Grand Union Hotel
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The Grand Union Hotel on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, New York was built in 1802 by Gideon Putnam. A luxury hotel that catered to the wealthy elite, following the opening of Saratoga Race Course in 1863, renovations and expansions to the hotel saw it grow to 824 rooms and become the then largest hotel in the world. The Grand Union Hotel Stakes race was run at the Saratoga track until 1958.
In his 1872 book Saratoga and How to See It, author R. F. Dearborn wrote (text in the public domain) about the hotel saying:
- "This mammoth establishment is located on the west side of Broadway, and with its magnificent grounds embraces a space seven acres in extent, covering nearly an entire square. It is a splendid brick structure, with a street frontage of 1,364 feet. The office, parlor, dining room and dancing hall are unequaled for size, graceful architecture and splendid equipments and finish—the former exhibiting a lavish display of white and colored marbles, while a series of colonnades rise from the center to the dome. Within the capacious grounds are several elegant cottages, which are greatly sought for by the elite. A vertical railway, comprising the latest improvements, renders the six stories so easy of access as to be equally desirable to guests."
In 1953 the Grand Union Hotel was torn down to make way for a supermarket. [1]
