I was recently invited to stay at the newly restored Queensbury Hotel, located in historic Glens Falls, New York. Growing up around the corner from this quaint town in Upstate New York, the Queensbury Hotel holds a special place in my heart. I went there as a child with my grandparents and family so I was especially thrilled to visit the beautifully restored hotel. Its gorgeous lobby is complete with the most elegant moldings, chandeliers, and period details. They managed to update the guest rooms to feel fresh and chic while still maintaining the historic and quaint ambiance. It’s definitely not any easy feat, yet the Queensbury Hotel succeeding in doing just that. The amenities, including a pool, pub, restaurant, and the front desk’s impeccable service, will definitely have my family and I returning many more times.
Another great reason to stay at this gorgeous landmark hotel is its convenient proximity to many must see locations. As a travel writer and floral designer I am always on the go. During my stay I could easily tour Dorset, Vermont and stop at the Dorset Inn for one of Patrick’s delicious cocktails. I drove over to Saratoga Springs to visit my son at Skidmore college, had dinner with friends in Albany, and stopped at King Bakery Donut Cart in Cambridge for the most delicious donuts in the entire world (omg the glazed donuts are delicious). I always stop in Greenwich hardware and Just Because up the road to shop for antiques and gifts. Greenwich is a great town to shop locally for Christmas gifts and all year long. There are many adorable shops on Main Street in Glens Falls within walking distance to the Queensbury Hotel (more info below). Whether you like to hike or hit the slopes in upstate NY, the Berkshires, or Vermont; spend your days watching the game in the Queensbury Hotel’s cozy pub; go to the Saratoga Race track; visit the state capital; go boating on Lake George; or canoe in Vermont, you will get there easily from Glens Falls, NY.
Queensbury Hotel History
Renovations
”Our historic hotel has 125 guest rooms and over 12,000 square feet of event space for weddings, meetings, conferences, etc. Built in 1926, and purchased by new local ownership in 2016, the property has been undergoing an extensive revitalization project. Our lobby was recently restored to its 1926 grandeur and our guests rooms are in the process of being renovated right now with more than 60% of them completed. We just completed renovations on some of our conferences spaces and our restaurant Park 26 (serving breakfast and lunch daily and dinner Thurs-Sat). Some future plans include an expanded ballroom and one day… a rooftop bar!”
Things To Do
There will be a few great holiday events happening that weekend as well:
Hometown Holidays
November 30th and December 1st. Our downtown Glens Falls holiday event with tree lighting, entertainment, shopping and more!
North Country Festival of Trees
We are hosts to this great charitable event that is in its 27th year. The Sunday you arrive will be the last day, so you should be able to see some of the fantastic trees on display! Proceeds from the event benefit Prospect Center, a division of the Center for Disability Services.Where To Eat
Fenimore’s is our pub which is open for lunch and dinner daily with great cocktails and gastropub menu. Some great places downtown to consider are Morgan & Co, Downtown Social, Davidson Brothers, Mikado.Where To Shop
Minky Mink, Lake George Olive Oil, Rude Betty
The Queensbury Hotel, centrally located between Saratoga Springs and Lake George, has been a focal point of the Glens Falls region for close to 100 years. The Queensbury Hotel, according to local historians, is named after the British Queen Charlotte. The parcel of land that is now Glens Falls was granted in 1762. The hotel’s name was given to honor that grant. That is one theory. Another theory, regarding the hotel’s name, is that “Queensbury” sounded elegant.
The English-sounding name had a broad appeal regionally.
Starting in 1916 the local Chamber of Commerce, local businessmen and city officials desired a hotel to be built, not only to host Adirondack tourists and national businessmen, but also to serve as a community center for the city of Glens Falls. On March 6, 1924, in an unprecedented show of business and civic teamwork, 100 representative businessmen met at the Glens Falls Insurance Co. and unanimously voted to organize the Glens Falls Hotel Corporation and build a $600,000 modern hotel where later that year construction would start. The project was given impetus by the announcement that the Glens Falls Insurance company offered to purchase $50,000 worth of stock and that Finch, Pruyn and Company, the area’s leading industry and employer, would match that and in only eight days $440,000, roughly $6M today was raised.
The enthusiasm, organization and quick success highlights the vigor of boosterism in Glens Falls during the early 1920s. This success also points to the determination of local entrepreneurs and civic-minded residents to erect a city center landmark suitable for conventions, concerts, entertainment, and other social events to promote civic pride in Glens Falls and Warren County. Over the next couple of decades, the Queensbury added more guest rooms and meeting room facilities in order to accommodate the demand of business in the Adirondack Region.
The Queensbury Hotel is not only a popular hotel choice for families and businessmen, but celebrities as well. Well-known performers such as Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, and Kenny Rogers have all called the Queensbury Hotel their “home” at one point or another throughout the hotel’s 90+ year history. Benny Goodman and Guy Lombardo would give performances in the hotels Ballroom. Kenny Anderson, Joe Frazier, and Jackie Robinson are some athletes that have visited the area and choose to stay with us. Politician Robert F. Kennedy promised to return to the Glens Falls region, win or lose, after the 1964 election for Senator. The day after he won the election, Kennedy fulfilled his promise and showed up to a luncheon at the hotel to promise to help the growth of the surrounding areas.
Over the course of 90 years, the hotel has changed ownership several times. The current owner, local businessman Ed Moore, purchased the hotel in 2016. The hotel is managed by Spruce Hospitality. The new management group is in the process of a multi-million dollar renovation project, with newly renovated guest and banquet rooms being top priority.
• 1916: The Glens Falls Chamber of Commerce proposed the idea of the Hotel.
• June 9, 1924: Construction began with an estimated cost of $760,000 (equivalent to $10.5 million in today’s dollars.
• May 7, 1926: Hotel opens for business
• 1929: Addition of 56 rooms
• 1934 New cocktail lounge
• 1985: Indoor pool was added, as well as more meeting and banquet rooms
• 1994: Complete renovation of the hotel and addition of Fenimore’s Lounge
• 2016: Renovated lobby, restaurant and pub
• 2017: Renovations begin on guest rooms
Recipe Fit For A Queen
White cake with cranberry filling and orange buttercream recipe (we topped ours with sugared cranberries)
Shop This Story
Beauty Products to keep your skin and hair soft and healthy all winter long.
esteelauder.com, jergens.com, jomalone.com, aveda.com
Fashion
Whether you are getting dressed up for a New Years Eve at The Queensbury Hotel, having a casual day out on the town, or heading to the gym; the following outfits will take you from day to night, gym to dance floor!
Athleisure Clothes
Leggings sweatybetty.com
Sports bra kohls.com
Sneakers newbalance.com
Party Attire
Sequin skirt gap.com
Cashmere top anntaylor.com
Black high heels anntaylor.com
Black pumps anntaylor.com
Gold heels samedelman.com
Coat tnuck.com
Red jumpsuit galmeetsglam.com
Earrings katespade.com
Casual Outfits
Weekender brahmin.com
Pants jcrew.com
Sweater sweatybetty.com
Boots sorrel.com
Cable Knit sweater llbean.com
Quilted jacket toryburch.com
Leopard faux fur nordstrom.com
Flower Girl
Gift Guide
Ugg gloves nordstrom.com
Flowers theparishouse.com
Thank you for reading our blog. Please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram @theparishouse for daily updates on food, travel, fashion, design, and more. Don’t forget to watch our Instagram stories for behind the scenes shenanigans!
xoxo
Michele, Flower Girl