A Historic Hotel Refreshed

The Gideon Putnam Hotel is a boutique hotel that is full of historic value and decades of stories. Named after the "founding father" of Saratoga Springs, the hotel was opened in 1935 to allow people to benefit from healing qualities of the Roosevelt Spa. But this is not the story of the past of the Gideon Putnam; this is a look at the future.

The Inciting Incident

It was in early January, 2018, when tragedy struck the Gideon Putnam Hotel. While proudly staying open for over 80 years in Saratoga Spa State Park, a bitterly cold winter caused the large water main to break, resulting in the resort to close its doors to its patrons. There were 275,000 gallons of water from this major flooding that could have filled over 13 in-ground pools. While the Roosevelt Baths & Spa remained open, the Gideon Putnam Hotel was expected to be closed at least 4 weeks. Little did we know that the repairs would take nearly 4 months...

Gideon's Silver Lining

With the daunting task upon us of recovering from water that rose over 11 feet in the basement of the hotel (destroying all of our electricity, boilers, and more), the passionate management team decided to make this adversity an opportunity. We instead made the decision to take advantage of the time when the hotel would remain empty, and further invest in ourselves by remodeling all rooms in the hotel. By coming together under the banner of "Gideon Strong", the team was "overseeing and navigating a complex project, working from remote offices and generally living and breathing every aspect of the hotel for three months," said Scott Socha, President of Delaware North's Parks and Resorts division, in a letter to the hotel's associates.

Putnam's Hotel Restoration

Undertaking this massive project was not the easy feat the team would lead you to believe. During a total rebuild of the hotel's key infrastructure, they also carefully and beautifully restored many parts of the hotel. By refurbishing all of the hotel rooms and bathrooms, you will now see more modern convenience while seamlessly maintaining the historic charm we know and love. This delicate touch carries over to the corridors and other public spaces, as well as the restaurant, and meeting and wedding facilities.

The Fresh Face of Gideon Putnam

With the doors wide open to our remodeled hotel, we have encouraged many people to come see all we have to offer. We would love to show you the new additions to the Gideon Putnam!