my Smith grew up the innkeeping business as her parents Noel and Kathleen Smith had a bed and breakfast
and motel business. She knew from a young age how to greet guests, clean and bus tables, she learned first hand. When it was time to go to college Amy was determined she wasn’t coming back. She studied and received a degree in philosophy while playing collegiate basketball. She continued on to graduate school for Sports Management. As she says “I had the thrill of a lifetime and worked at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.”
Back home her parents had purchased an additional property, which would become the future Saratoga Arms. At this same Amy felt she was at crossroads in her corporate career so she decided to come home for the summer to help the family business.
The new property was a major rehab project
her parents were overseeing. She ran the
original business; the Saratoga Bed &Breakfast,
which was two houses with a total of nine
guests rooms. Next-door was the Saratoga
Motel had a total of nine units, which was a
1950’s-style motel. She ran both these properties while her parents opened the new Saratoga Arms in October 1998.
They were supposed to sell the B&B and motel to pay down the new debt at the newly opened Saratoga Arms. Amy decided she didn’t want to go back to corporate world. They met with the bank and proposed to operate all three properties and with their successful business record the bank agreed.
They had a high-end boutique hotel in town, plus a beautiful B&B and Motel. They had everything for everyone.
In Jan 2002, a couple knocked on the door to buy the B&B and Motel. The B&B is now converted to a private residence and the motel is now a spa.
They knew the 16-room downtown hotel wasn’t big enough to support two families so the Saratoga Arms expanded and built an addition to their property line in 2003. It grew from 16 rooms to a 31-rooms. With the expansion they added a conference room, exercise facility, expanded laundry, storage rooms enlarged their kitchen and an additional elevator.
They offer a large dining room that guests can enjoy a beautiful farm fresh breakfast. Father Noel was always in the kitchen, mother Kathleen was in the front of the house and Amy was all over. Sister Sheila Smith Sperling joined the family business in 2007 as she had moved back home to raise her triplets and to be nearby the family. She runs group sales department.
Noel sadly passed away two years ago; Kathleen is semi-retired and now oversees the finances and spends 6 months south. But when she is home she and her interior designer Pamela Whitney revamp and overhaul 4 guestrooms per year.
Amy is now the General Manager; she laughs and says she uses the title loosely! Amy loves the business especially the marketing of the property. The next generation has already started working at the hotel, her 13-year old son and the 15 year-old triplets work summers as bussers. . Amy says it teaches them to be in front of the public, interact with guests and they learn how to set a table!
The hotel offers individually decorated accommodations and has 9 room categories, from the historic section dating back to 1870 to 2004. Amy says “We have a strong preservation foundation in the town and have to go through many city boards to make any changes to properties in the historic district. It ensures everyone preserves the history and integrity of the town. There are no neon signs in the downtown area.” The old and new sections of the hotel complement each other, the old section has 10 foot ceilings so does the new section. When I asked her is it hard running and working in a family business, Amy replies, “The worst day in a family business far outweighs a best day in the corporate world! At the end of the day, each family member is striving for the same thing, happy guests.”
Saratoga Springs has a population of 28,000 and Amy says the hotel is well situated. They draw guests from Montreal, Boston and New York City which are all about three hours away.
Saratoga Arms
497 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY
518-584-1775
https://www.saratogaarms.com/
INN SUCCESS
SARATOGA
ARMS
By Mary Hughes
How it all began at an AIHP
member property in Saratoga Springs NY
Running and Growing in a Family Business:
A visit with Amy Smith, General Manager
A
“I had the thrill of a lifetime and worked at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.”