Lake Placid Historic Hotel Reopens as Grand Adirondack, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Restored Historic Hotel Provides a Year-Round Escape for Travelers in the Adirondack Mountains

Situated in a coveted space on Lake Placid, New York’s Main Street,a historic hotel reopened after a major renovation to unveil a fresh look under a new name, Grand Adirondack Hotel.

LAKE PLACID, NY– Situated in a coveted space on Lake Placid’s Main Street,the historic Hotel North Woods reopened on August 31, 2022, after a major renovation to unveil a fresh look under a new name: Grand Adirondack Hotel, Lake Placid, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Conceptualized and managed by the team at Wright Investments and part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio – a growing global family of characterful hotels – Grand Adirondack Hotel embodies the spirit and soul of Lake Placid including the natural environment that surrounds the town. 

Fully reimagined, the hotel’s elevated design, culinary offerings, and thoughtful programming immerse guests in the charming destination, combining the whimsy and romanticism of the great outdoors with the laid-back luxury of the area’s historical Great Camps tradition of the Adirondacks. Occupying a central location on Lake Placid’s Main Street, the hotel provides the perfect home base to explore all the destination has to offer. 

Originally opened as Hotel Marcy in 1927, the redesigned 92-room hotel takes cues from its former identity, juxtaposing past with present. The property’s history and natural surroundings are reflected in the captivating design details, including an inviting lobby, intriguing food and beverage concepts, well-appointed guest rooms, and a vibrant rooftop bar with stunning views of Mirror Lake, Whiteface Mountain, the High Peaks, and five Olympic venues. Scattered throughout the hotel, guests find captivating artwork from celebrated and local artists. Pieces from artist and author, James Prosek, are on display in guestrooms, while works from award-winning watercolorist Sarah Yeoman are on stationery and other guest amenities.

“In 2014, we hiked and flyfished and fell in love with the stunning natural beauty of the area,” said Larry Wright Jr., President and CEO of Wright Investments. “Being nearly 100 years old, the hotel has amazing historic significance for the Adirondacks and Lake Placid community and we are humbled to be part of it. The Grand Adirondack Hotel is a welcoming place for locals, travelers and our guests who are seeking a sense of relaxation and adventure.  We envision the property to be much more than a hotel – it’s a living room for everyone and the most exciting place to be in the six million acres of the Park.”

Grand Adirondack Hotel also features several new dining options including Marcy, a brasserie-style restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, spotlighting locally sourced and farm-procured ingredients. Marcy Bar features small plates, craft beers, and cocktails with live music. Seasonally, guests can enjoy the view from Cloud Splitter, the highest rooftop bar in Adirondacks. Private dining is available for family gatherings, corporate meetings, and special occasions. 

Wright curated a multi-level team to leverage their capabilities of hospitality investment, hotel, food and beverage operations, and capital project management. This group includes award winning architect Joshua D. Wright, AIA, with over twenty years of experience in hospitality design, in addition to renowned hospitality, retail, and residential design studio – Post Company (previously named Studio Tack) – for the redesign. Based in Brooklyn, Post Company is widely known for its work on Scribner’s Catskill Lodge in Hunter, NY. 

The destination is home to the Adirondack Park, created in 1892 by the State of New York, which is larger than several states in New England and bigger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and the Great Smokies National Parks combined. It features over 2,000 miles of marked hiking trails, 15 miles of mountain bike trials, 6 million acres of mountains, 3,000 freshwater lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds teaming with aquatic life for year-round fishing, canoeing, and kayaking excursions, and much more. 

Grand Adirondack Hotel, Lake Placid, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel participates in Marriott Bonvoy – the award-winning travel program from Marriott International – allowing members to earn and redeem points for their stay at the new hotel, and at other hotels and resorts across Marriott Bonvoy’s extraordinary portfolio of brands. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members enjoy a level of personalization and a contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind.

To keep up-to-date with the adventure, visit www.GrandAdirondack.com and follow along on social @GrandAdirondackHotel.

Wright Investments, Inc. is a vertically integrated hospitality platform that has been involved in approximately $2B of hotel assets over 28 states since 1982.  For almost 40 years, the firm has worked with premium brands, consultants and financial partners and targets urban and leisure destinations with best-in-class franchise and lifestyle hotels.  The team at Wright is focused on working with the best people while delivering financially sustainable solutions for investors, employees, and communities.  The firm is located in Memphis, TN.

Tribute Portfolio is a growing global family of characterful, independent hotels drawn together by their passion for captivating design and their drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike. With more than 70 hotels open around the world, Tribute Portfolio has struck a chord with those who seek out independent experiences and crave a connection with the community when traveling. From boutique resorts like Ermita in Cartagena and urban hotels such as The Vagabond Club in Singapore; to hotels in indie-spirited locales like Bellyard in Atlanta and Hotel Riomar in Ibiza, each Tribute Portfolio hotel celebrates its individuality, offering travelers a fresh, often colorful, perspective. For more information, visit www.tributeportfolio.com and stay connected on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Tribute Portfolio  participates in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com. 

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Marriott Opens First Resort in Belize: Alaia Belize Offers Four Diamond Luxury on Amergris Caye

Set among the beautiful and culturally rich southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize, Alaia debuted as the first Marriott International Autograph Collection hotel in Belize.

AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE– For those with a zeal to discover the outdoors and live with purpose, owner and developer Andrew Ashcroft, in partnership with Autograph Collection Hotels, announces the grand opening of boutique resort Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection. Spanning over 20+ acres and the first in San Pedro Town to sit on more than 1,000 feet of beachfront access, Alaia Belize is a 155-unit complex operating as the first true four diamond resort on Ambergris Caye. The eco-luxury development is the first-ever Marriott International property in the country and evokes the founder’s passion, thoughtfulness of design, inherent craft and connection with the locale.

“With deep family roots in Belize and the hidden gem being my home for over 20 years, I wanted to ensure that Alaia Belize captured the lively spirit, genuine hospitality and friendliness of the destination and locals. My team and I worked closely with the Marriott International team to bring it all to fruition and allow our future guests and owners an opportunity to immerse themselves into the Belizean culture,” said Andrew Ashcroft. “No detail went unnoticed as we wanted to ensure that our travelers will be able to experience a new level of luxury on one of the world’s most photogenic yet untapped destinations. We are now ready to show the world all that Alaia Belize has to offer and take the country to new heights.”

Eco-Luxury Aesthetics 

Situated in the historic town of San Pedro – dubbed La Isla Bonita after the 1987 Madonna’s song about the island – Alaia Belize enables hotel guests and residential owners to intimately connect with their surroundings as it was designed to stimulate all five senses. With interiors curated by renowned Brazilian designer Debora Aguiar, the boutique resort is meant to invite guests to touch, stay and feel connected to Mother Nature, from the warm and harmonious ambiance, woven textures, natural fibers and touches of greenery. The design-forward hotel features 155 guest rooms and suites, ranging from studios to three bedrooms, with a natural color scheme to complement the stunning oceanfront views. Seamlessly blending the indoor and outdoor settings, the rooms offer an average of 1,200 square feet indoors and almost 900 square feet in open air, per unit. 

On the residential end, Alaia Belize is comprised of 71 stylish studios, two- and three-bedroom condominiums and eight oceanfront villas. Owners who don’t live full-time in Belize can put their condominiums or villas into a rental program booked through Marriott International’s reservation system and allow guests to live with a backdrop of deep blue waters. With exterior designs led by International Environments, the branded development features vertical green walls, specialty textured walls and crystal-clear glass windows to not interrupt any views of the tranquil Caribbean Sea and wild tropical foliage.

Autograph Collection Hotels advocates for the original, championing the individuality of each of its 200+ independent hotels located in the most desirable destinations across more than 30 countries and territories. Each hotel is a product of passion and a personal realization of its individual founder’s vision, making each hotel singular and special:  Exactly Like Nothing Else. Hand-selected for their inherent craft and distinct perspectives on design and hospitality, Autograph Collection hotels offer rich immersive moments that leave a lasting imprint. 

First of its Kind Experiences

Raising the luxury bar in Belize, hotel guests and owners have full access to first-of-its-kind amenities in the country, including Belize’s first-ever suspended rooftop pool and lounge with 360-degree views, the only luxury resort in Belize with a dive shop that also allows guests to receive a PADI certification onsite, K’in Spa & Wellness Center, a piano bar with a self-playing baby grand piano, kids’ club, adventure concierge, swimming pools with live DJs, branded golf carts and bicycles, and a live art gallery with local weavers, woodworkers and pottery makers to create custom handicrafts for guests to take a piece of Belize home with them.  

Catering to foodie travelers, Alaia Belize has endless dining and bar options with five different concepts. Sea Salt is the crown jewel of the property with fresh catches of the day, high-quality seafood and meat with a Belizean twist. For those looking to enjoy the tropical weather and gorgeous 360-degree views of the Caribbean Sea, Alaia has a Vista Rooftop restaurant concept with small plate offerings, such as sushi, poke bowls and conch for lunch, dinner and late nights. The beachfront hotel also has The Deck and Beach Bar restaurant for those looking for an open-air beachside lunch or dinner with local favorite dishes, such as tacos, ceviche, burgers, fish sandwiches, wraps, salads, pizza and classic cocktails. Alaia Belize also has a Piano Bar to offer an upscale lounge setting for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night with small pastries, cocktail snacks and high-end wine and cocktails offerings from Alaia’s very own mixologist. Lastly there is the The Terrace Bar for lunch and dinner with flavorful items, such as burgers, sandwiches, salads, ceviche and more. In true Belizean celebratory fashion, this area of the hotel has a lively spirit with DJs and in-pools cabanas for a VIP experience.

Un-Belize-Able Destination

“My team and I had a chance to visit with Andrew Ashcroft at the Alaia Belize earlier this year, while the property was still under construction. I am pleased that the day has finally come to open the doors of this beautiful four-diamond resort on the island of Ambergris Caye. It is a great milestone for the team and the country, as it is a testament of our growth to see high-end brands like Autograph Collection from Marriott International migrating into Belize, elevating our travel scene,” said Hon. Anthony Mahler, Belize’s Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations. “The government is fully supportive of hotel developments and legacy projects such as Alaia Belize, and we are incredibly proud of all the positive steps the Belize tourism industry is making to restore the confidence in travel among our international visitors.”

In October 2020, Belize officially reopened Philip Goldson International Airport to international visitors for leisure travel. As of January 2021, Belize moved on to Phase 4 of its reopening plan with the full reopening of the overnight tourism sector and allowing visitors to move around the country freely. In December 2020, Belize received a Safe Travel Stamp by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in recognition of the country’s enhanced health and safety protocols. To uphold the certification, the Belize Tourism Board created the Tourism Gold Standard program to ensure that all hotels, restaurants and tour operators adapt and maintain health and safety policies, including sanitation practices, social interactions and standard operating procedures while ensuring minimal impact on the guest experience.

Known as the hidden gem of Central America and Caribbean, Belize’s clear blue waters and Caribbean culture is home to endless historic offerings, a variety of adventures and a melting pot of cultures. Just moments away from Alaia, owners and visitors can experience more than 200 caves filled with several preserved Mayan Temples, including Xunantunich (the second tallest ruin in the country), lush jungles, rainforest canopies, and archaeological sites including the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. For those looking to take a deeper dive and explore the beauty of Belize’s natural underwater locations, Alaia is 600 meters away from the world’s second largest barrier reef and a few minutes away from the ultimate world-class and unrivaled destination – The Great Blue Hole.

Ambergris Caye and Alaia Belize can be reached via Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City. Then, travelers have to take a short 10-minute flight to San Pedro Airport or book tickets for a water taxi. Alaia Belize’s hotel concierge is available to help all guests book travel arrangements. A location for every traveler and every generation, Alaia Belize is offering an Un-Belize-Able Offer with special rates on a Vista Studio King Room, starting at $299.

For more information about Alaia Belize and/or to book your reservation, visit www.alaiabelize.com. For information on Marriott International’s Autograph Collection Hotels, visit www.autographhotels.com.

Autograph Collection participates in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com. 

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