The St. Charles Motel is Getting a Facelift
Renderings reveal the future design of The St. Charles Motel, which will be renovated and rebranded as The Ambler Hotel. Image via Weekender Hospitality, LLC.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The long-standing St. Charles Motel on South Broadway will be renovated and rebranded by Weekender, a Saratoga Springs-based hospitality brand that purchased the St. Charles earlier this year.
“I saw an opportunity to take a well-positioned, solidly located, well-built brick hotel at the gateway to Saratoga and turn it into something really cool and new; an offering that the current market doesn’t really have,” said Keir Weimer, the founder and CEO of Weekender.
The 18-room, two-story St. Charles will be completely redesigned inside and out to create The Amber Hotel. Weimer described the creative concept of The Ambler as “Palm Springs meets an urban New York market.” The brick exterior will be painted white, while the rooms will feature some bold pops of color. The hotel will also be a smart one, meaning it’ll offer WiFi-enabled keyless doors that allow guests to check in at any hour, large-screen TVs loaded with apps, and WiFi thermostats.
As a brand, Weekender prides itself on creating rooms that function as basecamps for adventurers. The Ambler will be within walking distance of downtown Saratoga Springs, allowing its guests to explore the vibrant Spa City on foot.
“You come, leave your stuff, and get out of your room and enjoy all that Saratoga has to offer, from the amazing restaurants and retail to Yaddo and SPAC and concerts to the track in the summer,” Weimer said.
Nearby on South Broadway will be the currently under-construction AC Hotel by Marriott, which replaced the old Turf and Spa Motel. Together, the two new establishments may help to beautify an area of Saratoga that serves as an entry point for many visitors.
“To push some investment south onto South Broadway is [something] we’re doing and several other companies are doing,” Weimer said. “I think that’s important.”
The plan is to have the Amber Hotel open in time for the upcoming Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in early June. To receive updates on the hotel’s progress, visit theamblerhotel.com.