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What It Was Like to Stay in a Luxury Hotel for the First (And Probably Last) Time

My husband and I took a “go big or go home” approach to the first two nights of our honeymoon. Here’s how it went

Amanda Kay Oaks
7 min readMay 12, 2022

When planning our honeymoon, my husband and I decided that if there were ever a time to splurge on accomodations, it was this trip. For context, most of our vacations include camping and the occasional AirBnb in the woods. We aren’t exactly “luxury” people, generally speaking. Sure, we’ve stayed in some nice places over the years, but never anywhere with one, let alone two, “luxury hotel” distinctions like those awarded to Lake Placid Lodge.

As the date of our stay approached, I packed my bags with far more attention to “nice” clothes than any other time we’ve traveled together. Andy lives in sweatpants and I do my best to be comfortable whenever possible, so I normally throw one “going out” outfit in my bag at most when we go away. This time, though, I needed options.

I was afraid I wouldn’t feel comfortable lounging around our lodge in my leggings and a sweatshirt. I didn’t know what to expect from a place where I received an email from the conceierge a week before our trip to inform me of nearby attractions and remind me to make reservations if we planned to dine on-site. Or rather, they reminded Mrs. Oaks-Christman, who wouldn’t technically exist until the Saturday before our arrival.

We arrived the Monday after our wedding, fresh from an overnight stay in our more traditional go-to of a mid-tier hotel. The lodge itself is tucked up on a hill behind a golf course, and so we approached with a decent amount of suspense.

I don’t know what I expected, exactly, but the lodge wasn’t quite it. The main building looked rather smaller than I imagined from the front, particularly since most of the online photos are taken from the back, a far more impressive view.

Image of Lake Placid Lodge, from the back (sourced from Lake Placid Lodge website)

The lodge itself is surrounded by cabins and side buildings where most — if not all — of the actual rooms are housed. It looked, more than anything, like a rather large cabin from the front. We opened the ornate door handle and stepped inside, where decadent carpet and polished woody decor awaited us.

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Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks

Written by Amanda Kay Oaks

Pittsburgh-based writer & wearer of many metaphorical hats. Making words about books, pop culture, witchery, health, travel, and more! She/her.

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