SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Gideon Putnam, which closed Jan. 15 after major basement flooding from a water main break, is set to reopen May 1 with new utility systems and renovated guest rooms, bathrooms, corridors, restaurant and lobby.
To celebrate the May 1 reopening, the Gideon Putnam is offering a spring stay package that includes up to a 25 percent discount on rooms, $20 in free play at Saratoga Casino and admission to the Saratoga Automobile Museum or National Museum of Dance.
After the flood in January, hotel officials donated more than $2,000 of usable produce and other food items to the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council for its food pantry and community kitchen.
Delaware North, which operates the hotel for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, determined it could use the opportunity of the hotel being closed to simultaneously undertake guest room and corridor renovations that had been planned in phases over the next several years.
Delaware North is working with a number of contractors and vendors on the system repairs and restoration work.
“We had to pump out hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and clear areas of the basement that were covered in over two feet of mud,” said Paul Jeppson, a Delaware North spokesman, in a prepared statement. “It took time to assess the true scope of the damage to the utilities and infrastructure and how long it would take to replace the boilers, electrical switch gear and other components of the hotel.
“Once we established the timeline for the infrastructure repairs, we decided to go ahead with the guest-facing projects,” Jeppson added. “In combination with the other renovations that we have completed in recent years, our guests will now be staying in an almost fully renovated, elegant and historic hotel.”
All of the Gideon Putnam’s 124 guest rooms have received new carpeting, paint and blinds, as well as renovations to the bathrooms. The corridors also received a complete makeover, including new carpeting, wall coverings and paint, and new light fixtures.
Artwork by local artist Frankie Flores has been installed on three floors, and photos of Saratoga’s past adorn the walls. The new color scheme is contemporary yet incorporates the Art Deco geometric design as a connection to the Gideon Putnam’s history.
New carpeting is being installed and other enhancements are being made in Putnam’s Restaurant, while areas of the hotel’s lobby are being painted and restored.
In 2017, Delaware North completed a $1.25 million renovation of the hotel’s large ballroom and lobby space outside.
In all, Delaware North has spent more than $10 million since 2008 on improvements to the rooms, corridors, meeting spaces, restaurant, lobby, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
For more information visit www.GideonPutnam.com.
