voco Saranac Lake Waterfront

Saranac Waterfront Lodge was an absolute dream to get married at. Christine Rutledge, the senior sales manager, was a joy to work with. She went above and beyond to ensure that our wedding was flawless. I loved that it was dog friendly and my dog stayed the night before the wedding with me in the governors suite (he was the ring bearer). We had both the ceremony and reception there. The food and service was excellent and guests raved about how beautiful the ceremony was on the water. Very thankful for this venue and the staff who made it such a positive experience!

Sadly, I don't know where to begin with this venue. Saranac Waterfront Lodge has a lot of potential as a premier wedding destination, but the staff, especially the senior sales manager in charge of weddings, simply do not stick to contractual agreements or do as promised. Although we had a lovely day, I can honestly say that if it weren't for our family and friends pulling the event together, it would have been a disaster. Here is a list of reasons why: - The venue does not stick to the contracted deposit schedule. There is no warning or invoice sent before deposits are taken out. We had two major billing issues: 1. We were billed one month later and over $2000 more than contracted for on our second deposit. 2. Our final payment was for the incorrect amount. It took one week just to get an invoice (that was promised pre-wedding) and one month to remedy the amount, only because we took it to our credit card company. - The food served was not the same as we had at our tasting. It was cold and disproportionately cooked. We paid extra for lobster bisque, and not a single bowl was served warm. - Neither the ceremony or reception area were set-up at the promised time. Because of this, our florist was put hours behind schedule and had to recruit family members in order to finish decorating before the ceremony. - The venue broke our guest book. Guests witnessed it happen, but the venue never apologized or offered to replace it. - Reception swapped welcome bags with another wedding for multiple guests. When it was brought to their attention, they responded 'welcome bags are stupid' even though the offer to hand them out is contracted with the venue. - The ballroom is VERY dark. I inquired about lighting with both our DJ and sales manager multiple times and was told it would be well lit. It was not. Our guests had to use flashlights on their phones in order to see the dessert and coffee table. Candid photos on phones are not possible. The DJ played a game midway through the evening and had to turn on the full fluorescents, so guests could see the bride and groom. Above, though lengthy, are only highlights of our issues. It is important to note that should you have an issue, reception are instructed to lie on the phone so that management can remain unresponsive. I do think it speaks volumes that there have been many weddings at this venue and only one review so far. Venues can not rely on a picturesque setting alone. Unless there is a turnover in staff, I am sad to say that I strongly do not recommend Saranac Waterfront Lodge.

We had our wedding at the Saranac Waterfront Lodge on 06/25/22. Christine and the rest of the staff at the hotel were excellent the entire weekend! They were kind, attentive and very professional. The food was delicious. Definitely recommend booking the Governor's Suite! It was perfect for the girls to get ready in the day of. It has two walk out balconies with views of the lake. The layout of the hotel worked out really well for transitioning from one event to the next. The adjoining doors from the ballroom to the Boathouse Pub was a nice bonus for us for the after party. It made it an easy transition. They are a newer venue but they were able to answer all of our questions and were extremely accommodating to any requests we had. Highly recommend having your wedding here! We had a blast!