Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn – June 2020
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JUNE, 2020
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn in Lake Placid, New York, is a special place. It’s a ‘must stay’ stop for the night if you ever find yourself in Lake Placid. Art Devlin was an Olympic ski jumper with long family ties to the Lake Placid area. He was also instrumental in bringing the 1980 Winter Olympics to Lake Placid.
I had the opportunity to stay at the Olympic Motor Inn on the night before we started our June 2020 Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness hike. While doing my pre-trip research, I was drawn to Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn because it received the highest guest ratings for the entire area and its ties to Lake Placid’s Winter Olympic history.
“We have visited Lake Placid three times this summer, and the only place we would ever want to stay at is Art Devlin’s! The rooms are spacious and immaculate, and there is a beautifully landscaped pool with unencumbered views of the Adirondack High Peaks!” – Guest Review
History of Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn
The 1950s
Art Devlin married Helen McCutchen, and they lived in the house where Art was born during the early 1950s. They converted the upstairs apartment of their home into two motel rooms in the early 50s. The motel was named “Devlin’s Motel” as Art was on the Olympic ski jumping team. Any mention of his name would make him ineligible as an amateur. Art earned his 5th Olympic team but stepped down due to age and injuries in 1960.
With Art no longer competing and his amateur status no longer an issue, the motel was renamed to the name Art originally wanted, “Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn.” On top of the new sign, Art put the Olympic rings. This turned out to be great timing as two years later, the International Olympic Committee trademarked the Olympic rings. That made it illegal to use the rings without their permission, but because Art had the rings on the sign before 1962, he was grandfathered. The rings are still there to this day.
The 1960s to present day
In the mid-1960s, Art purchased a neighboring property and expanded the motel to 40 rooms. When the Olympics came to Lake Placid in 1980, Art decided to try to keep all 40 rooms open for the Games in February. Out of 40 rooms, only eight were winterized (insulated). It just so happened that it was a mild winter in 1980, so things worked out. In 1991 the property was almost sold to a developer who had plans for a strip mall. After much thought, Art decided against it & sold it to his son, Art Jr. The property had become run down and badly needed restoration. For the next 11 years, a cycle of tearing down & re-building in the winter months took place. The restoration was completed by the Motels’ 50th Anniversary, Dec. 2003. Art (Sr.) passed away four months later.
Rooms at the Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn rooms are large, spacious, and immaculately clean. They have the feel of rooms from a time long ago. The price is reasonable for a stay in Lake Placid. Ranging from a ‘bronze’ room at $108, to ‘silver’ at $118, to a 2nd floor ‘gold’ room for $148. I splurged and went with a 2nd floor ‘gold’ room. My thinking was it might be the only opportunity I get to stay at Art Devlin’s.
Each 2nd-floor room also has a large, comfortable balcony with two chairs. The view of the Adirondack Mountains from the balcony is fantastic and helped me imagine the adventure we would be having over the coming three days in those mountains. Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn is located within walking distance of downtown Lake Placid.
Exploring in Lake Placid
I had deliberately arrived in Lake Placid early to allow me time to explore all the Olympic venues and history in the area. Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn proved to be the perfect ‘base camp’ for our Adirondack hike and anyone wishing to immerse themselves in Winter Olympic memories. I walked the short distance to the 1980 Winter Olympics ice arena where the ‘Miracle on Ice’ happened (the USA defeating the heavily favored USSR team to take gold). Next to the arena was the outdoor speed skating rink. On that rink, Eric Heiden won five gold medals, setting four Olympic records and one world record. Anyone who lived watching Eric’s performances on live TV will never forget those moments. I also took the short drive to see the ski jumping hill, bobsled hill, and Whitefish Mountain downhill skiing facility.
Conclusion – Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn provides a nice blend of comfortable, spotlessly clean lodging and history. The lobby of the Inn has an excellent display of trophies, medals, and other memorabilia collected over Art Devlin’s athletic career. It is also where they serve the continental-style breakfast in the morning, included in the room price. The Lake Placid region is a beautiful place to visit in either summer or winter, with countless options for places to visit and things to do. Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn is the perfect place to stay for any visit to the area, and I certainly highly recommend it.
I am a ‘content creator’ with a passion for backpacking, creating videos, photography, and writing – with a healthy dose of all things outdoors on the side!
