Queensbury Hotel is open: Rooms & food

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

In Bolton Landing the Sagamore Resort is entirely closed due to the pandemic shutdown, but at the Queensbury Hotel, “we are open for business,” says general manager Tyler Herrick.

He said that last Friday night, with a storm potentially coming, a subcontractor for National Grid rented 10 rooms to have their employees nearby.

He said the hotel has talked to Glens Falls Hospital about providing rooms, maybe on a separate floor, if nurses or other health care workers need them.

Guests must stay in their lodging rooms, no congregating in the lobby.

Mr. Herrick said the hotel let go about 80 people from a staff of 100, plus 10 at their new Fairfield Suites at Exit 18.

“My number-one job is to make sure that our guests are safe, and to get these 80 people back working as fast as I can.”

With sit-down dining and drinking banned, Mr. Herrick said the hotel is doing well with its to-go food at Fenimore’s.

“We’ve been averaging, feeding about 250 people a night…” He said that last Friday they prepped 70 fish fry dinners but ran out within an hour after pre-ordering opened, so they are preparing for “at least 100” this week.

Mr. Herrick says, “I had the idea for a family meal deal, because of our banquet capabilities. So we offer a very affordable family dinner for four,” of comfort foods like mac and cheese, for $25.

“It’s also a way to feed our staff,” he says. He said they’ve made the meals available to laid-off staff at an even more deeply discounted price.

Mr. Herrick says, “You can see from the price, it’s not a profit thing. We are just trying to keep a cash flow going, to maintain staffing and trying to keep the morale going. Kitchen guys and gals, they want to cook, they want to serve. People want something to do right now.”

Fenimore’s is offering room service within the hotel, as well as carry-out lunches and dinners. They’re doing pre-orders and pick ups in the lobby, with strict social distancing, and looking at moving to curbside delivery.

Through Mean Max Brewery, he said they also offer specials on four-packs of beer, and also have discounted pricing on bottles of wine.

He said, “We are stressing to the team, we are an essential business. You come to work and you go back home. You don’t go to hang out with your in-laws or your buddies. We make light, but we are staying six feet apart in the kitchen.

Despite shortages at grocery stores, Mr. Herrick echoes other restaurants who say their supply chain, for produces as well as packaging, remains steady.

“I’m more worried, there are a lot of little guys, the mom and pops. We’re bigger thant that so we have a little more insulation. I can’t imagine how others are going through this.”

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