Luzerne Court Motel.

Lake Avenue in Lake Luzerne, on the corridor that connects Lake George to Saratoga Springs. The motel sits in the foothills of the Adirondacks about an hour from Albany, which makes it a workable base for travelers splitting time between the lake and the racing season at Saratoga, without paying Saratoga rates.

Recently renovated Standard Double Rooms with free high-speed Wi-Fi. The seasonal outdoor pool runs in summer, and the nightly campfire is the social anchor in the warmer months. The property is dog-friendly, which is rarer than it should be on this corridor.

A continental-style breakfast goes out in the common room. The Luzerne Music Center is close, which is the under-marketed reason to book a summer week here: chamber music concerts in the woods, four nights a week through July and August. Best for travelers who want a quiet, affordable Lake George-region base with Saratoga in reach, and for music-festival visitors who don't want to pay Saratoga prices in August.