By Jill Nagy
The Red Roof Inn in Clifton Park has undergone an ownership change. The new owners are giving a makeover to the facility.
“We are making it fabulous. It will be as nice as any hotel in Clifton Park, but at a lower price point,” said Alan Schnurman, one of the new owners.
Schnurman and his partners have been active in the Hamptons on Long Island and other downstate areas, but this is their first venture in the Capital Region. Schnurman said they zeroed in on Clifton Park because of its great growth rate, its reputation as a growing tech area, and the surrounding vacation attractions
“Everything we do is for the long term,” he added.
The property, located at 41 Old Route 146, will remain a Red Roof Inn.
Its 60 rooms will be renovated in sections-and the motel will remain open throughout the process, Schnurman said.
Construction will begin soon and the owners hope to have it completd by the end of the year. The result will be “clean, nice, everything brand new,” said Schnurman.
“There are many rooms available in the Clifton Park area but we’re going toward the lower price point,” he said. “When we’re finished, we’ll be equal in accommodations and service. This is all about service and we’re long-term players. We’ve been successful with our business.”
A retired personal injury lawyer, Schnurman has been developing land in the Hamptons since the 1980s.
He foresees a clientele of tourists in the spring, summer and fall, “many, many business people” year round, and a lots of business groups.
They plan to have about 10 employees.
The new owners, operating as Saratoga Clifton LLC, purchased the property for $1.6 million from Clifton Park Hospitality LLC. That company purchased the property in 2006 for $4.3 million. It began as a Comfort Inn when it opened in 1992.
Now that they have dipped their toes into the area’s real estate market, Schnurman and his partners are looking at other possibilities in the region. They plan to move “slowly and for the long term,” he said.
None of them had any previous connection with the Albany area until they began investigating options in upstate New York, he noted.
“There is no secret to this business,” Schnurman said. “All real estate is the same. You upgrade it to add value.”