Sagamore in Bolton Landing to stay open all year

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Wilkin

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The Sagamore on Lake George has opened for the summer season, and the luxury resort will now greet visitors year-round.

Since 2009, the 375-room hotel has closed after Thanksgiving and opened in early spring. Millions of dollars have been spent on renovations and additions, and all projects have taken place during off seasons.

“It made sense for us to close down for a few months to just make sure we could be as efficient and effective as possible,” said Tom Guay, the Sagamore’s general manager, who would not give an exact figure on construction and renovation costs. “When there are no guests in house, it’s just a lot easier to get stuff done.”

Improvements for the upcoming season include refurbishment of all lodge suites and rooms, a new look for the resort’s conference center, two new boardrooms and renovations in the spa and salon areas.

Closing down for construction also made sense when the nation’s economy weakened in the second half of 2008, Guay said. He is optimistic for a stronger economy — and more business — in 2013.

“Our Julys and Augusts over the last four summers have been getting better, one right after the other,” Guay said. “The clientele that comes to us in July and August, we think, can help us out in the winter months — certainly Christmas and New Year’s.”

About 600 people will work at the Sagamore from mid-June through mid-September. During other times of the year, Guay said, a core staff of 50 to 75 workers will be on duty. Additional staffers will be added for large groups of visitors.

Benefit to town

Guay believes the Sagamore’s year-round schedule will benefit the town.

“I don’t see how it can’t,” he said. “They go to the little gas station on the corner, they go to the restaurants, they go to the shops and when they drive through in the winter, they say, ‘Hey, this would be a neat place to be in the summer,’ if they’re coming up for the first time. Any opportunity we have for somebody to drive through Bolton Landing, we’re going to take it.”

The resort’s main restaurant, the 200-seat La Bella Vita, will also be open the entire year.

While Guay expects Bolton’s stores and restaurants to score winter profits, he does not expect any gripes from direct competitors — smaller hotels and motels. He said just about all those businesses close for the year during the fall.

The Sagamore is situated on 70-acre Green Island on Lake George. It was built in 1883 and underwent a $75 million restoration during the early 1980s.

The resort is owned by Ocean Properties Ltd., which owns more than 100 hotels in the U.S. The company is based in both Delray Beach, Fla., and Portsmouth, N.H.