Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa
History
With its Georgian-style architecture and parkland setting, the Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa has the feel of a fine country home, yet the hotel originated as part of a major Depression-era public works project. During Franklin Roosevelt’s governorship of New York, the state broke ground on a mineral spring treatment center modeled after famous European spas. Ultimately the complex would include the Gideon Putnam, three large bath houses, swimming pools, a theater and other facilities. The hotel itself was erected by Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration early in his presidency. Albany architect Marcus T. Reynolds completed the design of the building and legendary interior designer Dorothy Draper decorated it in her trademark vivid colors. Soon the hotel was welcoming the cream of East Coast society, along with Hollywood celebrities like Fred Astaire and Bob Hope. A multiyear, multimillion dollar renovation effort is returning the Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa to the grandness and style it was famous for during Saratoga Springs’ heyday as the country’s premier spa town.
