The Point on Saranac Lake Remains North America's Original Relais & Châteaux Address

Long before Relais & Châteaux had much of a footprint in North America, The Point had already claimed the title of first. The Adirondack Great Camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built in 1932 for William Avery Rockefeller II, was admitted to the association in 1983, and more than four decades later it remains one of the only Gilded Age Great Camps in the region still open to the public rather than privately held.

What makes The Point unusual today is how little the model has changed. Just eleven rooms are spread across four historic log buildings, each individually named, Mohawk, Algonquin, Iroquois, Sentinel, and The Boathouse among them, and the resort still operates on an all-inclusive house-party format rather than conventional hotel service. Chef D'Anthony Foster leads The Point Restaurant, the estate's single dining room, serving one seated dinner nightly to house guests rather than running multiple outlets.

The experience leans hard into its Adirondack setting: mahogany boat excursions across Upper Saranac Lake in summer, ice skating and snowshoeing once the lake freezes, and a wine cellar built up over decades of ownership. For a region with no shortage of grand historic camps, The Point remains the one that chose to open its doors and keep the original scale intact.

Staying at The Point? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.