Jan 22, 2018 — It was a historic weekend in Saranac Lake. The Hotel Saranac, which closed its doors five years ago, reopened with a gala party.

Built in in 1927, the building once again includes a pedestrian arcade with shops and a restaurant and a grand ballroom. Local business and political leaders hope the hotel will serve as a cornerstone for downtown businesses.

Reopening with a flourish and a lot of memories 

A jazz band played in the ballroom upstairs Saturday night as hundreds of people dressed in vintage 1920s costumes celebrated the grand reopening of this grand old hotel.

"I first started coming here as a newsboy in 1942," said Howard Riley, longtime newspaperman, historian and current Harrietstown councilmember. He said this hotel is more than a hotel. "I think when they peeled the paper off the windows the other day, it's lifting the spirits of the whole community."

This event wasn’t actually the official grand opening of the hotel. It was a gala and fundraiser for Historic Saranac Lake, an organization that works to preserve the community's heritage.

One of the guests of honor was Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau who spent part of his childhood in the village. He said bringing the hotel back to life was crucial.

"It just was the center of town," Trudeau said. "This means so much to the community and hopefully it will be a magnet and it will draw people to Saranac Lake."

A hotel that could anchor a downtown

Saranac Lake village Mayor Clyde Rabideau said this moment is part of real progress bringing the downtown back to life. "It really means everything. It's part of our history and our identity and our future. You can feel that electricity in this room tonight," Rabideau said.

This property is now attached to Hilton’s chain of boutique hotels, but it was refurbished and is operated by the Roedel family, hotel owners headquartered in New Hampshire who have family ties to Saranac Lake.

Speaking Saturday night, Fred Roedel Sr. acknowledged that it took years longer than expected to restore and reopen the building.

"We really wanted to not only make this hotel special, we wanted to make it so that when someone entered the hotel it wasn't just special, it was more than they expected."

History restored, one loving detail at a time

As a sign of the care and attention to detail of this project, Roedel pointed to the ornate ceiling above the great hall, with its finely painted woodwork. "Much of that ceiling was destroyed because of water," he said. "We had to bring it back and we had to bring it back exactly where it was."

This project, which includes the hotel, a new restaurant, spa, and a gift shop, was sparked in part by a $2-million grant from New York state’s REDC economic development fund. After Roedel spoke on Saturday, he was cheered by the crowd. 

Amy Catania, head of Historic Saranac Lake, says she thinks the hotel will take its place again as a gathering spot, where big moments happen, from Winter Carnival to weddings.

"It's hard to put it to words, we're just speechless with excitement," she said. "There's just this sigh of relief that it's here."