Whoever said men aren’t romantic and don’t want to commit clearly never made a visit to The Point, ranked #2 on Condé Nast Traveler’s Worldwide “Best of the Best” list.  Proposals at The Point are, in fact, pretty commonplace; so much so, that General Manager Mark Stebbings was warned that he’d have to add “proposal counselor” to his job description, as he would surely be coaching would-be grooms on proper etiquette.  

Perhaps it is the setting…an elegant hideaway sitting on a private 10-acre wooded peninsula on Upper Saranac Lake, just five hours north of New York City. Or maybe it’s the ambiance…an 11-accommodation compound with slate-roof houses made of hewn logs evoking the turn-of-the-century grandeur of the Adirondack Great Camps era.  Then again, it could be the discreet service…a soft knock on the door to wake you followed by morning coffee magically appearing….  No matter what the reason, there seems to be some sort understanding for men that if you’re going to propose marriage, there is no place more romantic than at The Point. 

There have been proposals where the entire hotel staff was in on the secret and went to extreme lengths to make it a truly memorable moment.  One gentleman had his room decorated with dozens of roses placed in real woven trapper-style backpacks and flickering candles throughout.  Apparently he was supposed to make an excuse to go back to the room and propose between cocktails and dinner; however, he went on to dinner without asking (perhaps his nerves needed more sustenance) and when his girlfriend had to retrieve something from back in the room, the man made a mad dash to beat her there -- and then proposed.  She accepted. 

Another suitor made arrangements to have an intimate lunch with his girlfriend at Camp David, The Point’s log cabin in the woods.  The entire hotel knew that the man was about to propose marriage and when the couple came back to the hotel after lunch, the woman had her heavy gloves on, so no one could see if she was wearing a ring.  Everyone was bursting with anticipation wondering if he had popped the question and if she accepted.  She had. 

For another proposal, a man wanted to bring his girlfriend to the hotel’s lean-to out in the woods at five in the afternoon.  He was counseled that his future bride might be a little cold out there and wouldn’t be quite in the mood for romance and so the man reconsidered.  He got the girl. 

Nouveau-romantic males who aren’t quite sure how to set the scene often turn to the General Manager for help.  Stebbings will advise them on everything from ambiance to time of day, wording, whether to have the ring in the box or not, where to put the ring, and more.  Yes, Stebbings has been through it himself…he just got married! 

The Point has also been the destination for a number of elopements — two of Donald Trump’s lawyers were married to each other here — and the staff has seen many a couple send a Point postcard announcing “Hey, we just got married here….”  (The Point has the phone numbers of many denominational officiates at the ready.)  

One of the most poignant weddings at The Point took place in December of 2001, when a young widow got remarried in a ceremony out in the snow with her four-year-old daughter as the ring bearer.  The setting was in a clearing by the bonfire, surrounded by deep snow, and the bride wore a beautiful white fur gown…and Yak boots.  Only in the Adirondacks! 

The Point, Lake Placid Lodge and The Inn of The Five Graces, all operated by The Garrett Hotel Group, are members of Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious international association of privately owned hotels and restaurants embodying the highest culinary standards and the French “art de vivre.”