Adelphi
Hotel

Ceiling fans paddle in lazy circles, barely distrurbing the giant palm fronds standing sentinel in the lobby, their shiny green leaves seemingly lit from beneath by the huge brass urns in which they dwell.

Carved, ornate, couches, in a hogepodge of luxury fabrics, posture around the room, inviting guests to perch for a moment between plump pillows decorated with heavy bouillon fringe.

Close your eyes slightly, suspend time in your mind, and you may be transported to a century ago, simply by stepping into the Adelphi Hotel. With just the slightest effort, you might overhear Lillian Russell whispering a secret to Diamond Jim Brady as they sip a little sherry at the bar.

Seen form the street, the Adelphi's four-story facade, with its slender columns, gingerbread fretwork and 90-foot piazza overlooking Broadway, seems hug by today's standards. In fact, it was one of Saratoga's smaller hotels, when compared to the bevy of beauties that once lined the city's main thoroughfare.

"There was the Grand Union and the United States, about where Borders Books is now, and many others," said Jamie Parillo, director of the Saratoga Springs History Museum. "Those two vied back and forth for the title of the largest hotel in the world, sleeping about 700 guest."

The Adelphi Hotel, in contrast, had 70 rooms when it was built.

In the late 1800's, visitors to the "Queen of the Spas" arrived by train and often stayed for weeks or months, Parillo said.

"The trains let them off right behind the hotels," he said. "Everything was walked to in those days. People would stroll to Congress Park, to be seen by their peers, and enjoy a concert, or the circular railroad you could get in and pedal in circles. By the back pond, there was a deer park and on the hill, an Indian encampment where trinkets were sold to the tourists."

When Sheila Parkert and her husband, Greg Siefker, first met the Adelphi Hotel, the grand dame was 102 years old and had nearly succumbed to age and neglect. The year was 1979, and Saratoga Springs itself had plummeted from its golden days to a morass of empty buildings and weary amibitions.

Above, the parlor, where visitors might imagine Diamond Jim Brady enjoying a fine cigar, is located on the second floor.

The couple, from Nebraska, fell madly, insanely, irrevocably in love with the decrepit old girl.

"There was very little left of the roof, and everything else was dilapidated," said Parkert, whose husband died several years ago. "But we were young and crazy. It seemed like a perfectly plausible endeavor."

Parkert, who was finishing a degree at Albany Law School, and Siefker, who operated several businesses in town, ponied up the $100,000 asking price, drew a deep breath and took the plunge.

"From a lot of vacations in France, we'd seen many ancient, old, restored inns," she recalled. "We thought that could work here. At the beginning, people thought we were absolute lunatics."

The petite blonde hotelier said she and her husband did much of the restoration work themselves, over many years, as the original 70 rooms were gradually carved up to create 39 larger rooms, among which are several suites.

"Once in a while, we could hire a couple of people, but mostly it was us doing the sawing and hammering," said Parkert, who now oversees a staff of 60.

Along with the dusty, dirty grunt work came endless hours of research on the high Victorian era and exciting treasure hunts to find the period antiques that are carmmed into every nook and cranny of the dreamy old place. "I love to decorate," said Parkert. "That's the best part of all. And every room is different. There's English Country, French Provincial, two Adirondack rooms and a Greek Revival style room, just to name a few."

Above and below are examples of some of the 39 rooms, which include several suites.

Not content to decorate four high-ceilinged floors, Parkert took her vision outside and had a pool installed -- one befitting the Adelphi.

"Eleven years ago, I saw a picture in a old 1920s Town and Country magazine of the pool area at a Long Island mansion," said Parkert, as she led her visitor out into a sunny courtyard and up a few well-landscaped stairs. "I had it copied."

Althought the Adelphi is drenched in history, Parkert has made sure that modern accommodations are available to her guest, many of whom return year after year.

"Every room has a bath and air conditioning. We're gradually installing flat screen TV's and, of course, we have wireless Internet," she said. "There's nothing retro about our amenities."