Ampersand Bay Resort

We love staying at the Balsam cabin, such a clean and beautiful place! Thank you for another awesome trip.

We stayed here for a family vacation and the place was great! I’m sure it’s different in the summer, and definitely a winter oasis. The only downsize was there wasn’t hot water in the shower downstairs it was warm but not scorching your skin hot like my husband likes! the basement where the two bedrooms were was cold but once you put on the space heaters they were cozy. The upstairs king room was “quite the room” and we called it all weekend. Such an Adirondack retreat. We’d love to go back!

We recently spent our anniversary at this resort. The staff is very attentive, and we felt very at home at the townhouse where we stayed. It was furnished with everything we needed for a long weekend, and was extremely clean. There is a new restaurant on-site we had takeout from one evening. The food was very good! There were a few options like burgers, steak and chicken. We did get a nice charcuterie board, but it was a little on the small side. I would recommend doubling the amount of people when ordering so you have enough. Overall, an amazing weekend at a fantastic location!

My friend and I stayed in 1 of the rustic cabins this past Labor Day weekend and were appalled by the physical state of the cabin and the lack of attention by staff. We paid quite a lot of money to stay in the cabin, and expect basic amenities and safety. That was not the case. The good news is that the beds were extremely comfortable!! First, and in some ways the least important but still important -- there was no coffee maker in the cabin, as advertised. We had to go to the self-serve coffee bar near the office to get coffee, and when we were there the coffee maker was rarely working. There were a number of safety issues left unattended in the cabin. First, the door to the screened porch was completely off its hinges (see attached photo). The back door of the cabin that opens to the screened porch does not lock. Only the front door locks. Once when we returned to the cabin the back door was wide open into the living room, leaving all of our personal items available to steal. I brought this to the attention of the office staff who said they would send someone to fix the door right away. No one ever came to fix the door and we continued to stay there with our valuables left in an unlocked cabin. Having the door to the screened porch off its hinges also let in all the bugs! The door to the main bedroom was hanging by a thread, with screws laying on the floor or falling out of the casing. The door was ready to fall at any moment, potentially on one of us. The bathtub was really disgusting - the calking was in such bad shape it wouldn't be acceptable in a low-income housing unit. Twice in 2 days I found bugs in the bathtub. The faucet to the sink would not stop dripping no matter how hard we tried. I notified the front office but again, no one came to fix it. I was also appalled that for the money we paid, we might have been provided with some minimum toiletries, like shampoo/conditioner/lotion. Instead, there were two mini bottles ----only half full!! Someone else had already used them! The wiring and electrical outlets in the cabin were unsafe. This is an electrical fire waiting to happen. Finally, we were looking forward to relaxing and hearing the music advertised for the Saturday night we were there. But apparently it was cancelled - yet another disappointment.

the lake view of the property is breathtaking, especially when you work up early in the morning. the location is convenient, 5 minutes to grocery and gas, 10 miles to lake Placid. it’s more quiet. there’s complementary kayaks, paddle board for the kids. Boats for rental is brand new and stuff very friendly. there’s live music on sat afternoon. taking a glass of wine by the lake front with camp fire, while kids playing right at the private, what else can you ask for a vacation? only one downside, the first night we arrived has no hot water. the property stopped by even it was late in the evening and they fixed it early the next morning. there’s steam room inside the main bathroom, so not too bad taking a cold shower. however, the dryer has no heat, so we can’t dry the kids wet clothes. this is the only complaint. otherwise, super good value staying here and much better than the crowded town. I highly recommend it.

We had a fabulous time at the Ampersand last week. The location is ideal and access to the lake and all the area has to offer is right outside your door. There were a lot of activities on site and you can be as involved or as uninvolved as you’d like. Are there bugs? Of course, there are bugs… You’re on the lake in the middle of Adirondack State Park, it comes with the territory, but that absolutely would not deter us from coming back. We head up to the area at least twice a year and will definitely be back to stay at the Ampersand.

Our stay at Ampersand Bay was amazing - it was a special pleasure to have such a well tended beach area, with a stocked fire pit for an evening fire and access to canoes, kayaks and paddle boards whenever we wanted to use the water. The quiet and beautiful view were amazing. The cabin was spotlessly clean and well equipped except - no kettle or coffee maker! That was the only thing that was lacking.

Perfect for our fishing trip for those who chose not to camp

We stayed in Herron Townhouse #6 during extreme cold weather. -30 overnight the first night. The wind was strong and we immediately noticed the home was drafty. We used the propane fire place to help heat the house. The twmperature inside barely hit a high of 58. That was surprising since these townhomes were built 15-ish years ago. The townhouse had nice furnishings and plenty of blankets. The overall townhouse was not level. When you walked in the front door and walked straught ahead to the main living space, you had to walk on an incline of a few inches. Then from the main door into the 1st floor bedroom the floors slanted off in that direction. This occurred on the 2nd floor as well. Which messed with my virtigo the first day. This was a negative in our stay, but not a reflection of the staff, cleaniness, or anything else in how we liked the overnight accommodations. We would stay on property again, just not in this particular townhome.