Saratoga Arms

This boutique hotel feels like a bed-and-breakfast, and it’s easy to see why upon arrival. A short flight of steps leads arriving guests up to the huge wrap-around porch that’s filled with white wicker furniture. It’s a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine while meeting with fellow guests. Just below the porch are the private entrances and patios for the Garden Level Rooms. Once inside the circa 1870 building, guests are enveloped in the style and charm of the late 19th century. Period antiques and race-theme art decorate the spacious parlors that have soft pink walls and black carpet with pink-and-yellow floral accents. Fine furniture includes plush lavender velour armchairs. This family-owned property is an elegant yet warm and friendly place that attracts mostly couples who enjoy historic properties. 

The Saratoga Arms is located on Broadway, which serves as the town's main thoroughfare in the heart of historic downtown Saratoga Springs. As such, the hotel is surrounded by boutiques, restaurants, and other hotels. The Saratoga Springs City Center events complex is a four-minute walk, and a cinema complex is five minutes on foot. Some of the city’s famous attractions are on the outskirts of town, requiring a brief drive or bus ride to reach them. There's a bus stop about a one-minute walk from the hotel, but it typically takes significantly longer to reach destinations by public transit than by driving. Skidmore College is a four-minute drive or 16 minutes by bus, for example. America’s oldest race track, the Saratoga Springs Race Course, is a six-minute drive, and the Saratoga Springs Casino and Hotel and Saratoga Springs Spa State Park are 10-minute drives. Saratoga Springs National Historical Park and its Revolutionary War battlefields are 20 minutes away by car. The Six Flags Great Escape theme park is a 24-minute drive. Albany International Airport is 35 minutes away, and the city’s Amtrak station is a seven-minute drive (eight by bus). The hotel offers free parking in a lot across the street. It fills up sometimes, but a free municipal lot is just a half-block away.

The 31 guest rooms are individually decorated in a thoughtful and tasteful fashion that pays homage to the property’s late 19th century roots. Each room has a signature color such as red and teal. Expect to see traditional print bedspreads (often floral patterned) in the dominant color with matching drapes, decorative pillows, bed skirts, and upholstered furniture. Carpeting often picks up the motif, but not always, as do walls at times. Beds are typically wood poster beds in a traditional reddish brown finish with matching desks, nightstands, and dressers. Though the furniture in some rooms is black. Race-theme art decorates the walls. Overall, the rooms' regal look will appeal to fans of period decor, but may feel fussy or grandmotherly to some.

The rooms are clean and offer plenty of space for comfort, but the two budget-conscious Junior Queen Rooms are significantly smaller than Standard Queens, and they have only a small shower insert. Most rooms have one king or queen bed, and there are some Double Queen Rooms. Guests can choose from several spacious suite options as well, including some with separate living rooms and gas fireplaces. The Garden Level Suites even have their own separate entrances and private patios just below the front porch. Some rooms also have small balconies. The lovely bathrooms that we saw were spacious and had either white ceramic pedestal sinks or roomy black granite vanities, with beige or gray slate tile floors. Walls are typically painted white, and most bathrooms have shower/tub combos framed by white tile. Some suites offer separate soaking tubs and walk-in showers. 

This historic property has all the amenities you’d expect from an upscale boutique hotel, and perhaps a bit more. Guests rave about the full breakfast (included in rates) that’s served on white tablecloths with fine china in elegant dining rooms. The menu varies and often includes freshly squeezed orange juice, housemade jams, egg dishes, and oatmeal. For guests on the go, the hotel will pack breakfast bags. The 24/7 guest pantry offers free coffee, snacks, water, sodas, and board games. In the afternoon, seasonal small plates are available until early evening. They can be paired with a good wine and craft beer list and enjoyed on the wrap-around front porch in season. The fitness center only has a few cardio machines. There are treatment rooms where guests can receive massages, facials, and other spa services. Wi-Fi is free and accessible throughout the hotel, which has meeting space for executive-style board meetings. It also has a computer station with internet access and printers for guest use. Concierge services are available at this nonsmoking property.