David S.
Yelp
I was really looking forward to staying here, being an author, photographer, history enthusiast and military site explorer. The place has been transformed into a glitzy Disneyesque medieval castle that totally ignores the authentic aspects. I understand that the National Guard is less romantic than knights in (fake) shining armor.
The surrounding area can be scary, especially if coming down from the north. We took Rt. 5 south from Saratoga which goes through some tough neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
I want to write a positive review, but I also want to be honest. An important item left behind was returned in a timely manner (at no charge), which I appreciate, after a kind phone call from the manager.
The owner appears to be an ass, just looking for things to scold you about. He seems to barely tolerate having guests in his home.
We stayed in the Deluxe King. The room was comfortable and clean with a monstrous TV. Nice bathroom, though at times there was a backwash odor that was sometimes off-putting. There is a laughably badly laid-out card on a desk explaining how to use the party-line phone system (!) and to keep the noise down, written in stilted English, along with other curt warnings. Wonder who wrote that...
The large furniture and bed are arranged in a way that makes getting into the closets difficult. Pictures aren't centered, as if they were screwed into the walls first and the furniture came later. My wife is an art director and she pointed this out.
The restaurant in the castle is expensive but got good reviews from some people I befriended who ate there. On a local tip we went to L'Ultimo down the street (drove the few blocks there because I was concerned about walking back after dark. Not sure I needed to be that concerned). Good choice; we enjoyed the meal and it's much less expensive there, but honestly not very inviting from the outside. After some other interaction with the hotel owner, I'm glad we did that.
No lobby. No fitness center. There are two pictures to take here: the exterior and the big dining hall from the balcony. Not much to explore despite the size. Yes, there is the Kennedy room upstairs but also many frustratingly locked doors that I know lead to stuff I want to see!
WIFI on the second floor, in our room, was poor. The breakfast area is inside the small kitchen with no place to rest a plate while you load up. There are domes over the muffins and such with no place to put them once taken off! The coffee table is stuffed into a tiny nook that allows one at a time. Line up for breakfast, folks, thanks for your $$$.
Free tip to management: you have a huge floor right outside the kitchen where you could easily set up the coffee, breakfast items, etc. and people could better get to it.
I asked nicely to look around downstairs, at the historic parts left unchanged and was given a flat "no" ("We don't allow people into the historic parts".) It would be great if guided tours of those areas were offered to those who ask.
The place is decorated in 20th Century Pier One Imports with fake suits of armor, pictures ham-handedly screwed into the walls with many high up and lit from below as if the lights came first and the art later on. No real rhyme or reason to the mélange of pictures: some religious, some military, some this or that. It's a big initial "wow" but looking closer reveals the silly aspects.
Overall, disappointing and I wouldn't return or recommend it to family or friends. Before the current owner, this was a bed and breakfast with full access and once I found out about that I was upset! Missed the boat on this one.