The Historic Adelphi Hotel Again Graces Downtown Saratoga Springs, NY

Date: January 2018

Location: Saratoga Springs, New York State, USA

Name: Adelphi Hotel – opened early 2018 – four star

No. of Keys: 39

Owner: When the historic Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York, closed in the fall of 2012, locals warily waited.

Set on Broadway in the heart of downtown, the Adelphi was the last of the grand 19th century hotels still operating as a hotel, its lobby and its rooms a throwback to days when travellers didn’t necessarily expect luxury, when a quaint historicism was enough of a draw during the warmer months when the hotel was open.

Owned and operated by the Adelphi Hotel Group, which includes Richbell Capital’s Toby Mildé, his father Simon, and the father-and-son team of Larry and David Roth of Blue Skies Forever LLC, the new Adelphi was expected to make its grand début in the spring of 2013, in time for the city’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of Thoroughbred racing in Saratoga.

Larry Roth owns Thoroughbreds with his wife Nancy and daughter Jaime, running the name of Foxwood LNJ.

But when you start opening up a building that’s more than 150 years old, you find some surprises, and Mildé and his partners found so many that they ended up doing not the upgrades that they’d planned, but a down-to-the-studs, bare-bones, gut renovation, a renovation that took not the eight months that they’d originally planned, but five years.

It was worth the wait.

Teresa Genaro, a contributor for Forbes, says “as a native of Saratoga who frequented the lobby of the Adelphi for drinks, who clings tenaciously to the city’s history and architecture and who bemoans the relentless upscaling—and literal uprising—of accommodations, restaurants, and residences, I approached warily the new Adelphi when it opened last fall.

Invited by the hotel to be a guest, I checked in on Friday afternoon for a one-night stay and enjoyed it so much that I booked a second night that weekend and made a reservation for my parents to stay there to celebrate a birthday. The hotel has definitely gone upscale from its prior incarnation, but it doesn’t feel ostentatious or out of place in a city that, despite the recent trend towards luxury, still really feels like a small-town.

Any room that overlooks Broadway is a prize; the pricey second-floor suites also come with private access to the balcony that recalls Saratoga’s 19th century resort heyday. For the guests that can’t afford the suites, there’s also a second-floor “library” with balcony access; both are ideal for a quiet cocktail, socialising, or reading.

Glen Coben of New York City’s Glen & Co. Architecture oversaw the interior design, including updating some original furnishings with new upholstery and finishes. He created glass panels that were made of the crystal plates that were used in the old hotel.

THPT Comment: Great when a “grand dame” hotel is restored to it’s former glory. And what a fab idea…they have a “local’s rate” if you live within 50 miles…what an intelligent idea!

First Seen: Reuters