Lake George region hospitality businesses reported a banner weekend for bookings and sales for the first official weekend of summer. Many say reservations for the important July 4th holiday weekend are strong as well.
Canada Street in the village of Lake George and Main Street in Bolton Landing were bustling as visitors flocked to the Southern Adirondack region’s lakes and re-awakening tourist attractions for a warm, sunny respite.
“People need a break. They’re eager to get out and enjoy the fantastic weather. They’re coming to Lake George to hike, bike and paddle, to go out in boat, and some people just enjoy sitting on the beach reading under a brilliant blue sky,” said Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce reopened the Lake George Village Visitor Center at 1 Beach Road on June 20 for the season with precautions and protocols in place. The center will now be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As the Warren County Tourism Department kicked off a new advertising campaign and temperatures soared to 90 degrees, Capital Region day-trippers and overnight guests made their way to America’s first summer playland to have some fun safely.
“The Lake George Area has been an iconic vacation destination for generations,” said Joanne Conley, Warren County’s Director of Tourism. “With a wide range of outdoor activities for people to experience, coupled with a beautiful Adirondack backdrop and extraordinary weather, a getaway this weekend was an easy decision to make.”
The Fort William Henry Hotel in Lake George and the Best Western of Lake George were sold out over the weekend and expect to be sold out again for the July 4 holiday, said President Sam Luciano. “Our parking lot is full of cars. It’s a beautiful sight.”
“We have had a lot of traffic both from out of town and local, the Albany area and north,” said Kristen DePace of Chic’s Marina in Bolton Landing. “We have implemented multiple safety precautions due to COVID and these uncertain times and our staff and customer base are doing a great job adjusting to things. This weekend we were sold out as were other rental companies on the lake, so it shows that tourism is strong and people are wanting to come and enjoy our area while at the same time feeling safe with all the precautions businesses in the area are taking.”
“This was Lake George’s busiest weekend so far this year,” said Vinnie Crocitto III of both the Holiday Inn Resort and Super 8 in Lake George. “We had a lot of families and couples looking to get away and relax. For the past week our phones have been ringing like crazy with people interested in coming to Lake George.”
“I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people coming to take a cruise. Most passengers came with their own masks, even for the children. Overall, business was stronger than I expected. We are selling out cruises, but still are limited to 50% capacity,” said Patricia Dow of the Lake George Steamboat Co.
“This weekend business was better than expected. People seem to be making an effort to get out and enjoy themselves,” said Joe Mondella, owner of The Lagoon restaurant in Lake George.
Sara Pfau of The Point in Bolton Landing said: “Our phone has not stopped ringing. I have all eight of my cabins rented through Labor Day.’’
Mintzer credited the efforts of the business community and Warren County. “Word is getting out: Lake George is a fun, safe and healthy place to vacation, and we take protecting the health of our visitors, employees and community seriously.’’
Local hospitality businesses have adopted rigorous cleanliness and sanitation standards. They can display their dedication to these guidelines by displaying the Lake George Region/ Southern Adirondacks Health and Safety Pledge badge in their windows and on web sites. Nearly 100 businesses and counting have signed this local pledge to uphold these standards. Lake George entered Phase 3 of New York State’s business re-opening process on June 17. Thus far, local public health officials say it has gone well, with no notable region-wide uptick in reports of coronavirus illness as of Sunday.
“Many people are wearing masks as they should when they cannot maintain at least six feet of separation. Full compliance is our goal, and we’re engaged in an ongoing educational process every day. We want to be known as a leader in protecting public health,’’ said Mintzer.
