Hotel Saranac Sales Manager Carolyn Bordonaro and General Manager Michael Salyers hold the plaque commemorating the hotel’s inclusion among Historic Hotels of America. (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — The Hotel Saranac has been added to the Historic Hotels of America.

The Main Street hotel, which is scheduled to reopen this summer, is one of 295 hotels now included in the Historic Hotels of America program, an effort by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to celebrate and recognize the finest historic hotels.

To be considered for inclusion among Historic Hotels of America, hotels must be more than 50 years old, and have “faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity.” The Hotel Saranac is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built in 1927 and designed by architects William H. Scopes and Maurice Feustmann, the Hotel Saranac was the first of the Adirondacks’ grand hotels to be made of brick. In a time when the Adirondacks resorts were almost exclusively wood structures, Hotel Saranac stood out as a New York City-style hotel, overlooking Saranac Lake’s downtown.

The hotel was purchased by Roedel Companies in 2013 and is currently undergoing a complete restoration. Among the features being restored is a second floor lobby modeled after the Grand Salon of the 14th century Davanzati Palace in Florence, Italy.

“Hotel Saranac is an important part of the history of Saranac Lake and we wanted to make sure we restored this iconic hotel to its Gilded Age glory,” Fred Roedel III of Roedel Companies said in a press release. “We’re honored that Hotel Saranac is being recognized by Historic Hotels of America.”

“Congratulations to Fred and Roedel Companies for their wonderful stewardship of the hotel’s rich history and commitment to the historic preservation and restoration of Saranac Lake’s most important historic hotel,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of HHA and Historic Hotels Worldwide.

The hotel’s history played a role in Roedel Companies signing a franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide to make Hotel Saranac a Curio Collection by Hilton. Curio Collection by Hilton hotels are hand-picked for travelers seeking local discovery and authentic experiences at distinctively upscale and historical hotels. The Curio brand allows Hotel Saranac to be independent and tied to Hilton’s global reservation platform.