Adelphi plans envision 5-star hotel

Artist’s rendering of proposed renovations of the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs.

A proposed overhaul to the Adelphi Hotel would create a fine dining restaurant and a glass-walled conservatory in the courtyard and would transform the small guest rooms into suites.

Plans for the Adelphi at 365 Broadway also would bring the bar closer to the front of the building and allow for sidewalk seating in an effort to make the bar more visible and inviting.

“It’s been kind of shut off and more secluded than what we want,” said Guilderland-based architect Dominick Ranieri, who designed the project.

In addition to accommodating out-of-town guests in the rooms upstairs in the summers, the Adelphi has been a popular spot for local residents who stop for a drink or dessert.

This summer, though, the Adelphi is closed, having shut its doors last fall in anticipation of the renovations. The hotel sold much of its surplus furniture and equipment in a January public sale; would-be buyers formed lines down the block waiting to get in.

Awaiting approval

Now, the city Design Review Commission is considering renovation plans submitted by the owners, a group of investors led by Toby Milde. Historic review from the DRC is the only approval they need to move forward, said Bradley Birge, the city’s planning and economic development administrator.

“Their intent is to establish this as a five-star hotel in Saratoga,” Birge said.

Depending on the city approval, exterior work might begin by early fall and the hotel could be open next summer, and owners aim to keep it open year round, Ranieri said.

In the front of the building, the facade will look the same except for a few tweaks, including a glass-topped canopy at the entrance and updates to the storefront that used to be home to a spa.

“We’re actually renovating it back to something more historic,” Ranieri said. “Our goal is to make it a pretty place.”

A 1,100-square-foot conservatory with glass walls and a glass roof would replace a greenhouse in the courtyard and easily accommodate 50 to 60 people for dining all year round, with a stone floor equipped with radiant heat for the winter.

The new dining room in the current ballroom on the first floor would be open for fine dining.

Also, the hotel’s guest rooms would be enlarged.

Built in 1877

The Adelphi was built in 1877 as an 80-room hotel, and a renovation in the 1980s reduced the number of rooms to 44, Ranieri said.

When it reopens, the Adelphi will have 32 suites, each with a large bathroom, sitting area and bedroom.

“All of it will be beautifully trimmed and finished in the Victorian period,” he said.

The furniture will be a combination of refinished original pieces from the hotel, custom items and modern pieces.

“You’ll know you’re in a grand Victorian hotel, but you’ll also know you’re in 2014,” Ranieri said.

A new glass and steel staircase and elevator at the back of the building will allow for easier access to the upper floors, especially for people with disabilities. The grand staircase also will be redone, Ranieri said.

The entire building will be fully compliant for people with disabilities; even the rear courtyard will be elevated for easier access. Only the lobby is currently fully accessible, he said.

Other changes include front windows that will block street noise, a balcony reconstruction to fix damage, a spa in the basement that would be open to the public and a guest fitness room. The aim is to keep the outdoor pool and build a new arbor, Ranieri said.

Guests will notice a temperature difference as well.

Plans call for an energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that senses when no one is in the room and turns itself down, Ranieri said. The system also would close window shades automatically.

Previously, the hotel had wall units for heating and air conditioning in each room, but old, drafty windows allowed a lot of air loss, he said.

“They’re not tight in the frame; there’s no weatherstripping.”