Happy Victoria Day Weekend

Monday, May 21st, 2012, is Victoria Day in Canada.  For those who don't know (and we didn't until yesterday), Victoria Day celebrates the birth of Queen Victoria (pictured to the left) and it is the first long weekend of the spring/summer season (historic information here).  What better way for our Canadian neighbors to the north to celebrate a Canadian holiday than by leaving the country and coming to the United States for some fun in the sun and outlet shopping?   The weekend weather forecast is absolutely perfect for a drive from Quebec to Lake George and the Motel Montreal is fully operational (we even have a new French to English I-Phone app that we are itching to use).  The pool is up and running, the barbecue grills are ready to go and there is going to be PLENTY of sun for outlet shopping.  Happy Victoria Day to all and we hope to see you soon!

Shameless Promotion: Memorial Day Weekend in Lake George

Memorial Day weekend (May 25th through the 28th) is coming quickly and the hotel is ready for summer.  Although we opened last weekend, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial/official start to our summer here at the Motel Montreal and in Lake George.  We have some great Memorial Day weekend deals for your Lake George and Adirondack getaways.  For starters, we have a three night Memorial Day weekend getaway package for only $255 plus tax.  This package includes 10% off dinner at Mario's Italian Restaurant in Lake George Village.  Also, you can add an extra night to your stay for only $40 and/or purchase Great Escape tickets for only $27.50 each.  It is going to be a great summer and we hope to see a lot of people at the Motel Montreal for its unofficial start, so call us at (518) 668-5439 or check our availability online. 

Cinco de Mayo in Lake George!

The 2012 season at the Motel Montreal is officially underway!  We had a busy, but productive winter renovating and improving the hotel and we are very excited to show-off our handy work.  Here is a list of off-season improvements for 2012:

• Renovated ten poolside rooms (details here and here).
• Replaced the existing furniture in all of our hotel rooms (pictures here).
• Installed free WiFi throughout the hotel and rooms.
• Instituted an environmental sustainability initiative (aka the "Green Initiative").

The Motel Montreal is officially open for business and it looks like the Cinco de Mayo weekend weather will cooperate.  Cinco de Mayo in Lake George can be lots of fun and the hotel is walking distance to the village's Mexican-American dining establishments, so give us a call for a Cinco de Mayo weekend getaway to Lake George!

Our Newly Renovated Poolside Family Rooms

We are very excited and proud to present pictures of the newly renovated poolside family rooms at the Motel Montreal.  Each room has two double beds, a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, free WiFi, a 32-inch flat screen television and updated furniture and bedding.  Also, we removed the drop ceilings and exposed the wooden support beams, replaced the ancient air conditioning units with modern heating and cooling units and painted the walls with a shade of paint called "tea and honey".   Please email or call us at (518) 668-5439 with any questions or to reserve your newly renovated poolside family room today!

Some Pictures of the Non-Poolside Value Rooms

Our team is busy putting together the newly renovated poolside family rooms at the Motel Montreal but we wanted to take a moment to share some pictures of the non-poolside value rooms with the new furniture and bedding.  These are the best looking hotel rooms in Lake George.  If the discount value rooms look this good, imagine what the premium renovated rooms are going to look like.  Feel free to request more information about your Lake George vacation at the Motel Montreal or give us a call at (518) 668-5439.

It's Not Easy Being Green

We had a busy winter upgrading and renovating the Motel Montreal.  We transformed ten poolside family rooms, added furniture (pictures to come later this week), improved the poolside sundeck and the list goes on.  Perhaps the most extensive change was the introduction of our Green Initiative at the Motel Montreal.  One night, we sat down and discussed what we, as a team, could do to make the hotel and Lake George a little more environmentally friendly and here are some of the changes that you will see in 2012:

1. Replaced ten inefficient air conditioning and heating units with newer, more efficient units
2. Replaced ten televisions with energy star rated flat screen televisions
3. Placed a front loading washing machine into service
4. Replaced wrapped disposable cups with washable, reusable tumblers 
5. Replaced styrofoam coffee cups with paper cups
6. Switched from oil to natural gas for heating hot water in one of the buildings
7. Replaced remaining incandescent bulbs with CFLs
8. Designed a guestroom insert to improve guest awareness of the Green Initiative at the Motel Montreal
9. Placed recycling bins in each hotel room and condo

Designing and implementing the Green Initiative at the Motel Montreal was fun and I was amazed at the number of low cost changes that we were able to implement.  So, in 2012, our guests will return to better rooms, a nicer pool and a more environmentally friendly hotel in Lake George.  We welcome any comments about additional ways that we can make the hotel greener.  

Cognitive Dissonance and Sugarloaf Reggae Fest 2012

Mother Nature is officially messing with us.  Two weeks ago, the Lake George weather was perfect and the team at the Motel Montreal was thinking summer.  Spring had sprung and winter, what there was of it in Lake George, was a fading memory.  The weather lulled the Motel Montreal team into a a false sense of confidence but, low and behold, the wintery weather returned.

The return of the cold weather got us thinking about the goings on at our sister property, the Herbert Hotel in Kingfield, Maine (website here).  The Herbert Hotel is located in the western mountains of Maine, about 12 miles from Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort.  For those in the know, spring skiing is an unrivaled exercise in cognitive dissonance as you race down a snow covered mountain in Bermuda shorts.  To this end, next weekend (April 12th through 15th) marks the annual unofficial end of the ski season at Sugarloaf marked by the annual Reggae Fest (more info here), a celebration of the cognitive dissonance that is spring skiing set to a live Reggae soundtrack.   So, if anyone is interested in a Western Maine adventure next weekend, grab your skis and some patchouli oil and give our sister property a call at (207) 265-2000.