Sagamore Hotel

[disney1474]

Anyone been to this hotel in Lake George N.Y.? If you have, give me some details of this place. Thanks!!

 

[beachblanket]

Stayed there using points over the Columbus Day weekend in 2003, and I have some photos.

Positives: point costs were good (that period is defined as off-season). We were lucky to have great weather there during the peak foliage season, the resort wasn't full and most of the local Lake George attractions were still open (the local Six Flags "Great Escape" theme Park wasn't, it closes after Labor Day). Our one bedroom villa (a "Lakeside Lodge Suite") was cozy, not quite as big as a DVC one, but did have a fireplace:

The whole property is beautiful, placed in an amazing island setting with fantastic views of Lake George and the Adirondacks:

There is swimming, boating and various watersports off a large dock complex in the lake (with a magnificent view of the mountains) during the summer. During cooler seasons, you can use the indoor pool, one of the biggest and nicest I have seen at any hotel. There is also a very nice spa my wife disappeared into for the better part of the trip!!

Negatives: the biggest "villas" on the property are one bedrooms that at best sleep four comfortably, so if you are used to 2BRs+ at Disney or have a larger party, you're going to be forced into booking multiple rooms/villas. The kitchen is small by DVC standards, On-site dining is good but quite pricey:

If you want to seek out off property restaurant options, they are limited in the immediate area of Bolton Landing (where the Sagamore is located), so you generally end up having to drive 20 minutes or so south to the Village of Lake George. Also, Lake George is not readily accessible by commerical flights (closest major airport is Albany, which is over 50 miles away) so getting there does involve driving your own car or renting.

 

[disney1474]

Thanks Beachblanket for your comments!!!!

 

[RobDoc]

Thanks for providing those photos - they bring back some great memories.

I used to work across the lake from the Sag, but never stayed there. It is an elegant place - well respected in the area. Lake George itself has a lot of history dating back to the 17th/18th centuries. At the northern end of the lake sits Fort Ticonderoga - located bewteen Lake George and Lake Champlain - which was important in the Revolutionary War. There are a number of battlefileds in the vicinity, Saratoaga Springs is also a short drive away.

Lake George is about 30 miles long and about a mile wide in the body of the lake and has a number of islands scattered throughout. The surrounding area has changed very little over the years and is still beautiful. The area was the locale for the Last of the Mohicans - although the move was not filmed there.

 

[alldiz]

Thanks for posting those awesome pics....

I LOVE LAKE GEORGE

I have never stayed at the Sagamore....but admired it from
the lake many times....

I'm so excited that it is a trade for DVC....
although....we would probably just go for a night or two....
Kerri

 

[dallastxcpa]

Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel did a special on this Hotel. I remember when I saw it I thought WOW! That's one I have to put on my list.

They are re-broadcasting it on July 15th. Here is the information:

Jul 15, 9:30 am

(30 minutes)
The Sagamore
TV-G, CC

Samantha Brown has discovered an island escape just four hours north of New York City. Mountain retreat meets luxury at the Sagamore, an historical hotel on a private island on Lake George in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains.

 

[alldiz]

Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel did a special on this Hotel. I remember when I saw it I thought WOW! That's one I have to put on my list.

They are re-broadcasting it on July 15th. Here is the information:

Jul 15, 9:30 am

(30 minutes)
The Sagamore
TV-G, CC

Samantha Brown has discovered an island escape just four hours north of New York City. Mountain retreat meets luxury at the Sagamore, an historical hotel on a private island on Lake George in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains.

Wow...she gets around
I'll have to tivo that....
thanks
Kerri

 

[ducklite]

We stayed there last fall in one of those 1BR units. When we booked we booked a king beeded room. I had called about a week in advance and told them that I was allergic to down and feathers and really needed all of that stripped out of the room before we arrived. I also told them that I was flying into ALB and we probably wouldn't arrive until almost midnight. I was assured that it would be no problem, that we were booked into a king room, and they would remove the allergens.

We got the close to midnight, and not only did our room have double beds, but it had feather pillows and was in a basement and REEKED of mold--which I'm also allergic to. We wwere told there were no more rooms available, period by a very rude woman at the desk. I became quite ill that night due to the allergens and my asthma, to the point that we called the place we were headed to next to inquire about checking in a few days early and trying to get the points refunded when we got home. It was horrible.

The next day we went to the desk and spoke to a manager who did get us moved to a first floor room as opposed to a basement room. I'm sorry, but paying the equivelent of over $500 a night, I don't expect the need for a dehumidifier to be running non-stop. We're pretty sure that they gave away our room before we got there, very poor guest service.

We also saw a near fistfight in the bar, had a couple of terrible meals, and had one really good one--in the place on the golf course that you take the shuttle to, sorry I can't recall the name, but the food and service were terrific. We spent three nights there and frankly were terribly unimpressed. The first room we were in seemed dirty, the second was OK, but the layout isn't very unimaginative and the rooms feel very small. The kitchen was poorly equipped and poorly lit. Overall the villas seemed dark and the furniture seemed very outdated.

The grounds needed work with peeling paint, uneven walkways, and the dining room was dirty when you really looked around. I had a treatment at the spa, it was OK but not the best I've ever had. The mountain views were OK, but it's not in the high peaks region, so you can do much better at other resorts further north.

It was not worth the points, and we won't go back.

Anne

 

[lat]

We stayed here for the Memorial Day weekend in 2006. A family also booked a room at their lowest rate, so the hotel helped us to combine our 1-br lodge unit with the other room and upgraded up to a 2-br unit condo there. The 2-br units are on top of the 1-br lodge unit.

Looking at the set up, if I ever go again, I would rather stay in the main hotel instead of the 1-br lodge to avoid being at the lower level (feels like a basement).

The service was good at the hotel, but everything has an 18% surcharge added onto it.

The concierge was nice to help us to find a place to do the water rafting, and told us where to go to get the same rafting without paying what the hotel charged.

It was a beautiful setting and they brought in carrige rides for free for hotel guests.

It was a fun weekend, but again, I woud rather go with the hotel room, instead of the lodge to avoid the basement like rooms. I think there are 1-brs at higher levels, but not all of them.