I first got the sense that my trip to The Point Resort in Saranac Lake, New York, was going to be different when I was packing. For a two-night stay, my husband and I packed our large check-in RIMOWA suitcase, brought three garment bags, and three sets of shoes each. You see, this unique property deep in the Adirondacks was once the camp for William Avery Rockefeller in the 1930s, and the now 11-room Relais & Châteaux property still holds on to the grandeur of that era. So, you too feel like a Rockefeller.
The reason for so much luggage is thanks to a saying the five-star property follows: “Each meal is an event, each day an adventure, each night a celebration.” The all-inclusive rate includes all gourmet multi-course meals with two dinners a week (Wednesday and Saturday) being group black-tie affairs in the Great Hall just as the Rockefellers would dine. This is, of course, after a 7 p.m. cocktail hour to which you receive a daily invite at your bedroom door, noting the location on the 75-acre property.
While the evenings are treated as a house party, guests can choose how their other meals are served. Morning coffee and pastries can be waiting outside your room at a preferred time, and breakfast is ready “whenever you wake up.” Lunch can be served together in the Great Hall at 1 p.m., or you can request an alternative location from a picnic on a private island to a hidden cabin in the woods. Dining in your room (where actual Rockefeller family members slept) is always an option, and there is a chef on call 24 hours a day to prepare whatever you want. We opted for honey truffle fries at 10 p.m. to be served in the pub while we played some after-hours pool.
When the famous oil family would visit the camp with their guests, the staff would know the food requests of every person, which is something they still do today. Each meal is planned weeks in advance by Executive Chef Loic Leperlier, who takes into account your dietary restrictions, along with the likes and dislikes of each guest. And all dishes are made from foods fresh from local farms or rarities flown in from afar.
Aside from the food, guests have carte blanche use of the sports equipment, boats, facilities, games, and books, just as if it was your home. You also get unlimited wine and spirits that a server will gladly whip up, or you can make yourself from one of the many open bars (some are even hidden in the woods) located throughout the estate.
Ultimately, the staff will fulfill any request as if you were Gilded Age tycoon. One couple requested to eat in the kitchen for dinner; another family requested wine and cheese out on the lake, and we asked for breakfast to be served on the glass-walled boat as we got a guided tour of the shoreline. Someone is always available to teach you an archery lesson, show you how to make a cocktail, keep a fire going in your room, set you up with hiking gear (they have boots in every size just waiting), and more. Not to mention, you’re greeted upon arrival with champagne, and our car was filled with gas when we left.
There is no check-in or check-time, and all financial arrangements are completed in full prior to arrival, so there is no bill, extra charges, or reason to tip. You come and go as you please, and the staff is just at the ready to anticipate your every need.
It’s a level of service truly reserved for a Rockefeller, and we just got to experience it for a weekend.
Inclusive rates start at $1,750 per room, per night based on double occupancy.
