Hotel Brookmere & Arbor Spa — Hotel in City of Saratoga Springs

The Brookmere has tons of potential, but until they are fully staffed and decide if they are trying for an upscale hotel experience or just an upscale look, I can’t really recommend it. We arrived and immediately discovered issues due to the lack of staffing: no one to help with bags or even to aid in getting the very cumbersome, hard to move luggage carts out to our car, and a wait to ensure there was a clean room for us even though we arrived 45 minutes after the 4:00pm check-in time. The manager, who was at the front desk, was clearly stressed by the challenges she is facing due to the staffing issues, but it was off-putting to be treated like it was unreasonable for me to be surprised our room might take a while to be ready due to the hotel having had a lot of departures that morning. The wait ended up only being about ten minutes, and once we got into the room we could see the potential of the hotel as all has clearly been recently updated and was fresh and attractive. The bathroom was particularly attractive. However, the hotel only offers room cleaning on demand, and when we asked for it after our second of three nights, mostly due to imminently running out of toilet paper, tissues, and clean towels, their very sweet and capable cleaner hadn’t been able to get it done when we returned from our day out at around 3:00 p,m. We went to the pool and she did take care of us before we returned an hour later and did a great job, but she was clearly over-worked. The pool is very small, with no shade/umbrellas, and both days that we swam men were smoking cigars there, a smell it was impossible to avoid in the small space and also in violation of the no smoking anywhere rule of the hotel. The other issues included the fact that our room phone’s buttons to call the front desk, restaurant and housekeeping didn’t work, so the only way to use it to call any of those was to look up the phone numbers online and call them. There is also no information about the hotel and its amenities other than the spa provided in the room, let alone a guide to the area or any other helpful info like pool hours, whether they offer room service (given the staffing issues, probably not), etc. The hotel restaurant, Regent, was excellent with fabulous, though again limited, staff - I’ve reviewed it separately. The lobby is well decorated, and as noted, the place has the potential to provide a luxury hotel experience, but they have work to do...

One of the Best Burgers I've Ever Had – Worth the Trip to Saratoga Springs

This hotel serves a burger so exceptional, it’s reason enough to make the journey to Saratoga Springs.

Let’s start with the foundation: the buns. These aren’t your average brioche—these are baked fresh daily by the hotel’s in-house baker, and you can tell. When a property has its own baker, you know the carbs are going to be next level. The buns arrive toasted to a golden, buttery brown, with just a kiss of smokiness from the oven. The outer skin is perfectly crisp, giving way to a soft, fluffy interior that’s primed to soak up every juicy drop from the patty.

Speaking of the meat—this is where things go from good to unforgettable. The patty is generously sized, with just enough overhang to ensure every bite includes the perfect meat-to-bun ratio. The blend of beef is clearly well thought out and gently hand-pressed, resulting in a texture that’s tender, juicy, and slightly crumbly in the best way. The sear is immaculate—no gray band, just a clean transition from a charred crust to a warm, pink medium-rare center. It’s the kind of precision you usually only find with sous vide and reverse searing.

Then come the toppings. Hot, bubbly raclette cheese melts perfectly over the meat, pairing beautifully with lightly fried pickled white onions. The smokiness of the beef is complemented by a bright hit of acidity from the onions and sweet-yet-zippy pickles reminiscent of bread and butter pickles—only more refined. A few extra slices of those pickled onions and cucumbers on the side were a welcome bonus. The brine alone is so good, I’d love to see it show up in one of the house cocktails.

And then—just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed—the hand-cut fries arrived. Double-fried in duck fat, showered in herbs and cheese, and served with a mild aioli and classic ketchup, these fries are dangerously addictive. I told myself I wouldn’t finish them... but I did. I found myself alternating bites between burger and fries at an alarming pace, switching between sauces, until suddenly the plate was empty.

All that remained was the evidence of a demolished meal and the knowledge that my suit probably wouldn’t fit the next day. But honestly? Totally worth it.

This was, without exaggeration, one of the best burgers...

Luxury Design with Super 8 Service. Let me start by saying, there are way more important things going on in the world than the very particular review I am about to write. However, I live by reviews and given the price of the stay, there was much to be desired.

Saratoga Suite: We stayed in the Saratoga Suite for 3 nights. Room was perfect, spacious, well appointed, comfortable, walk-in closet, beautifully decorated, and I adored the enormous shower and soaking tub.

Service: This is where the hotel totally fell apart. -Was unable to get basics such as soap, water, and towels brought to the room. The first time I had to call 3x over 2 days for them to be brought. The second time I called for water, I called at 4pm and again at 9pm when no water arrived. At 9pm the front desk stated “I have one person and they’re doing the best they can”. The water never arrived. -The pool: Maintenance checked water at 12pm. Maintenance adjusted chemicals and said to wait 1 hour, and put a sign up that the pool was closed. I waited and got in the pool around 2pm and was promptly told to get out, they continued to adjust chemicals and were still doing so at 4pm when I left the area. A beautiful sunny day in the middle of the day is probably not the ideal time to do this kind of adjustment- consider late night or early morning. The spa: called 3-4x to see if I could adjust appointment, never received a call back. When I arrived the therapist said “oh I had no idea you were pregnant, they didn’t tell me” meanwhile, I booked a prenatal massage and indicated this in all my pre-service paperwork. Aside from that, Barb who delivered the services was outstanding!!! Safety: Entrance (without front desk)where spa and guest rooms are located was left unlocked and unsupervised 24/7. There was a key scanner, but it remained lit up green at all hours and absolutely anyone could enter with or without a key and access elevator and all floors without credentials.

Overall: no special touches, hotel personality, communication, or thoughtful service. If you want to DIY and have a nice room this is a great place. However, given the options in the area, price, and comparable hotels, the service here is...