Saratoga Hot Springs Resort

"It's like stepping back in time." That was my first thought when entering the lobby. Whether you view this as a good thing or a bad thing probably predicts how you'll regard your stay. Our snowmobiling-centric stay was unequivocally good, and we would stay again.

The cost of snowmobile rental was the best I found anywhere; coupled with "February Special" room pricing, it was almost like renting a snowmobile in Colorado and getting the room for free. Cool. We rented a separate room for our two kids and it worked out very well. I received email confirmation for our rooms, but not for the snowmobiles or our dog's kennel.

The room was clean overall. Housekeeping forgot to supply shampoo but did remember to leave an envelope for tips. The beds are kind of short. I'm just under 6'2" and my feet were always in contact with the footboard. The bathrooms are not heated, but they warm up while you're showering. The shower is good and plenty hot.

The dog kennel was good; the enclosed part is insulated and completely enclosed, separated from the open/fenced part by a weighted plastic flap. Unless things are really severe, I don't think the addition of a $5/day heating pad is necessary if you bring a dog bed. That was good because the check-in girl didn't seem to know anything about that option.

We were there on the weekday that the Resort cleans its pools. The large pool was indeed clean, but the hotter mini-pool-inside-a-teepee had a lot of algae drifting around. It's probably harmless, but we didn't like it.

The "February Special" included a couple of beer tokens (that we only got upon request). IMO criticism of the local brewery is silly; "Beam Me Up Scotty" scotch ale was a very tasty and drinkable beer. My wife chose different beers but liked hers too.

The snowmobiles don't have any enclosed space for storage, but do have a rack that will work well if you have bungee cords. No map was provided, but you really don't need one; most (but not all) trail intersections have a map posted that shows where you are. On our 8-hour ride, we got lunch and refueled our machines midday at Albany Lodge, and refueled later at a pump that is literally right next to the snowmobile drop-off spot. I asked if the hand-warmers were working and was told that they were, but on my machine (#T12), the left driver's side hand-warmer didn't work. The passengers also have heated grips to hold on to (and they worked). I really liked that they were not sticklers about being back exactly at 5:00p. However, I never really got a chance to mention a few mechanical problems that my machine had.

Everyone on staff was friendly and helpful, and that goes a long way toward an enjoyable stay. I had a mistaken impression from photos and reviews that the Resort was little more than a cheap motel next to a hot-spring pool, but it's much more, and much nicer, than that. We look forward to visiting again.