LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/916092
20 Winter 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Twenty years in the hospitality industr y, including a decade working at hotels and resorts in the Adirondacks, prepared Michael Salyers for most anything. Hotel Saranac, however, is not "most anything." Salyers calls it a "once in a lifetime experience." Salyers is the General Manager of Hotel Saranac and one of the many people involved in bringing the grand hotel back to life. The journey started in 2013 when New Hampshire-based Roedel Companies purchased the property with the intent of restoring Hotel Saranac as an important social hub of Saranac Lake. Eager residents fondly rekindle stories of `Hot Sara' as they tr y to get glimpses of the work being done inside Hotel Sa- ranac. Watching construction crews move in and out of the building, which was cloaked by temporar y coverings over the windows, only ser ved to whet the appetite of a village that remembers when the hotel's iconic rooftop sign was a beacon for travelers and residents alike. Inside, during these final days leading up to the Grand Opening, Salyers and the rest of the Hotel Saranac staff prepare to unveil almost four years of work, at an investment of nearly $35 million. The new look of Hotel Saranac features a main tower of 82 guestrooms, with an additional 20 rooms added to what was once a dormitor y for Paul Smith's College. Also part of the new look is Ampersand, a luxur y spa, salon, and fitness center; Academy & Main, a retail shop; a restored Great Hall Bar and terrace overlooking Main Street; and Campfire Adirondack Grill + Bar, featuring ingredients indigenous to the region. Each step along the journey to bring Hotel Saranac back to life has been carefully taken. The Roedel team made sure to preser ve and restore the historic integrity of the hotel, which first opened its doors in 1927 and remains the last of the region's grand hotels. " We know how much this means to the community and we were going to make sure ever y detail was perfect no matter how long it took," Salyers said. "This is a special place that has created many special moments and will create many more. There were times when I would stand in one part of the hotel or another and could envision those `mo- ments of magic' coming together." A Classic Reborn By the Staff Photos by Jessica Chevalier & Anne Brewer