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Lark Hotels, a boutique hotel collection with 21 properties in New England and beyond, has opened its first New York hotel—The Downtowner on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
The site, at the corner of Broadway and Division Street, was known for years as the Saratoga Downtowner motel, dating back to the 1960s. It was sold last October to Lark Hotels, a Massachusetts-based company. The company paid former owners, the husband-and-wife team of Mary Cae and William Asay, $4.55 million for the motel.
It has been renovated and reopened as The Downtowner. According to the new company, it has 42 newly renovated guest rooms that “pay homage to the hotel’s past as a retro motor lodge and the surrounding area’s thriving creative community of writers, performers, and visual artists.”
“The building has long been home base to the many artists that have been drawn to Saratoga Springs for decades. The Downtowner celebrates these legends in literature, music, visual, and performing arts through its sleek, stripped-down design and curated artwork,” Lark Hotels said in a news release. “Designed by California-based EDG Design, each guest room represents artists through a variety of pop, edge, and dreamy art styles. Minimalist rooms reflect playful sophistication through modern, loft-like spaces with polished concrete floors, white gallery walls, and accents of hot pink against a bright, white palate.”
The building’s common space centers around an open, window-filled atrium with a retractable glass roof. Formerly, the space included a small swimming pool. That has been removed.
“The atrium’s focal point is a dramatic painted floor depicting the narrow pool that once existed on The Downtowner’s base level. There, guests are now welcomed to gather over drinks and conversation or book the space for private events,” the company said.
“Before and during our construction process with The Downtowner, we’ve felt so embraced by the Saratoga community,” said Rob Blood, CEO of Lark Hotels. “We hope this renovation adds to the incredible culture of downtown Saratoga Springs, and more importantly, to celebrate the area’s existing art and music scene.”
The Downtowner’s accommodations span from a 180-square foot “micro-queen” to the spacious Lark Suite, along with standard king and queen rooms, double queens, and the “Friend Zone,” a larger, suite-like option for up to four people.
Unlike other guest rooms, the property’s Lark Suite will feature a more colorful palate and a brightly colored staircase that leads to a rooftop garden.
Pets are welcome in the Friend Zone and king dog-friendly rooms.
The Downtowner also has two ADA-accessible kings that can be booked directly over the phone.
Room rates at The Downtowner range from $199 to $499 per night for double occupancy, depending on room type and time of stay.
Hotel amenities include a daily, curated small plate breakfast spread, afternoon treats, hospitality stations with coffee, tea and water, and 24-hour front desk and concierge service. The rooms also have wine glasses, corkscrews, irons and hairdryers.
Lark Hotels is a collection of boutique hotels and restaurants. Its properties include Whitehall, Camden, Maine; Captain Fairfield Inn, Kennebunkport, Maine; Pomegranate Inn, Portland, Maine; Ale House Inn, Portsmouth, N.H.; The Hotel Portsmouth, Portsmouth, N.H.; 76 Mass. in, Nantucket, Mass.; 21 Broad, Nantucket, Mass.; and The Merchant, Salem Mass., among others.