Cheap old houses, tiny houses and the economy
Plus: Update on the S. Broadway accident.
Welcome to the Daily Dispatch, the future of Spa City news straight to your inbox.
In this edition:
Top: Track anchors the local, summertime economy
Mid: Traffic accidents ends in fatality
Bottom: HGTV stars in town this weekend
Track once again anchors the summertime economy
STRs becoming a bigger part of local mix, report says.
This exciting Positively Saratoga news is brought to you by our friends at Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Discover Saratoga.
August in Saratoga was once again defined by the Saratoga Race Course, which concluded its 2025 season on a high note, Darryl Leggieri the president of Discover Saratoga wrote in a report to the community. For the 10th consecutive year, paid attendance surpassed one million fans, while all-sources wagering handle exceeded $790 million.
[For a shareable link to this story alone, click here.]
“The track remains a cornerstone of Saratoga’s summer economy and reinforces the city’s reputation as a premier destination,” the report says. “Its energy and appeal extend far beyond the grandstand, fueling strong demand for lodging, dining, and cultural experiences across Saratoga County.”
Sales for groups and meetings remain strong, the report says.
“56 groups signed contracts, adding more than 9,100 future room nights and $4.6 million in projected impact, while 18 groups were serviced on site, generating close to $2.2 million. These results represent a modest but important increase over 2024, reflecting Saratoga’s continued appeal as a meetings destination even in peak leisure months,” the report says.
August 2025 Lodging Trends
August continued Saratoga’s strong tourism momentum, with both Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County reporting notable gains in Average Daily Rate (the total rooms revenue divided by the number of rooms sold in August) and in Revenue Per Available Room (the ADR multiplied by the occupancy rate).
In Saratoga Springs, ADR rose 6% year-over-year while RevPAR jumped 6.5%, reflecting sustained demand at premium rates during the height of racing season.
Saratoga County saw its ADR rise 6% and RevPAR rise 4.4% over last year.
“These results reinforce the region’s reputation for delivering exceptional lodging performance and highlight Saratoga’s continued strength as a tourism destination,” the report says.
Short-term vacation rentals, which are generally homes rented for less than one month at a time and often for long weekends or a week, have gotten a strong foothold in the community.
Overall occupancy rates for STRs are lower than hotels because owners sometimes use the properties during track season themselves and the inventory can shift since a home is often a normal residence only rented during track season. STRs often garnered longer stays than hotels, the report says.
Airbnb units reached an estimated 24,500 paid room nights, with an average daily rate of $195, or roughly $4.78 million in taxable revenue for the month.
Keep reading:
Economy in Spa City looks good
Traffic accident results in fatality
S. B’way accident is still under investigation.
By: Stephen Thurston
The traffic accident that shutdown the southbound lanes of South Broadway for most of the day Tuesday has resulted in one fatality, the Saratoga Springs Police Department said Wednesday evening. Denise Howard, 43, of Albany, died after sustaining “serious injuries” the day of the crash, the Police said.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Denise’s friends and family,” the police department said in a statement.
The incident at about 6:35 a.m. Tuesday involved a tractor trailer and a fullsize pickup truck on South Broadway near E. West Road and the Spa City State Park. The pickup truck was stopped on the shoulder of the road due to mechanical issues when it was struck by a southbound tractor trailer.
The driver of the pickup sustained serious injuries and was transported to Albany Medical Center by Saratoga Springs Fire Department EMS personnel. The driver of the tractor trailer was taken to Saratoga Hospital for evaluation.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department Traffic Safety Unit, in collaboration with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Team, has been actively investigating the cause of the crash.
The investigation is still ongoing and no further details will be released at this time.
We thank the Saratoga Springs Fire Department, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Park Police for their assistance yesterday.
This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support local, independent journalism in Saratoga, pledge $6 a month or $50 per year.
Saratoga News
HGTV stars (and a tiny home!) draw DIYers to free event this Sat.
The Finkelsteins of ‘Cheap Old Houses’ fame match up with the artsy couple behind the ‘shiphouse on wheels’ (it’ll be here!) for a DIY dream event.
[For a shareable link to this story alone, click here.]
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Upstate New York stans Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein live in Washington County, filmed an entire season of HGTV’s Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House in the Capital Region, and feature stunning homes in towns such as Kingston and Greenwich in their new stunner of a book, Cheap Old Houses (named after the TV show that made them famous).
It’s the latter that landed them a spot as headliners at the Saratoga Book Festival, hitting the Saratoga Music Hall at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for an hour-long chit-chat. They’ll be joined by the artsy couple behind the “shiphouse on wheels” tiny home — which will be parked at Ben & Jerry’s for the entirety of the festival.
The session, “Not an Ordinary House,” will talk about the Cheap Old Houses movement — in addition to TV fame, it’s a viral sensation of 3 million on Instagram, too — that helps renovation fans create their own slice of homey heaven.
And if you happen upon the tiny home parked at Ben & Jerry’s? Its owners, Chloe Barcelou and Brandon Batchelder, will be at the Music Hall, too. The building of their “shiphouse on wheels” (think feminine tulle paired with industrial chic for their own twist on the steampunk aesthetic) was featured on HGTV’s Tiny House Big Living. The TikTok stars can’t wait to talk about their dream home!
I’ll be moderating, so expect a lively conversation covering everything from market trends to where — in that tiny home — Chloe keeps all of the steampunk outfits she wears on TikTok.
For more information, visit friends.sspl.org.
Keep reading about this weekend’s Saratoga Book Festival!
TV pilot filmed in Troy has upstate premiere Sat. in Saratoga
New Book Festival party taps into fall’s buzziest new aesthetic
Bela Fleck and Ruth Reichl are 2 of the Book Fest’s hottest tickets (literally)
Storybook magic: Book Fest’s (free!) KidZone claims its own event
