Built in 1926-27, the Hotel Saranac opened during a time when Saranac Lake was nationally renowned for the Trudeau Institute (formerly the Saranac Laboratory for the Study of Tuberculosis). Those suffering with TB came to take in the clean fresh air of the Adirondacks and “cure.” While the ADKs were already the place for summer getaways, a number of old 19th century inns and hotels had been lost due to disastrous fires. When the Hotel Saranac opened it touted its full fire-proof construction with masonry walls, steel structure, and minimal wood framing and trim. It included ground floor retail with a central arcade as a precursor to the indoor shopping mall which was ideal for those cold winter days. The grand lobby found on the second floor was modeled after the public salon of the Davanzati Palazzo in Florence, Italy but with Adirondack motifs instead of Italian symbols.
In the late autumn of 2013, the grand hotel in the center of the Village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks changed hands and was purchased by the NH-based Roedel Companies, a hotel developer. The Roedel Companies is a family-run full service hospitality business with ties to Saranac Lake that date back several generations. It was the intent of the Roedels to perform a faithful restoration of the hotel which first opened in July 1927. Despite being recognized as an important historic structure and anchor to the Saranac Lake downtown, the hotel sat just outside the boundaries of two adjacent historic districts. Roedel Companies contracted with Landmark Consulting to prepare the individual National Register nomination which would make the historic hotel eligible to pursue State and Federal Investment Tax Credits for its extensive rehabilitation project. Once listed on the National Register, the hotel rehabilitation project would qualify for a combined state and federal tax credit equal to 40% of the cost of construction. In exchange for this tax credit, all work done to the building would need to be pre-approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (NYS Office of Park, Recreation & Historic Preservation) and the National Park Service and the work would need to comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Landmark Consulting researched the construction evolution of the building, documented the existing conditions, and worked with the design team to determine original layouts and finishes, and appropriate restoration and rehabilitation treatments. All work was documented on Tax Credit applications completed and submitted for State approval in July 2017.
While the existing 88 guest rooms will be renovated to meet 4-star modern amenities, five primary areas of historic and architectural significance to be restored include the limestone veneer and bronze storefront facades that wrap around the perimeter of the ground floor and help to emphasize the urban, commercial function that historically contributed to the vitality of the Village and Main Street. By restoring the retail spaces and their visually attractive and welcoming facades, it is the intention to contribute to the restored economy and revitalization of the Village. The central arcade which originally ran through the center of the building with small interior shop fronts will also be restored to its original layout after having been closed off in 1977. The second floor lobby which was originally modeled after a Renaissance-era Italian Palazzo, the Davanzati Palace, includes ornamental beams on scroll brackets, a marble staircase, decorative painted ceiling with local iconography and a large fireplace and original chandeliers. While remarkably intact, this space will be carefully conserved as a focal point of the hotel restoration and will become the renewed gathering space for hotel patrons and community members alike. Two prominent function spaces that hold great significance in the social history of the region are the formal Dining Room and the open second floor terrace. The Dining Room served for decades as the premier venue for Winter Carnival balls, New Year’s Eve parties, social galas, wedding, and a variety of special occasions. The beautiful wood paneled walls, decorative plaster ceilings, arched-topped windows and French doors will all be restored to their original appearance and character. The terrace which sits above the front retail spaces and is enclosed by a decorative limestone balustrade has great potential to serve as the ultimate sidewalk cafe, offering views of the mountains and lakes, while also being a part of the hustle and bustle along the village streets.
As with any rehabilitation project involving a historic building, the hotel has a number of challenges in bringing it up to modern hotel codes and standards, but most of what made this elegant hotel a success when it first opened remains intact and ready to be renewed. The hotel project holds the promise of economic revitalization for the entire community as it sets a shining example of the value and potential contained within so many historic buildings.
In January 2018, the Hotel Saranac will reopen to the public after being closed since December 2013. Even before it officially closed and changed ownership, it was running on a minimal skeleton crew. Since the spring of 2014, the hotel has been undergoing an extensive rehabilitation project. While no easy, quick, or cheap endeavor, the reopening of this Village anchor building will no doubt help to revitalize the rest of the downtown area. This is PRESERVATION making a difference.