Saturday, February 10, 2018
Hotel Saranac restored, reopens with 1920s flourish
Modern rooms, a new spa and Campfire Adirondack Grill + Bar add unique amenities to the historic hotel property.
Restoration of the newly reopened Hotel Saranac has turned heads the past few weeks. With Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival underway, the hotel is a centerpiece this year, its reopening gala held just as construction began on the Ice Palace at Pontiac Bay.
Roedel Co. had purchased the hotel in 2013, and began a four-year, reported $35 million restoration, bringing back unique qualities of its original 1920s construction.
The project won $5 million in North Country Regional Economic Development Council grant monies in 2013.
Hotel Saranac originally opened on July 1, 1927 with 100 rooms.
It now has 82 guest rooms with various accomodations with another 20 to open soon in a nearby building formerly used to house Paul Smith’s College students.
“It’s all fixed up. The lights are on and the music is playing and people are happy, and I don’t think it can get any better than that,” Roedel Co. President Fred Roedel III said in welcoming 1920’s attired guests to one of the hotel’s recent gala events.
“We wanted to bring it back as a historic hotel,” he said, itemizing four priorities in restoration.
First, he said, they needed parking space.
“The hotel had 42 parking spaces, so we had to build a parking garage.”
Second, he said, “we had to make it a four-star hotel.”
In addition to room expansion and updates, Hotel Saranac also established Ampersand Salon and Spa, which features pine and maple-infused treatments in a state-of-the-art spa sanctuary named for nearby Ampersand Mountain.
Third, Roedel said, “we had to be connected with a major hotel company ... to have the ability to generate more guests.”
Hotel Saranac is now part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, a group of boutique lodging properties that Roedel Co. defines as “a global portfolio of more than 40 remarkable, upper upscale hotels and resorts handpicked for their unique character and personality.”
Curio Collection properties, Roedel Co. says, appeal to travelers seeking one-of-a-kind discoveries and authentic experiences.”
The hotels are supported by Hilton and the Hilton Honors program.”
The fourth priority, Roedel said, was to enhance all the historic features of the downtown Saranac Lake hotel.
“I think all you have to do is look at the ceiling (in the Great Room bar). We had to bring it back exactly as it originally was.”
Although Roedel Properties holds title, he said, “this hotel always belonged to this community, and we’re going to do our best to make it a positive economic generator for this town and to make it a hotel ... that you’ll be proud of.”
Saranac Lake Mayor Clyde Rabideau, officials and civic leaders hosted a delegation from the Internation University Sports Federation, the group looking to bring 2023 World University Winter Games to the region.
“And what it delight it was to entertain them in a world-class facility; our ‘new’ hotel,” Rabideau said in sharing photos from the event.
“We certainly put Saranac Lake’s best foot forward.”
In addition to its spa, Hotel Saranac opened a rustic-chic restaurant, the Campfire Adirondack Grill + Bar, with an Adirondack-to-table local menu and craft beers.
Academy & Main is the hotel’s retail arcade just inside the front doors. The arcade restores an original feature of the 1920’s version of the property with 20 indoor boutiques that sell everything from candy to artisan goods.
The Great Hall ballroom holds the The Great Hall bar, featuring cocktails that recall speakeasies of the 1920s, Roedel Co. said.
“It is a tribute to when the hotel originally opened.”
To find out more or check room availability: www.hotelsaranac.com.