Hotel group acquires closed North Creek inn

Former Copperfield Inn joins Adirondack properties owned by Weekender Hotels, in publicly backed deal approved by IDA

By James M. Odato

A Saratoga Springs-based hotel group with five Adirondack Park lodging properties is spending $3.5 million to add a shuttered North Creek inn to its network.

Weekender Hotels has agreed to purchase The Phoenix Inn for $1,775,000 and invest $1,330,000 for renovations and another $400,293 on other costs, the company said in its application to the Warren & Washington Industrial Development Agency for tax breaks. The IDA voted Monday to approve the deal.

The Phoenix joins Weekenders’ seven other holdings, including the Placid Bay Hotel and Town House Lodge in Lake Placid, Great Pines in Old Forge, Alpine Lodge in North Creek and Trailhead in Tupper Lake. The company also owns two hotels in Vermont and New Hampshire. Weekender is opening a hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs in the coming months as well.

The Phoenix, once called the Copperfield Inn, gets its fifth owner in its 34 years of life. It closed in early 2024.

Located at a key entrance to the North Creek business district, the Phoenix joins area merchants who hope to benefit from the Olympic Regional Development Authority’s $40 million investments in Gore Mountain, the state-run alpine skiing center, with a new lodge, new lift, restaurant and zip line.

The Phoenix resort contains 30-rooms, two restaurants, a bar, banquet hall, conference rooms, exercise facility and outdoor pool. 

Weekender CEO Keir Weimer told the IDA that his company wants to offer high technology for amenities and room access, curated itineraries and opportunities to explore the region’s beauty.

Among the benefits provided by the IDA, Weekender Hotels will save an estimated $244,811 through reduced property, sales and mortgage taxes over 10 years. 

The deal should be completed in December and renovations will follow, said attorney Anthony Ianniello, who facilitated the purchase from Vision Landmark LLC. Vision closed the resort partly because of staffing challenges.

Weimer said the inn will employ 16 people, four of whom would be full-time. The IDA follows up to make sure the obligations are met, said Chuck Barton, CEO of the agency. The town of Johnsburg board approved the deal on Nov. 7.

The smaller Alpine Lodge, acquired by Weimer in 2020, has been “immensely successful,” said Barton. Weekender will open The Phoenix in January for the ski season and then will close the inn for room renovations and rename the property, he said.

Weimer said he is building his Weekender chain based on strong bookings during the pandemic which showed people wanted to get outdoors and were willing to give independent hotels a chance. He is developing the chain around offering guests guides and use of their rooms as a “base camp.”

He expects to purchase four more lodging properties in the next year, he said.

Photo at top courtesy of Washington Warren IDA

Editor’s note: This was edited at 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 20 to change a description of the hotel from “historic” to “shuttered”