Thursday, February 1, 2018
After Historic Hotel's 4-Year Restoration, the Social Heart of Saranac Lake, NY Beats Again
Originally designed by Adirondack architects Scopes and Feustmann, Hotel Saranac opened in 1927 as a beacon of elegance in serene Saranac Lake, New York. Visitors from up and down the East Coast flocked to the hotel, drawn by its grand design, breathtaking scenery and historic surroundings on the downtown’s Main Street.
On January 18, 2017, after a painstaking 4-year, multi-million-dollar restoration, this Adirondack legend—now part of the Curio Collection by Hilton—brings a modern spin to everything that made Hotel Saranac a 20th-century icon. Once again, it’s a luxe basecamp for Adirondack exploration, with hiking, kayaking, forest bathing, snowshoeing and gallery hopping all steps from the front door.
It also serves as a social hub for the beautiful Village of Saranac Lake, where locals and visitors can swap tales over craft cocktails by a crackling fire pit. And it’s an indulgent escape for tourists who want to experience an iconic American playground in one of the nation’s most beautiful natural landscapes.
With its glorious ballroom, gorgeous public spaces and landmark exterior burnished to a new glow, Hotel Saranac boasts amenities fresh as the Upstate air. Indigenous ingredients like pine, birch and maple-infused treatments at Ampersand Salon and Spa, a state-of-the-art sanctuary named for the majestic mountain nearby.
The hotel’s rustic-chic restaurant, Campfire Adirondack Grill + Bar, boasts an “Adirondack-to-table” locavore menu based on the North County’s natural bounty – game, fish, produce and even maple syrup, along with local craft beers. Academy & Main, the hotel’s retail arcade, offers twenty distinct mini-boutiques selling everything from house-made candy to locally sourced, artisan-made goods.
Hotel Saranac was bought in 2013 by New Hampshire-based Roedel Companies, an owner-operator with deep family ties to Saranac Lake. They took an integrated approach to the restoration, managing its development, construction, interior design and operations. Roedel engaged Boston-based Korn Design to guide the overall vision and create a brand strategy for the re-launch of the iconic hotel.
The Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, also played an instrumental role in bringing the hotel to life, awarding a $5 million redevelopment grant to Hotel Saranac. Cuomo’s ongoing program to revitalize struggling Upstate New York communities appear frequently here in Revitalization News.
The adjacent terrace offers a spacious and stylish veranda overlooking the village’s Main Street, which it’s hoped this restoration and reopening will help revitalize.
The hotel’s famed Great Hall, one of the most original public areas of the hotel, dominates the second floor with its Palazzo-inspired design. Influenced by the 14th Century Davanzati Palace in Florence, Italy. Its ornately-painted grand beams spotlight icons from the region, including geese, hare and fish. The Great Hall features an intimate fireplace setting and The Great Hall bar, offering cocktails with nods to the Adirondack as well as speakeasies from the 1920s, a tribute to when the hotel originally opened.
Saranac Hotel is the sole survivor of 13 luxurious properties that dotted Saranac Lake in the 1920s. It boasts 82 guest rooms in its main building, and 20 more suites in Compass Point, an adjacent complex that will open later in 2018. Each Compass Point suite has been uniquely designed to match the architectural detailing of the building. These larger, more private sanctuaries are designed for families, social groups and events.
Hotel Saranac’s legacy echoes throughout guestrooms, all reimagined with regional heritage in mind. RSJ Associates of Wilton, New Hampshire spearheaded the interior design with the goal of giving the guestrooms a modern touch while still maintaining the feel of the “Great Gatsby” era of sophistication and elegance. Dark-wood architectural furniture, deep blue rugs, crisp white linens, and rich textures, in color palettes of deep reds and rich oranges, marry cherished history and polished modernity.
Each guestroom features original, retro-inspired travel posters specially commissioned for the hotel, incorporating native symbols from the region. Rates start at $199/night.