I’m not a newcomer to Saratoga Springs New York, home of the infamous race track and spring water. In fact, I grew up in the Adirondacks as regular readers of this site know, so truth be told, I am biased (in a positive way) about the area. I know how locals think, tick, create, cook and sleep.
As much as I understand upstate New Yorkers, I’ve never known or looked at Saratoga through editorial eyes. When I was a little girl, my Uncle Mel and Aunt Betty used to pick me up not quite an hour away and drag me to the race track in August, which Saratoga is most known for. My uncle was always dressed to the nines in his vibrantly colorful checkered suits — sometimes bright orange, other times, green, or more often than not, a combination of several wild colors no one else dared to wear. Aunt Betty was always adorned in traditional floral dresses, which seemed to be influenced by her Eastern European heritage. On the way to the track, my Uncle Mel always had a lesson he “needed” to teach me; some of it was related to how to pick horses, but most of it was about life itself.
On the way home, we’d usually stop for supper as we called it back then, at a diner or a local Italian eatery on Route 29 which was famous for its lasagne, bolognese sauce and meatball grinders. Uncle Mel would review his betting tickets from the day, assessing and re-assessing the odds, the pros and cons of his selections and so on. My view of Saratoga was through their eyes, not really my own, and perhaps some self discovery of the track when I used to explore on my own for an hour or so — my excuse was getting popcorn or more soda — or whatever I could get away with — for they were much stricter than my grandfather who used to let me wander about aimlessly.
We never really dined in downtown Saratoga, at least not when I was a child. It wasn’t until high school that I explored Broadway with my sister on random weekends when we took in shopping and night time bars, which had a lot more going on at the time than the smaller towns in our Adirondack mountains further north.
With that history as a backdrop, Anthony and I pulled into town on one of the coldest February nights they’d had in years. The night before reached 7 below zero outside our rural Connecticut cottage and it didn’t appear to get any warmer for the next several days, most of which we spent in Saratoga, the city that comes to life in the summer. Pure and delicious, there was a bottle of Saratoga springs water waiting for us when we walked into our third floor penthouse at the four star Pavilion Grand Hotel, a couple of blocks off the main drag.
The lobby’s vibrant modern colors provided warmth on that ever so cold afternoon as we made our way through the biting wind to check in. Elegant, chic, colorful and stylin, its fun ambiance makes you want to hang out on the couch for awhile, regardless of the weather outside and I LOVE the creative chandelier!!
The Pavilion Grand Hotel is an all-suite hotel with forty-eight in total, ranging in styles. Each suite has full kitchens with stainless steel appliances, quartz counter tops, solid wood cabinetry, full washer and dryer, a 55 inch LCD TV and wifi. Most have great views and private terraces and there is a common rooftop garden patio area available for meetings and private events.
As for suite options, there are eight Exclusive Penthouse Loft Suites with Roof Top Gardens, nine Deluxe Two Bedroom Suites, three Executive One Bedroom Suite, eight Deluxe One Bedroom Suites, six Grand Terrace One Bedroom Suites, eleven Signature Studio Suites and two Deluxe Terrace Studio Suites.
Our penthouse suite was located on two separate floors, with a second full bedroom and bath on the second floor, and on the main floor, a master bedroom and bath, a full living room, dining room and kitchen area. There’s also a half bath as you enter the suite before you reach the kitchen, which has an espresso maker, microwave, cooking area and dishwasher. They replenished our suite every day with Saratoga spring water, fresh coffee and bathroom amenities.
They boast the most impressive suites in all of the Saratoga and Albany Region, which certainly wouldn’t surprise me. Penthouse Loft Suites include either private terraces or private rooftop garden areas to sit and overlook the city, which would be just about perfect on a warm summer day. Note to self: must return during August when the track is in full swing.
For those warmer months, each suite also has approximately 560 to 1160 square feet of outdoor living space, and between 1700 to 2300 square feet of indoor living space, which is larger than most city apartments. The private rooftop garden or terrace is complete with seating and lounge furniture and either a custom-planted garden or a landscaped rooftop courtyard with perineal gardens.
A few variations of their suites below — they all have a similar look and feel, however the layout differs slightly depending on what style of suite it is and the floor you’re on.
Bathrooms are spacious and the added benefit of a washer and dryer makes it an easy solution for family travel, particularly if you want to stay for awhile.
While we were there in the heart of winter, below is a picture of the upper terrace to give you an idea of how peaceful and tranquil the outdoor setting is during warmer months.
New Restaurant Slated to Open in May
On March 29, the Pavilion Grand Hotel announced that the Capital Region’s premier hospitality leader, Mazzone Hospitality, will oversee operations of a new restaurant which is currently in development and is anticipated to open in late May. The restaurant will feature outdoor sidewalk dining at its ground floor location next to the main entrance of Pavilion Grand Hotel.
Mazzone Hospitality’s newest addition to the region’s culinary scene is expected to open at 2 p.m. daily for light fair and cocktails with dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, Mazzone Hospitality will provide high-end catering services to hotel guests, including in-suite entertaining and dining, rooftop event options as well as private wedding brunches and innovative package offerings for travelers.
Mazzone Hospitality owns and operates several of the Capital Region’s premier restaurants and banquet halls in the area, including: Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia; Aperitivo Bistro in Schenectady; Angelo’s Prime Bar + Grill in Clifton Park; TALA, An American Bistro in Latham; and Angelo’s 677 Prime in Albany. Mazzone Hospitality also owns and operates Prime at Saratoga National, an upscale steakhouse modeled after Angelo’s 677 Prime, located on the grounds of Saratoga National Golf Club.
We’re looking forward to a return visit to Saratoga to review the restaurant at a later date.
TC Paris Bakery
Inside the hotel, the TC Paris Bakery offers lunch items, crepes, fresh juices, salads, chocolates and macarons. It began as a small bakery with a very simple foundation: to create amazing things from fresh ingredients, with French influence of course.
Their coffee comes from small roasters throughout America and their selection of teas are from Mariage Freres. which are imported from Paris. They’ve become known as the authority of authentic French Macarons in Upstate New York and beyond. While people visit them for their pastries, desserts and other confections, its their over thirty different flavors of Macarons that people make the trek for from nearby cities and towns.
We decided to sample a plate of them to get an idea of a the variety of flavors — from strawberry, lemon and vanilla, to mocha, chocolate and pistachio, you won’t be disappointed. Oh so delish!
Their decadent dark chocolate squares are also worth sampling — let’s just say that I went off my low carb diet for a few days when we hit Saratoga.
Fitness Center & Spa
Their fitness center is open 24 hours with a hotel key card and is equipped with a few machines, an Elliptical trainer and a couple of treadmills. Next to the gym is the All Good Things Spa, a health and wellness center that offers a wide range of services and treatments, from massages and body wraps to facials.
They started out as a juice bar to improve the body and mind from the inside out and grew from there. Their skin care and massage services are 100% natural and organic and all their facials, massage and body treatments can be performed in-spa or in-suite, which is a nice personalized touch. I love the fact that they also offer eye brow treatments (3D eye brow extensions) and eye lash extensions as well, which is a lovely treat in the middle of a cold winter season. Be sure to read my separate write-up on the spa.
Details:
Pavilion Grand Hotel
30 Lake Avenue
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
