Essex Hotel Management LLC has added Crowne Plaza Lake Placid in Lake Placid, NY, to its portfolio of hotels on the East Coast. This marks the first IHG property in the third-party hotel management company’s portfolio, and its second in Lake Placid.
Built in 1969, the property has been owned and operated by the Lussi family for more than 50 years and rebranded as a Crowne Plaza in 2005 after several expansions.
“Our entire team is excited to be joining the IHG family and we look forward to operating one of its shining stars, the Crowne Plaza Lake Placid,” Barbara Purvis, president, Essex Hotel Management, told Hotel Business. “IHG is one of the major brand families, and we hope this opens the door to operating additional IHG properties. Our affiliation with them further broadens the base of franchise companies we work with and increases our opportunities for growth.”
Located in the center of the Village of Lake Placid, the 246-room property has views of Mirror Lake and the Adirondack Mountains, including the High Peaks and Whiteface Mountain. All rooms include Keurig coffee makers, refrigerators and microwaves. The suites in the newer Adirondack wing have kitchens, fireplaces and balconies. Other amenities include MacKenzie’s Restaurant, the Adirondack Great Room and Bar, an indoor pool, a hot tub and a fitness room. In addition, all guests have access to a private beach; the historic Lake Placid Club’s 45 holes of championship golf; and a cross-country ski and snowshoe center. The property also has 22,000 sq. ft. of flexible function space.
“Our family has been enjoying a 12-year successful partnership with Essex in another hotel venture in Lake Placid, and we are confident they will be a wonderful addition to our partnership with the Crowne Plaza,” said Cristina Lussi, one of the property’s owners.
The hotel is located adjacent to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, where the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union en route to winning the Olympic gold medal in 1980, and is close to the shops and restaurants in the village.
“Lake Placid is one of New York’s premier destination resort locations and truly a great escape,” Purvis said. “What was previously known as a sleepy village that played host to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games has become a year-round place to visit. The area boasts outdoor attractions and activities that appeal to all ages and interests no matter the season. Its vast mountains and lakes provide multiple venues for skiing, snowmobiling, golf, fishing, boating, hiking and mountain biking, and, of course, the breathtaking views can be enjoyed anytime, but especially in the fall when the hills burst into color.”
Purvis told Hotel Business that the addition of the new property is part of the company’s growth strategy. “Earlier this year, we took steps to strengthen our organization, including making some key leadership promotions and creating several new positions, and I’m thrilled to report all the new positions were filled internally from our properties,” she said. “This helped us be better prepared to take on the Crowne Plaza, and we always want to make sure our team is ready for the next opportunity, so we continue to assess the organization. We want to grow moderately and selectively with the right owners and partners—whether they be pure management plays, strategic acquisitions or development opportunities. A growing portfolio will facilitate our ability to continue to attract highly qualified talent and support the critical infrastructure, while still enabling us to maintain our key attributes of personal engagement, communication, flexibility and collaboration that all translate to results for our owners, partners and team members.”
