Saratoga Hotel suggestions Saturday July 21st

[ZippyChippy423]

Going for 1 night this Saturday and looking for under 200 decent place with pool/jacuzzi. Not too familiar with entire area but willing to drive several miles outside track area if need be. Any suggestions?

[BMustang]

You've really got your work cut out for you.


Everything in the vicinity probably requires at least a two night stay on weekends.


My suggestion would be to try some of the hotels the Malta area, or up north near Lake George.


Opening weekend will be VERY CROWDED.

[cj]

Hilton Garden Inn, Clifton Park. Not sure you'll get sub 200 but should be close.

[Suff]

I'll be up there with an Airbnb close enough.

Not sure what your appetite is for Airbnb, but its a good alternative.

Airbnb makes sense for me because I'm going alone, just for 2 days from Fort Lauderdale.


I can tolerate any Airbnb because I just want lie down for a few hours and freshenup 2x a day.


My routine is Breakfast with the horses @ the track 6:30 am, then walk over to the Oklahoma and see what's shaking over there. Then back to place for refresh and out to the track 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM, back to place for refresh, out to Carolina street for dinner, back at place 11m. Up at 6 am for Breakfast with the horse's. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

This $300 a night Saratoga (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26783860?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ),

This $115 (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18517550?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ) a night 4 miles away.

I am looking forward to it immensely.

[biggestal99]

Hilton Garden Inn, Clifton Park. Not sure you'll get sub 200 but should be close.

I have stayed there for under 200. Let us check in early. 10:00am

Only have good things to say.

Allan

[cj]

I have stayed there for under 200. Let us check in early. 10:00am

Only have good things to say.

Allan

Same here, like it.

It came up for $209. There are other, cheaper options in Clifton Park too. The area is pretty nice but I'd read the reviews to be sure on other specific hotels.

https://www.expedia.com/Hotel-Search?destination=Clifton+Park%2C+New+York&latLong=42.862419%2C-73.775261&regionId=10233&startDate=07%2F21%2F2018&endDate=07%2F22%2F2018&rooms=1&adults=2

[mikesal57]

Stay in the many Albany Hotels....its maybe 45 mins from track

[cj]

Stay in the many Albany Hotels....its maybe 45 mins from track

I've went that route, it is ok, but Clifton Park is about a third of the distance away. I guess for only one night it really doesn't matter but for a longer stay those extra 30 minutes (or more pending traffic) each way every day add up.

[alhattab]

Stay in the many Albany Hotels....its maybe 45 mins from track

If you do Albany you want the Wolf Road area lots off options there as best I recall.

[Grits]

Good luck. You've waited mighty late to find a hotel for only one night, opening weekend. You may have much better luck, calling and directly speaking with front desk staff about availability.

There are two really good restaurants at Clifton Park, one is Delmonico's, the other is Bellini's.

The closest exit, distance wise after Clifton Park is Latham. Wolf Rd at Albany Airport is further. Lake George, in the opposite direction, will be more expensive, its resort area with a lot of boaters--on the weekend, all through the summer. Beautiful area.

[Brass Hat]

We usually stay at the Hilton Garden Inn near the Albany airport. It is a good ride to the track, but less than 45 minutes, more like a half hour.

[ZippyChippy423]

Its a rare weekend off for me and up until a few days ago the forecast was a rainy weekend. Im waiting to book based on weather. I dont mind going as far up as Lake George area but Clifton Park seems good. Thanks

[sonnyp]

this is the current forecast. doesn't look rainy to me:



https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/weather/new-york/saratoga-springs

[mikesal57]

If you do Albany you want the Wolf Road area lots off options there as best I recall.

and restaurants too

[GMB@BP]

I'll be up there with an Airbnb close enough.

Not sure what your appetite is for Airbnb, but its a good alternative.

Airbnb makes sense for me because I'm going alone, just for 2 days from Fort Lauderdale.


I can tolerate any Airbnb because I just want lie down for a few hours and freshenup 2x a day.


My routine is Breakfast with the horses @ the track 6:30 am, then walk over to the Oklahoma and see what's shaking over there. Then back to place for refresh and out to the track 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM, back to place for refresh, out to Carolina street for dinner, back at place 11m. Up at 6 am for Breakfast with the horse's. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

This $300 a night Saratoga (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26783860?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ),

This $115 (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18517550?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ) a night 4 miles away.

I am looking forward to it immensely.

I just heard a horror story about a friend of mine last week who arrived at an AirBnb in Los Angeles with his family, the pictures were clearly from a long long time ago and the house was in ruins and the people who met them were very clearly drug addicts. AirBnb said, "tough luck" and they went to a hotel and out a bunch of cash.

I know this is not the norm but man, that would drive me insane.

[sour grapes]

Its a rare weekend off for me and up until a few days ago the forecast was a rainy weekend. Im waiting to book based on weather. I dont mind going as far up as Lake George area but Clifton Park seems good. Thanks

you can get a hotel- motel for 150 easy in lake george,about a 20-25 minute drive to from the spa

[Ocala Mike]

Back in the 80's, used to stay at my pal's broken down cabins in Bolton Landing on the cheap. Those were the days!

Last year, stayed in a motel off Exit 18 in Queensbury for $110 a night. Found a great pizza joint, too - Angelina's.

[Mailman]

Ocala Mike
We stay at the same place as you, Was $100 last year, we are paying $110
this year. 4 exits up from track exit. Very clean. They give a small breakfast, toast juice cereal bagel coffee, Not bad!

[Rico8812]

I'm a local, but suggest for the full experience bite the bullet and get a hotel in town or get one in Lake George and enjoy the Lake for a day or two. Do not recommend staying in Clifton Park, Glens Falls or especially not Albany. Just not the same. In fact, way worse.

[BMustang]

ALBANY!!!! What a great way to destroy your Saratoga experience.


Albany is what you are getting away from - not a place to stay in conjunction with your Saratoga trip. YUK!!!

I realize many folks do, for economic reasons, BUT if I'm not in position to stay "upstate" in the general Saratoga area, I'm not going.

I actually found a place in a town called Round Lake for right at $100 a night.
(Chamber Lane Motel) Quiet and off of the beaten path.

Accommodating, but certainly not luxurious.
Fifteen minutes from the track, with plenty of eateries coming and going.
I recommend the Malta Diner for moderately priced good food.

[mikesal57]

ALBANY!!!! What a great way to destroy your Saratoga experience.


Albany is what you are getting away from - not a place to stay in conjunction with your Saratoga trip. YUK!!!

I realize many folks do, for economic reasons, BUT if I'm not in position to stay "upstate" in the general Saratoga area, I'm not going.

I actually found a place in a town called Round Lake for right at $100 a night.
(Chamber Lane Motel) Quiet and off of the beaten path.

Accommodating, but certainly not luxurious.
Fifteen minutes from the track, with plenty of eateries coming and going.
I recommend the Malta Diner for moderately priced good food.

Motels!!!! Yuck!!!

Another establishment that strives during the Saratoga Meet....
On any other night , those rooms go for $29....
Wouldn't be caught in one of those.....(also the wife might turn into Michael Myers and do a job on me)

Mike

[Brass Hat]

ALBANY!!!! What a great way to destroy your Saratoga experience.


Albany is what you are getting away from - not a place to stay in conjunction with your Saratoga trip. YUK!!!

I realize many folks do, for economic reasons, BUT if I'm not in position to stay "upstate" in the general Saratoga area, I'm not going.

I actually found a place in a town called Round Lake for right at $100 a night.
(Chamber Lane Motel) Quiet and off of the beaten path.

Accommodating, but certainly not luxurious.
Fifteen minutes from the track, with plenty of eateries coming and going.
I recommend the Malta Diner for moderately priced good food.

If you're old, married and go to Saratoga regularly so that it is not a unique experience, there's nothing wrong with Albany. I'd rather stay in the hotel and handicap the Sunday card than go out. The racing is the focal point, but nothing wrong with some fun to go along with it, that is, if you are not old and married.

[ZippyChippy423]

Sunday looks rough with t-storms. Hopefully it goes back to no rain as the forecast changes daily. Im looking into decent BnB’s near the track or
i just might shell out 400 for a hotel in TOGA.

[Grits]

If you're old, married and go to Saratoga regularly so that it is not a unique experience, there's nothing wrong with Albany. I'd rather stay in the hotel and handicap the Sunday card than go out. The racing is the focal point, but nothing wrong with some fun to go along with it, that is, if you are not old and married.

I've been going to Saratoga since 2003, every August with the exception of '09 and '17. I get older every year and I'm pretty grateful for this, as most of us. I'm not married, or getting married. I'm also not looking for anyone to pay for my hotel, my meals, my drinks, or bankroll my wagering.

The greatest thing? Many friends there who love racing, who love handicapping and know there's fun at every stage of life. Maybe you're already there, maybe not. However, your view is quite limited.

[lex]

ALBANY!!!! What a great way to destroy your Saratoga experience.


Albany is what you are getting away from - not a place to stay in conjunction with your Saratoga trip. YUK!!!

I realize many folks do, for economic reasons, BUT if I'm not in position to stay "upstate" in the general Saratoga area, I'm not going.

I actually found a place in a town called Round Lake for right at $100 a night.
(Chamber Lane Motel) Quiet and off of the beaten path.

Accommodating, but certainly not luxurious.
Fifteen minutes from the track, with plenty of eateries coming and going.
I recommend the Malta Diner for moderately priced good food.

Well those of us that live in Albany enjoy our Saratoga experience just fine. We actually make that huge 40 minute trek up the Northway all the time. Sometimes we even go out to dinner in Saratoga after the track before making the exhausting trip home.

For someone looking at the last minute Albany isn't a bad option. Easy ride up and back. If you don't want to hang around Saratoga after the races there are plenty of good restaurants to chose from. Most of your day will be spent at the track anyway.

Pricing appears to be pretty reasonable in all of the Albany hotels right now.

[Grits]

Well those of us that live in Albany enjoy our Saratoga experience just fine. We actually make that huge 40 minute trek up the Northway all the time. Sometimes we even go out to dinner in Saratoga after the track before making the exhausting trip home.

For someone looking at the last minute Albany isn't a bad option. Easy ride up and back. If you don't want to hang around Saratoga after the races there are plenty of good restaurants to chose from. Most of your day will be spent at the track anyway.

Pricing appears to be pretty reasonable in all of the Albany hotels right now.

I like your post!

[biggestal99]

I recommend the Malta Diner for moderately priced good food.

Yep. Malta diner is a good choice for cheap eats.

Allan

[Saratoga_Mike]

Check out the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls - they just completed a major renovation of the rooms, and it's the same distance as Albany (and the downtown area is nicer, imo).

For those looking to spend a fortune, the Adelphi Hotel on Broadway in Saratoga is really nice now -- I guess $40 mm in renovations will do that.

[Brass Hat]

I've been going to Saratoga since 2003, every August with the exception of '09 and '17. I get older every year and I'm pretty grateful for this, as most of us. I'm not married, or getting married. I'm also not looking for anyone to pay for my hotel, my meals, my drinks, or bankroll my wagering.

The greatest thing? Many friends there who love racing, who love handicapping and know there's fun at every stage of life. Maybe you're already there, maybe not. However, your view is quite limited.

Sorry, the post was actually a poor attempt at self-deprecation and a bad joke, but there is probably a little truth in it, as I am more interested in handicapping and hearing talk about the horses, racing, and seeing the horses up close than a meal and drinking downtown after the races, and it was meant as a reply to the poster who said that if he couldn't stay in Saratoga he wouldn't go. And who isn't grateful to get older?

My wife and I have been going down from Boston pretty much every weekend except for one or two during the meet, since 2000. We've sat in the same area, and have made friends with the regular people around us, mainly through my wife, who would talk to people around us. We attended the Breeders Cup last year with friends we met years ago at Saratoga, and had a great time, and have gone to parties with at people's houses who live in the area.

We go down Friday night after work, and back Sunday after the races; by the time Travers weekend rolls around it usually is kind of a haul, so a quiet meal and hotel room in Albany on a Saturday night is OK with us.

[Grits]

Sorry, the post was actually a poor attempt at self-deprecation and a bad joke, but there is probably a little truth in it, as I am more interested in handicapping and hearing talk about the horses, racing, and seeing the horses up close than a meal and drinking downtown after the races, and it was meant as a reply to the poster who said that if he couldn't stay in Saratoga he wouldn't go. And who isn't grateful to get older?

My wife and I have been going down from Boston pretty much every weekend except for one or two during the meet, since 2000. We've sat in the same area, and have made friends with the regular people around us, mainly through my wife, who would talk to people around us. We attended the Breeders Cup last year with friends we met years ago at Saratoga, and had a great time, and have gone to parties with at people's houses who live in the area.

We go down Friday night after work, and back Sunday after the races; by the time Travers weekend rolls around it usually is kind of a haul, so a quiet meal and hotel room in Albany on a Saturday night is OK with us.

I like this post a whole lot better...we have much in common! ;)

[clicknow]

I live local to my track's meet now, but if I didn't, and one of my "vacations" involved a week at the track, I'd save up all year, book early, and spend the $$ to be as close to the track, the ambience and the general racing atmosphere for the full experience. ("have fun, spend money").

If I got to do this 5x or 10x or 20x a year, then any old place to stay would do....I'd only be spending enough time in my room to sleep and handicap for next day anyway.

Certainly, if I lived in a less picturesque environment, that wasn't surrounded by nature or that "country" feel, I'd go for experience #1 even moreso, because I'd be getting out of the high density busy hamster wheel and driving in traffic every day...... vacations are supposed to serve as a healthy RESET for the mind and body.

[HalvOnHorseracing]

I'll be up there with an Airbnb close enough.

Not sure what your appetite is for Airbnb, but its a good alternative.

Airbnb makes sense for me because I'm going alone, just for 2 days from Fort Lauderdale.


I can tolerate any Airbnb because I just want lie down for a few hours and freshenup 2x a day.


My routine is Breakfast with the horses @ the track 6:30 am, then walk over to the Oklahoma and see what's shaking over there. Then back to place for refresh and out to the track 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM, back to place for refresh, out to Carolina street for dinner, back at place 11m. Up at 6 am for Breakfast with the horse's. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

This $300 a night Saratoga (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26783860?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ),

This $115 (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18517550?location=Saratoga%20Springs%2C%20NY&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&check_in=2018-07-21&check_out=2018-07-22&s=I7bT1CWQ) a night 4 miles away.

I am looking forward to it immensely.

When do you handicap?

[HalvOnHorseracing]

Yep. Malta diner is a good choice for cheap eats.

Allan

I've eaten there a number of times. Good diner food.

[Suff]

When do you handicap?

lol. Thank you for calling what I do Handicapping. I appreciate that. Lately I refer to what I do as: Fairytail'ing. Because nothing I read comes true!

Speaking of Handicapping. I honestly cannot tell the difference between a 7/5 and a 2-1. I mean, I can, if I know the horses, and I know the races he is coming out of and blah blah blah.

But software does a much better job identifying slight differences than I ever could on horses that are .80 to 2.20

What I do, and what I enjoy, is identifying horses that will Outrun Their Odds.

Picking winners is great. need those. 12 horse field. But what feels worse? Watching a 2-1 run 4th, or me watching my 27-1 run 4th?


I attempt to loop my hard-to-finds in with the right fav's or 2nd houdini. Hard to do. But I enjoy it.

[HalvOnHorseracing]

Stay in Amsterdam. They have decent hotels fairly cheap. About 40 min to the track is the downside.

[Rico8812]

Stay in Amsterdam. They have decent hotels fairly cheap. About 40 min to the track is the downside.

Jesus, what ever you do, DO NOT stay in Amsterdam. Awful advice.

[sonnyp]

Amsterdam ???? really ????

[alhattab]

I'm a local, but suggest for the full experience bite the bullet and get a hotel in town or get one in Lake George and enjoy the Lake for a day or two. Do not recommend staying in Clifton Park, Glens Falls or especially not Albany. Just not the same. In fact, way worse.

Rico would you recommend anything in town or in Lake George on a weekend for <$200/night?

[lex]

Also ZippyChippy I recommend you come back when you can stop by Old Friends Cabin Creek to meet Zippy Chippy