City’s biggest hotel reopens after major renovation

LACONIA — Just in time for the tourist season, the venerable Landmark Inn has reopened as a Best Western Plus following major exterior and interior upgrades.

Ragi Patel provided a tour of the refurbished building on Tuesday. She and her husband, Mike, bought the 104-room hotel in 2016.

Constructed in 1973, the seven-story building at 480 Main St., is the first thing many visitors see when they come to the city, and it was beginning to show its age.

Outside, its drab earth tones have been replaced by a yellow, red and gray color scheme. Inside, the rooms have been completely redone. The lobby has new lighting, flooring, wall treatments, carpets, ceiling along with an upgraded heating and air conditioning system.

A new breakfast room, exercise facility, pool area and deck overlooking the Winnipesaukee River are part of the refurbishment. Some of the finish work remains to be completed — the pool lacked water and the deck wasn’t finished at the time of the tour — but it’s clear the hotel has received badly needed improvements.

Patel is proud of the breakfast area.

“Best Western is known for their hot breakfasts,” she said. “There will be waffles, pancakes, eggs and bacon. The way to go to your heart is through your tummy.”

The corridors have commercial photographs of local scenes. As the tallest building in the area, its windows command views of downtown and the surrounding area.

Patel compared improvements to the hotel to the way her family ran a farm in India.

“The thing that we get that we get food from, we have to take good care of that thing,” she said. “If you don’t take care of the source, how can you keep taking, taking, taking? You have to give.”

Room prices have increased.

Patel said a daily rate of $79 to $89 has been increased to $139.

A filing with the city listed a $1.1 million cost of refurbishment, but she said the ultimate cost will be well beyond $2 million.

An area of the hotel that formerly was used as a restaurant is potentially available for lease.

Mayor Ed Engler has given the couple a "Front Porch Award," recognizing those who improve the appearance of residential and commercial property.

The hotel originally operated as a Ramada Inn, and in 1980 became the Sheraton Laconia Inn under the ownership of Jack Basch & Sons Enterprises, Inc.

During the 1980s, the hotel was a popular gathering place, dining spot and watering hole. Amid the severe recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the hotel's fortunes turned as it changed hands in 1986 and names, first to Best Western, then to The Inn of All Seasons before being acquired by the Parisi family in 1993 and christened the Landmark Hotel.

The Parisis sold the hotel to the Patels.

Refurbishment work started last summer and the building was closed for business from October until its reopening earlier this month.

The couple are hiring people for a number of open positions on the hotel staff.