HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Saratoga Springs revisited: Hilton Garden Inn vs. Hampton Inn & Suites

My family went on a mini-vacation at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Saratoga Springs recently thanks to a relative's generous Hilton Honors points donation. In the past, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn when we went to Saratoga Springs for an overnight with the kids, but this time we decided to try something new.  

The Hampton Inn won us over. The hotel has a beautiful heated pool, which is much larger than the one at HGI. The breakfast which was included had more to offer than the HGI one, and the location is more convenient. It is close to the center of town. We somehow got upgraded to a suite room. I slept very soundly in the comfortable bed. My husband didn't sleep too well though.

He claims there were a group of middle-aged women having a girls night who had a bit too much to drink and were yelling in the hallway. I heard a little bit of this too, but I was so relaxed from the mineral bath, I guess I just slept through the fun. This aside, I would definitely come back to the Hampton Inn & Suites in Saratoga Springs, NY.

I had a great time at the Gideon Putnam several years ago. The hotel is more formal, and has much more character, and is home to the Roosevelt Baths & Spa.  (I'd recommend the Gideon Putnam if you are looking for a couples getaway without kids or a low-key honeymoon).

Day Trip: Saratoga Springs

The cozy clean lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn Saratoga Springs

The Carousel, Saratoga Springs

We took the family up to Saratoga Springs for an overnight last Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day in grand Saratoga Springs style!   To make things interesting, we decided to take the Amtrak instead of the car so the kids could have a train adventure.  Rhinecliff to Saratoga Springs takes 2 hours by train vs. about 1 hr and 20 minutes by car.  Usually when we go to Saratoga Springs we book mineral spas at the Roosevelt Baths & Spa, which is part of the Gideon Putnam Resort . A 40 minute mineral bath is a spa bargain at $25.  The bath water looks like chicken soup, but once you get in you can almost feel the toxins leaving your body.  (The Grand Union Motel and Crystal Spa offers full spa services, including mineral baths. It is more refined and "girlie" than the Roosevelt Baths and the water is much clearer).  For the mineral baths, I prefer the bare bones Roosevelt Bath experience.   If I had the luxury of spending a day here, I'd want to try the Chocolate Addiction at Crystal. (See http://www.grandunionmotel.com for more info).  at 392 Broadway in Saratoga Springs last year and the food was delicious. They also sell very cool t-shirts!)  We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Very comfortable rooms with nice puffy comforters, and the made-to-order breakfast is always fresh and tasty. We got a special, $134 for the night which included breakfast for 4. A good deal for Mother's Day night!  Also, they have a small indoor pool which is open 6am-11pm and a whirlpool, internet room, and a fitness center.  The walk into town took us about 20 minutes, only because the kids were dragging. We did use Capital Land Taxi a couple times and had a good experience with them. The Saratoga Diner is close to the Hilton so we had breakfast and dinner there on Sunday. Breakfast was good, but I liked my dinner better. They had about a dozen Mother's Day dinner specials to choose from and I went for the Grilled Pork Loins and mashed potatoes. My husband got the Chicken Parm and was very happy with his meal. Portions were huge and I ended up donating one of my Pork Loins to my husband.  (We have tried the Circus Cafe On Sunday, we were very fortunate to arrive on opening day of the historic Carousel.