Salim Amersi is always up to something new at Surfside on the Lake! The Lake George motel owner treats Surfside as an ongoing project that always needs to be tweaked and improved upon. He added a rooftop bar in 2014, brand new rooms and other renovations in 2016, and many more upgrades have taken place over the 30+ years he’s owned the hotel.
We were able to get a firsthand look at what Amersi has been up to lately – new and returning guests at the motel this year will not be disappointed!
Upgraded Rooms: New Windows, New Beds & More Space
“With every year we’re always improving,” Amersi told us. “We’ll never stop, we’ll always do more.”
Amersi emphasized to us that making Surfside a unique place to stay in Lake George and keeping the guests happy is always the number one prerogative. He knows he’s not perfect, but he strives for perfection in all aspects of the hotel.
In 2016, Amersi tore down 50 rooms in order to make room for 50 completely new, upgraded ones. Now, he’s taking the rooms that weren’t renovated and bringing them up to what the improved rooms offer.
A total of 26 rooms are currently undergoing renovations. These rooms will now have a wet bar sink/small kitchenette, which is a huge draw for the many families that Amersi sees at the hotel. Couples traveling with kids would likely prefer not to have to eat out for every single meal while on vacation, and with a small kitchenette right in their room, they won’t have to.
In addition, Amersi is making a bold move with this renovation: these rooms are all having their balconies torn out in order to expand the square footage of each room. There will be a table with four chairs in the space previously occupied by the balcony, and brand new, high quality, up-to-code windows are being installed. Guests can open their windows and enjoy the fresh lake air.
All of these rooms have at least a partial, if not complete view of the lake, which guests can now enjoy even more in their enclosed rooms with large windows, regardless of the weather.
The rooms are have bedding with latex mattresses which are made just for Surfside. Latex is a natural rubber product (unlike memory foam) that is getting increasingly popular in the mattress world for its ability to provide adequate support and relieve pressure point discomfort.
Additional Indoor Improvements
The rooms aren’t the only aspect of the motel receiving significant upgrades! The meeting rooms are getting new chandeliers, tables, and chairs. The chairs are going to be high quality with two different colored fabrics, green and red – the entire color scheme at Surfside has always revolved around bright, fun colors.
Amersi described the tables being put in the meeting rooms as high end, great looking, and classroom-like – they’re going to be solid and sturdy, with thick legs supporting them, unlike an average meeting room table.
As with everything else at Surfside, the meeting room tables and chairs are not going to be what you’d typically find in another motel or hotel. Everything is brought up a notch to make it the highest quality, best possible choice for Surfside.
Amersi is also planning to put new breakfast tables in the dining room and will be revamping the menu to offer more choices.
New Additions Outside
Have you ever been to Surfside’s incredible rooftop bar? It may seem like this gorgeous area to eat and drink overlooking the beach and water could not possibly be improved upon, but Amersi managed to make this hotspot even better. A retractable roof was installed over the rooftop bar in August of 2017.
“People would run away when it rained, and I’d noticed they wouldn’t want to eat outside when it was very hot out,” Amersi said, even with the umbrellas available.
So, the roof serves two purposes: people can enjoy shade when it’s sunny or get out of the rain in inclement weather, while still enjoying the Rooftop Cabana Bar. And, part of the roof can be up retracted, so people can choose if they’d like the cover or not. There are also LED lights in the roof.
Amersi is also adding additional seating, with a two-tier deck that is going to be built for those enjoying the pool or the lake. And, the pool itself is getting a new deck, new border tiles, and new coping molds.
The word “Surfside” with images of waves is going to be painted onto the pool deck. The hotel name will be so big people will be able to see it from an airplane.
What’s Next for Surfside
“Everything is a process,” Amersi told us about the renovations.
All of the improvements have to be up to code – Amersi can’t just decide on a whim what renovations he needs to make next. But he’s done the work to go through the proper channels, and it will undoubtedly pay off with his many repeat and brand new customers come this spring and summer.
Although these upgrades have been a huge financial investment with a ton of work still to be done, Amersi isn’t finished yet. He’s always looking ahead to the next project, always thinking about the future and how things can be done more efficiently.
Perhaps the biggest goal on the horizon is making the motel a year-round destination, which Amersi is planning to make happen in 2020.
As hotel packages are a big part of Surfside, Amersi is hoping to continue with that tradition with winter packages, combining a stay at the hotel with snowshoeing, skiing, and more.
Surfside opens for their season on Friday, April 27th and is accepting reservations now.
