Regional Lodging Development
Thoughtful lodging development can create new opportunities for overnight stays, encourage visitors to stay longer, and expand tourism’s economic impact across Essex County.
Expanding Opportunity Across Essex County
Essex County has one of the strongest tourism economies in the Adirondacks, generating approximately $988.4 million in visitor spending in 2025. However, lodging options and visitor activity are not distributed evenly across the county.
ROOST is working with communities, property owners, developers, lodging operators, and regional partners to identify lodging opportunities that complement existing businesses, reach new visitor markets, and reflect the character and goals of each community. The objective is to generate new overnight stays and additional visitor spending in under-served markets, strengthening the county’s overall visitor economy.
Identifying Regional Lodging Opportunities
ROOST commissioned CBRE Hotels Advisory to evaluate potential lodging opportunities in the Lake Champlain Region and Adirondack Hub. The study considers visitor travel patterns, tourism assets, existing lodging supply, short-term rental activity, hotel performance, and comparable lodging models.
CBRE identified three concepts for further exploration:
- A 100 to 130 room conference-center hotel in the southern Lake Champlain Region, with Ticonderoga identified as a strong potential location.
- A 30 to 50 room boutique mansion or estate-style hotel in the northern Lake Champlain Region.
- A 40-unit glamping or trailer-style lodging concept in the Adirondack Hub.
These concepts represent regional market opportunities. They are not site-specific development proposals or guarantees of project feasibility. Each opportunity will require an appropriate site, community support, infrastructure evaluation, financial analysis, regulatory review, and an experienced development and operating team.
Turning Research Into Investment
The regional lodging study provides a data-backed foundation for moving from general interest in lodging development to more focused conversations about what type of project may make sense, where it could fit, and what conditions would need to be in place.
ROOST will use the study to:
- Work with interested communities to identify appropriate sites and assess local readiness.
- Help property owners and communities understand which lodging concepts may fit their location.
- Provide developers, operators, and hotel brands with regional market information and local context.
- Connect potential projects with communities, property owners, economic development partners, and funding resources.
- Support early conversations related to infrastructure, permitting, incentives, and project feasibility.
- Promote investment opportunities that align with community priorities and strengthen the regional visitor economy.
Our Role
As Essex County’s destination marketing and management organization, ROOST connects an understanding of visitor demand with community and economic development priorities.
Explore an Opportunity
Are you a property owner, developer, lodging operator, or hotel brand interested in exploring lodging opportunities in Essex County?
Contact Adam DeSantis, Director of Development