimming pool, two tennis courts, boat rentals and fishing on the lake, onsite spa with massage and facial treatments 

Set on the shore of Lake Otsego and walkable to the village of Cooperstown, The Otesaga Resort Hotel offers thoughtful amenities that place its waterfront location rightfully front and center. Guests can head to the lake for a swim or rent a canoe or rowboat. On land, you can rent bicycles to explore waterfront trails or play a round of golf on the award-winning Leatherstocking Golf Course. 

Many rooms and common areas offer lake views. Suites include seating areas and wet bars, perfect for an evening cocktail. If you're lucky, your suite might come with a fireplace to enjoy along with your drink. All guest rooms include gourmet coffee, plush bathrooms, Beekman 1802 bath products, and Egyptian cotton towels. You’ll find multiple dining options onsite, from a fireplace bar with sunset views to 1909, a steakhouse.

Walk or bicycle to the Village of Cooperstown to enjoy craft breweries, artsy boutiques, and small-town upstate New York charm. You can also venture out to Glimmerglass, which hosts a summer opera festival. If you're a baseball fan, check out the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Live entertainment, indoor water park, horseback riding, hot springs for the 16-plus crowd

Approximately two hours north of New York City in Highland, New York, the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort is among the best upstate New York hotels for families. Accommodations have a natural style with neutral tones, rough-hewn timber bed frames, and nature photography on the walls. Rooms run large with flat-screen TVs, refrigerators, and Simmons mattresses; many offer bunk beds for kids. 

The real draw here is activities and entertainment. Choose among an indoor water park, arcade games, laser tag, or an archery and shooting range. After dinner, the Silverado Saloon boasts a rotating display of entertainment: think magicians, comedians, circus arts, exotic wildlife, and live bands. If you prefer an immersive nature experience, there are several horseback riding programs and a private lake for water sports. The fun doesn't stop in the winter with ice skating, horse-drawn sleighs, and tubing as options for guests.

The inclusive dining package covers a lot. You'll find over 40 items at the breakfast buffet, a lunch salad bar with Tex-Mex favorites like fajitas, and a barbecue-themed dinner menu with meats cooked in their applewood smoker. 

Onsite spa, golf course, private lake, private tennis reservations on two types of courts

Mohonk Mountain House impresses from your first approach up a winding, steep driveway. The hotel is a national landmark set in a forested preserve that offers ample opportunities for forest bathing and has some of the East Coast’s best rock climbing. Nature is the big draw here, and between trails, golf, gardens, and the glacial lake, there are many ways to connect with the outdoors. One not to miss is the Sky Top Tower, which offers 360-degree views. On a clear day, you can see the Hudson River in the distance. 

Rooms have fireplaces (wood or gas depending on your room), large bathrooms, and views of the lake or the mountains. Some rooms include private balconies. The overall style is maximalist—and, to be honest, due for a refresh—with overstuffed furniture, oriental carpets, brocaded wing chairs, and floral wallpaper.

Included with your stay are three meals a day, nightly entertainment, use of the extensive Mohonk trail system, one free round of golf at the Mohonk Golf Course, a private lakefront beach, and more. If you'd prefer to take it easy, mindfulness options include meditation, yoga, and spa treatments such as aromatherapy massage or a gua sha facial. Kids' programming allows parents the chance to unwind and reconnect (note, the teen program isn't currently operating). 

Gate pass to Chautauqua Institution, free parking

Music, dance, art, and theater: These are a taste of the cultural programs you'll find at the Chautauqua Institution. A stay at the Athenaeum Hotel puts you closest to the action in a stunning natural environment. As a bonus, hotel guests will enjoy gate passes to the Chautauqua Institution, a prerequisite to attend its events.

In addition to its robust arts programming, the institution also offers sailing, swimming, tennis, two golf courses, and a fitness center for guests. Venture further afield to explore Lake Erie recreation or tour the Frank Lloyd Wright homes of nearby Buffalo. 

Rooms are on the simple side with few frills or plush amenities. However, many rooms offer lake views, and some premium rooms come with a sitting porch.

Infrared sauna, pet-friendly rooms

Set in four carefully restored 17th- to 19th-century buildings in uptown Kingston, New York, Hotel Kinsley is an Instagram-friendly hotel pick with thoughtfully designed common spaces. If you're coming in from NYC, it's a two-hour Trailways bus ride. Rooms honor the past with preserved wide-plank flooring, custom furniture, handmade rugs, and lime-washed walls. But you'll find modern conveniences like Frette linens, radiant marble floors in the bathroom, and an oversized soaking tub. 

Don’t miss Restaurant Kinsley, which is set in a former bank building with bountiful natural lighting and plenty of houseplants. You'll find a New American menu that highlights Hudson Valley's produce with dishes like steelhead trout in a dill-caper emulsion.

Fitness center with lap pool, sauna, and hot tub, one-of-a-kind experiences like skiing with Olympian Andrew Weibrecht

Rooms at Mirror Lake Inn balance a refined ambiance with sporty touches. The walls are decorated with moose antlers or snowshoes mounted on the wall, a nod to the area’s winter sports history. In the rooms, you'll enjoy oversized soaking tubs in the bathroom, gas fireplaces (in suites), and plush furniture oriented to show off lake views. While the rooms are well-appointed and larger than standard, the real draw is the outdoors. 

Guests can further enjoy the private beach, fitness center, swimming pool, hot tub, tennis courts, and boats for free; select activities, such as yoga, cost extra. And for the days you want to venture out, head to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Whiteface Mountain skiing, and abolitionist leader John Brown’s farmstead, now a state historic site.

Set right on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, Mirror Lake Inn offers two dining options: an al-fresco lakeside cafe with sandwiches and salads and The View, a fine dining restaurant with panoramic windows where you'll find dishes like orange and fennel braised pork cheeks or mushroom risotto with saffron, as well as an extensive bottle selection. We'd recommend you make advance reservations if you plan to dine at The View, and note that the dress code is resort casual.

Pool, outdoor lawn games, complimentary use of spa steam room

Set on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park, home to the East Coast's sole mineral springs spa, Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa is the perfect base for a day at the Saratoga Racetrack or a rejuvenating spa vacation. 

The historic Roosevelt Baths & Spa offer hydrotherapy treatment in mineral-rich waters plus the usual suite of spa services. Everything from massage and facials to mud wraps and Bach flower essence consults was all designed to help guests unwind and ease stress. Know before you go: Yes, those mineral-rich waters are naturally a weird brownish color. Apparently, Franklin Roosevelt sought relief from polio at the spa and so enjoyed his experience that he ordered new bathhouses to be constructed as part of the Works Progress Administration.

Rooms are on the plain side but are recently renovated with fresh paint and new mattresses—a welcome change, since travelers complained of dated decor.