The Best Kid-Friendly Lodging and Hotels Around Schroon Lake

Ever see those Brady Bunch re-runs where the whole family piled into the Station Wagon and headed off to a Mom & Pop motel retreat with lots of family fun activities? Schroon Lake reminds me of this sort of Brady Bunch trip - friendly people with clean hotels that are simple and offer lots of local things to do. Hotels in this area are not your standard Marriott or Hyatt, there are mostly privately owned hotels that you will not find in a review book. This makes it harder to find a hotel for your family that is clean and comfortable.

Blue Ridge Motel is not a modern hotel, it is more of a Mom & Pop hotel, but they do focus on families and are very welcoming of children, and they do try to make it a very comfortable stay. Their website states they are the only motel to get a three star rating in the area. They offer a free continental breakfast that is very generous, akin to a Bed and Breakfast amount of food. Pets are welcome for a fee. Blue Ridge Motel has a swimming pool, air conditioner, a playground, a campfire pit, trails, refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers and wireless Internet. The Blue Ridge Motel is situated on 16 acres of land, so some things to do include hiking the trails and fishing on the lake. Reservations must be made by phone or mail. Visit their website for more details

Tumble Inn on Route 9 in Schroon Lake is a Bed and Breakfast with more refined amenities, they have four rooms and the Inn is suitable for children. The Schroon Village Center is ½ mile away and has restaurants, antiques, and a rarity these days - a drive-in movie theater. There is a full free breakfast each morning and snacks in the afternoon. The living room has cable TV, but as a shared television, children may not get to watch the shows of their choice. There is a picnic table and they are on the lake. Rates are about $92 - $102.

Davis Motel and Housekeeping Cottages on Route 9 are ideal for families traveling together. This facility has small cottages on the water and some motel room units. First the small cottages overlook the lake and have modest but comfortable furnishings. There are two and three bedroom cottages each with electricity, kitchen, a full bath, color tv, screened porches, BBQ, and picnic tables. The kitchens have full dishes, silverware, towels, linens, and blankets so you will have everything you need. The second type of rental is the motel rooms in the small motel. Some are efficiencies. All rooms have air conditioning, heat, color TV, and private bathrooms. They also have a swimming pool, a playground with a swings, lawn games and shuffle board. A good kid friendly feature is that the beach is safe for small children and non-swimmers.

Davis Motel is right on the water and provides several types of equipment free of charge to guests including volleyballs and basketballs. Rowboats and motors are available and Water skiing equipment and sailboards may be rented nearby for use on the lake. For more information visit their website.