By Paul Post

The George Hotel, which reopened last July after a lengthy closure, is expected to look considerably different with a new name this summer.

 Cheektowaga-based Rudra Management is seeking Queensbury town Planning Board approval for exterior changes needed to join the LaQuinta hotel chain, by Wyndham.

 “We want to make façade improvements, give it fresh paint and build an accent tower,” co-owner Jay Patel said. “Once that work is completed we would be branding it as LaQuita.”

 The four-story, 98-room hotel is owned by 1533 Queensbury LLC, a real estate holding company affiliated with Patel and his Rudra Management firm, which bought the five-acre site for $6.5 million in February 2022.

 It was previously operated as Comfort Suites, but ran into financial trouble and was closed for two years. The new owners spent a great deal of money bringing the hotel back to life with extensive renovations.

By Paul Post

 SUNY Adirondack’s $5.7 million new turf field is a game-changer for its athletic program and could boost the local economy with major activities that attract teams from outside the area.

 “That’s a big part of it,” Athletic Director Zach Schwan said. “This is a resource not just for the college. It should draw all kinds of tournaments and events here as well.”

School administrators, tourism professionals, elected officials and financial backers took part in a May 4 ribbon cutting to dedicate the facility, which includes synthetic fields for softball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse.

College President Dr. Kristine Duffy said economic development was a key factor behind the project’s consideration. “We believe that we not only bring sales tax revenue into the community every time we host a SUNY Adirondack game, but we also expect to rent out the facility to sports organizations for tournaments that can be played in our region,” she said. “This will bring out-of-town guests to our region who would stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants.”

 Attracting fans to the area also helps local tourism officials promote the region to guests for future events and vacation stays.

By Paul Post

Planning for the golden anniversary of Warren County’s most popular fall attraction is well under way, already providing a major economic boost to the region’s hospitality industry, highlighted by hundreds of advance hotel room bookings.

This year’s Adirondack Balloon Festival, slated for Sept. 21-24, will have the most special-shaped balloons in its 50-year history, joined by nearly 100 other pilots and 150,000 visitors from throughout the U.S. and overseas, according to organizers.

 “I wish we were able to afford a true economic impact study because I’m sure it would be in the millions of dollars, especially with a good weather weekend,” said Mark Donahue, festival board president. “Right now we’ve booked rooms in 12 different hotels. We need 400 to 500 hotel rooms this year for all our special guests.”

The all-volunteer run, nonprofit festival operates on a roughly $200,000 budget, only a fraction of the money spent by large commercial ballooning events in Albuquerque, N.M., ($10 million) and Reno, Nev., ($2.5 million), which have paid professional staff.

By Paul Post

This is the most nerve-racking time of year for apple growers as warm weather followed by a sudden cold spell can freeze blooms, effectively ruining an entire crop.

“That’s a really big hazard and with the vagaries of climate catastrophe that we’re in, you just don’t know what’s going to happen,” said David Garvoille, Hicks Orchard business development manager. “Fifty degree temperature swings have become a regular thing. It can be 60 one day and 10 the next.”

Founded in 1905, this family-run Granville operation is New York state’s oldest “you-pick” apple farm, which is coming off its best year ever.

“We had the most insane bumper crop, bigger than anyone alive remembers,” Garvoille said. “One tree fell over it was so weighted down with apples. We have about 20 different varieties and they all ripened at the same time. It was just like a freight train coming at us.”

Last spring remained cold right through Mother’s Day, so when it finally warmed up and blooms emerged, the threat of freezing temperatures had passed. Also, Mother Nature provided perfect conditions for honey bees that were brought in to pollinate the orchard. 

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Four-Seasons Travel Guide features eight additional pages and a robust distribution strategy with increased circulation.

The guide is now available. 

Some highlights of the new 60-page travel guide include a reader submitted travel pro tips and photos, a color-coded area map and a lodging grid to help people sort through camping and accommodations amenities.

There are also 400-plus member listings including attractions, dining, shopping and more,  facts about Lake George and a Lake George Region trivia section.

The submitted photos and pro tips will also be used in a social media campaign. Photos and pro tips are continually being accepted for social media and the 2024 Travel Guide via this link.

The Chamber produces the Travel Guide in-house and increased the number printed from 70,000 to now 75,000 copies. The guide is also available digitally. 

They are strategically distributed around the Northeast, at AAA offices, and across the U.S. and Canada through direct mail by request.

“With new data from where our visitors were coming from, we were able to readjust our distribution plan to match current intel. The guide was so popular last year we decided to increase the number printed and add pages,” said Chamber Executive Director Gina Mintzer.

Rebecca Wood, president of Six Flags Great Escape Theme Park and Lodge Resort in Queensbury, is the recipient of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association’s (NYSHTA) Outstanding Tourism Executive of the Year award.

Wood received the award at the Six Flags Great Escape property on Feb. 28.

The Tourism Executive of the Year award is part of NYSHTA’s annual Stars of the Industry program. Stars of the Industry celebrates the exemplary professionalism and exceptional service of individuals in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The award recognizes an executive who has demonstrated outstanding contributions of leadership and service to the industry and to his/her community.

“Every year, the state’s hospitality and tourism industry nominates its most outstanding individuals. After reviewing all the nominations submitted, the judges agreed that Rebecca Wood was the best of the best,” said Mark Dorr, NYSHTA president. “Rebecca Wood is a star in every sense of the word and a shining example of what New York state hospitality and tourism is all about.”

“Lake George is one of the great places on earth,” he said.

NYSHTA is the country’s oldest state lodging association and offers programs and services to the statewide hospitality and tourism industry. NYSHTA’s mission is to lead and protect the New York State hospitality and tourism industry by providing advocacy, education and resources.

Empire State University inaugurated Lisa Vollendorf, Ph.D., as its sixth president on March 23 in a ceremony  at the Saratoga Springs City Center. 

SUNY Chancellor John B. King performed the presidential investiture.

Vollendorf began her tenure at SUNY Empire on July 1, 2022. With more than 26 years of experience in public higher education, she is deeply committed to the values of access, inclusivity and academic excellence. 

In her short time at SUNY Empire, she has led the implementation of numerous initiatives to advance the institution and enhance the student experience, including overseeing the institutions change from SUNY Empire State College to Empire State University, creation of a new strategic plan, new academic programs, and initiatives to improve access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Prior to SUNY Empire, Vollendorf held faculty appointments and leadership positions at numerous universities, including Wayne State, Cal State Long Beach, San Jose State, and Sonoma State. A Spanish professor by training, she  has published two monographs and six edited collections on women in early modern Spain and colonial Latin America. She holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in both English and Spanish from Colorado State University.

By Paul Post

One of the Capital Region’s largest tire retailers is growing again with the $400,000 expansion of existing facilities in Greenwich, Washington County.

Warren Tire Service Centers, which has stores in Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park, has purchased a vacant former Cumberland Farms store, with plans to create three new service bays, add 14 parking spots and hire two additional service technicians.

“We’re expecting a 30 percent increase in business,” company President Robert Kellogg said. “It’s a growing area. Greenwich is a hub for a lot of surrounding towns such as Schuylerville, Salem and Argyle, plus the town of Greenwich itself is growing. It’s a little overwhelming with the amount of space we have currently. We need more space to accommodate all our customers.”

The Queensbury-based company, which has 16 stores in seven counties, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. It was founded by Kellogg’s 80-year-old father, Wayne, 80, the chief executive officer who is still involved with daily operations, although he is no longer an owner.