Cons: Tiki/Hawaiian/Polynesian theme...a bit over the top...but thankfully doesn't go into the rooms
Would you like a little piece of Hawaii with your stay in Lake George, New York?
Then the Howard Johnson Tiki Resort might be right up your alley. This hotel is situated near the southern end of the Lake George ‘strip' on Route 9 and overlooks the southern end of Lake George itself. It offers a number of different amenities (in season) including dinner shows, indoor and outdoors pools, a breakfast café and a location that lends itself to walking down to the center of the Lake George village. It also offers decent rates, especially in the off-season.
Our experience with the Tiki Resort is limited to a stay in the somewhat off-season. We arrived a few days before the Columbus Day Weekend and the majority of amenities including the Polynesian dinner show, the Tiki Bar and the breakfast café were closed at that point. They were opening for the weekend, but then they would close for the season after that.
As it was, we really weren't looking for all those extras. We just wanted a place to stay while we spent some time in Lake George. Our hotel room was clean and neat and wasn't a bad place to stay. We would have taken a dip in the indoor pool if we had brought our suits, but we hadn't even though to bring them since we didn't know where we'd be staying.
Our rate was $49 a night as we used a coupon from one of those travel magazines that you find at the rest areas. This was roughly the same cost for most of the other hotels that were open at this time in the Lake George area.
Where do I find the Howard Johnson Tiki Resort?
The Tiki Resort is on Route 9, which is the main road through the center of Lake George. The hotel is about a ½ a mile north on Route 9 from the intersection with the road from Exit 21 of Interstate 87. This puts it on the edge of the Lake George "strip" but it's still within walking distance of the downtown area. My guess is that it would take 5 to 10 minutes to get there with the lakeside stuff being a little closer and the village a bit longer.
Tiki Resort?
Yes, it's like a little bit of Hawaii in Lake George. I have to admit that when I walked into the lobby of the hotel, I felt like I had been transported to the hotel I had stayed in while I was in Hilo, Hawaii. There's a tiki bar, plenty of Polynesian themed decorations and Polynesian statues outside. There's even a Polynesian dinner show.
Thankfully though, that tiki theme really doesn't follow you into the rooms themselves as they are just your run-of-the-mill hotel rooms.
The Rooms?
I don't really expect much when I spend $49 a night on a room and I was neither disappointed nor excited when I got into our room. My partner and I got a standard room with two double beds (sometimes it's nice not to share a bed). In addition to the beds, there was a small dresser, a TV and a fridge in the room along with a chair and a small table.
The bathroom was at the back of the room and included a large closet, a sink area and then an attached room with the toilet and the shower. I was actually pretty impressed with the bathroom area. It gave you plenty of room and was clean and well maintained.
Our window in the front overlooked the parking lot, pool and then Lake George beyond. It was an okay view, but we kept the blinds closed since people were always walking by. The walls could have stood to be a bit thicker or more insulated since some noise traveled like TV sound and some voices from neighboring rooms.
Free wifi is available in all of the rooms, though I didn't have my laptop with me to try it out.
Overall I was satisfied with the room. Most importantly it was clean and the beds were comfortable. I was also glad that it was in good repair and the bathroom was well maintained.
With regard to room types, the standard rooms are pretty much the same with the two double-bed setup that we had. If you are interested in a suite, they have a few different types including ones with jacuzzis and more living area.
Would I go back?
I probably would, considering the reasonable rates and the decent location far enough outside of Lake George village to allow you to get in and out of the area without too much traffic but not so far that you can't walk down there.
I doubt I'd partake in the Polynesian dinner show or anything like that, but I would have liked to have had breakfast at the café and if the weather was better, I wouldn't have minded hanging out in the pool (or just remembered my suit to use the indoor pool).
Final Thoughts
The Howard Johnson Tiki Resort is a decent place to spend a few nights in the Lake George region. It's got clean rooms with comfortable beds, some nice amenities and its close enough to Lake George Village that you can walk from the hotel to all of the activities in the area.
Overall I wouldn't mind staying here again and for the money, I don't think others would be disappointed after a night here.
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