The Century House, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

This hotel was acceptable, but overall I wasn’t a huge fan and wouldn’t stay again. We were visiting family in Troy, NY and needed a place to stay in the area. Based on reviews, this seemed like a decent option at a good price.
Location-​wise, this hotel was easy to get to, especially not knowing the area. There are a few decent restaurants nearby and (insert angels singing) the hallowed beacon of impulse shopping, Target, is down the street. Which came in handy after I forgot to pack a toothbrush and hairbrush.
I will start with the good stuff. The parking lot is pretty big, the entrance is easily accessible, and the woman at the front desk was friendly enough and hooked us up with a late checkout. In general, this was not the warmest hotel staff I’ve ever encountered but I’m not expecting my mind to be blown here. The room was big (we got the standard king room) and overall was pretty clean. The shower pressure was great and the water was hot, so my basic necessities were covered.
The cons: our room was FUHREEEEZING cold when we came in, so we turned the heater on, which instantly filled our room with a gross burning smell that kind of never went away. I could live with it, but it was weird. There was a big, old-​looking stain on our carpet (like, two feet wide?) and a pair of «TEAM BRIDE!!!» sunglasses hanging inside one of our lamps from the previous guests. My partner and I always try to go for independently-​owned hotels in older or cool-​looking buildings whenever we need a place to stay; unfortunately, the interior décor of this building just felt dated without having much charm to it. The walls were also incREDibly thin. I could hear everything going on in the hallways and in the surrounding rooms all night, and I do mean everything. I don’t generally care about this too much but as a result I just didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. The inclusive breakfast, while always a nice touch, was nothing to write home about.
For around $ 100 a night it definitely fit into our budget, but next time I need to stay in the area I will definitely look elsewhere. We did not have dinner at the restaurant, or attend a wedding here, so perhaps that is what is warranting the higher reviews for this place? For a one-​night stay it’s certainly better than a gross motel but just not that great.

A bit anachronistic, but very nice. Driving up to it I thought it was a nursing home that had been converted into a hotel, it had an odd layout, with the entrance at the back, a long awning /​walkway, and formal-​ish feel to it. Staying there I felt like I was in the 1960s, but not as in the hotel was from the 1960s, but that it was already about 10 – 20 years out of date even then. The restaurant menu seemed like it was all $ 25 – 40 steak and lobster dishes, again, something I might have expected a long time ago when people cared less about their health and meat and butter were the norm. Having said all that, the price was very good, the room was very nice, and they allow pets (with a $ 25 fee). I would happily stay there again.

10/​28/​2014
Very nice hotel. The style is quaint, the building is old but well kept and beautiful, the rooms are comfortable. Front desk staff were polite and helpful. Internet and cable signals are high quality. Breakfast was definitely awesome, great selection of hot foods, cereals and fruits. Minus one star because:
— there was no toilet paper in our room when we arrived, and
— I discovered a used spoon behind the fridge.
Also there are few wall outlets, so make sure you bring a power strip if you need to charge lots of electronics. If you like unique, historical places this is a lovely place to stay :)

I recently attended a wedding here and was blown away by the food, service, and our room! My cousin got married here on a Saturday evening. The ceremony was simple and there was 1 or more weddings going on but they never interfered with each other. After the ceremony we went to a beautiful room with a chocolate foundation, turkey craving stations and lots of little bits. The food was amazing! The staff were also great. Very friendly! For dinner you had a choice between salmon and steak both were delicious and beautifully plated.
We got a room kinda pricey $ 200 but when we got in our room we knew why. We had a two bedroom apartment! Flat screen tvs, a kitchen, living room, 2 bathrooms, and lots of towels. It was clean and very well kept. We waited to long to book our room so we went through orbitz. My only complaint is they didn’t have matches at the front counter.

Very pleasantly pleased with our hotel choice. We arrived well after midnight on a flight and was greeted by a pleasant desk clerk in a warm and welcoming elegant yet quaint lobby. We were first given a second floor room with a king bed but decided a double bedroom on the first floor would be better considering we had a child with us and our request was promptly satisfied. The room was clean and warm… comfortable beds… nice tv with good line up, free wifi, fridge, micro and coffee maker as well as tasteful décor. Ample supply of pillows! The bathroom is small but the water pressure was awesome and super hot. Woke to organic coffee and a beautiful spread that included hot breakfast items accompanied by a lovely and friendly waitress. Only complaint is fitness center. Out of date equipment. Waitress advised that there is a trail on property so I would be more inclined to use it over the treadmill if the weather permitted… but anyway… no biggie.
Checked the menu at the restaurant and we were impressed. Will try and review that tomorrow. Overall I highly recommended.

What a nightmare. The night manager thought he was a cop and threatened all of my guests and threatened to throw us out if we made any noise.
Stay somewhere else.

Suboptimal.
Stay: 2 nights in ⁷⁄₂₀₁₄.
Room smelled like mold and mildew — we had to ask several times for spray to try to alleviate stench. It was not effective. The air conditioning did not remove it either. They would not give us new room.
Room did not have shampoo or conditioner restocked.
Floors were very dirty — I had to wipe bathroom floor with a towel.
No hooks for towels — family of four had no place to put towels anywhere.
Coffee maker in room but no coffee or cups.
Dirty carpets.
Breakfast: there is no room for eating and the tables were not cleared quickly.
Wedding reception for other guest party was outside my room and soo loud and request to move rooms met with rudeness.
Poor choice and worst clarion I’ve ever stayed in.
Only reason I did not give it one star was my breakfast was good.
Pool area dirty too.
Do not recommend.

We got into town late due to weather. Ended up trying the hotel restaurant and it was amazing. We got the Atlantic cod, the filet mignon and the prime rib. All were excellent. To top it off, they donate a meal for your stay as well as each meal you purchase. Try it out.

This is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in — definitely above and beyond, especially for the Albany area. The breakfast buffet in the morning is amazing, you can choose from anything that they have available — so you can have eggs, home fries, toast, AND pancakes or French toast. You don’t have to choose. Plus, they have oatmeal upon request as well as yogurt and fruit salad. The front desk staff is great and very accommodating. And I love the fact that they are pet friendly. They were super nice to my dog the whole time, and they even had treats for her at the front desk. It is close to a lot of local attractions and restaurants, and also easy access from the thruway, I-​87, or what the locals call The Northway. It is a great stay and I will go home super relaxed and well rested. The place is clean, I love the décor (lots of British style paintings of horses and fox hunters), and the sheets and towels are super comfy. Real quality, high class corporate level customer service, but with all the comfort and coziness of a boutique, privately owned hotel. Truly a winning combination.

BEST SERVICE & LESS EXPENSIVE!
We had been to Lake Placid and we were staying in Albany for only one night. My husband & I had a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express, but decided to seek other accommodations b/​c their shuttle service would not begin until 8am. (We also had stayed at the Holiday Inn Express when we arrived to the area, it was pricey & the bed was very uncomfortable)!
We needed to stay close to the airport & leave at 7am to catch our flight from the Albany airport. I found The Clarion Hotel at The Century House online & we were not disappointed! The rate was approx $ 50 less than the Holiday Inn Express, and the room was much nicer… complete w/​comfy beds, coffee service, flat screen tv, microwave & refrigerator. We arrived around 6pm… just in time for complimentary drinks & hors d’oeuvres with the hotel manager, which was a nice. We then dined at The Century House restaurant at the hotel… very cozy & relaxing. the fire was lit… it felt like home. Much nicer than your typical hotel restaurant. I had the lobster roll & arugula salad, my husband had the chilled soup of the day & the filet. Everything was excellent! Another nice touch… for every entrée purchased they donate a meal to the local food bank. Since we were hotel guests, they donated 2 meals for every entrée. I really liked that! We settled in for the night, borrowing a corkscrew from the front desk so we could enjoy a bottle of wine in the room. The bed was very comfortable; nicer linens. The next morning, we went downstairs to grab a bite… I was expecting the typical continental breakfast. Again, we were IMPRESSED! The menu included eggs, bacon, hash browns, bagels & muffins, cereal, coffee, juices, & milk. It was great!
We had confirmed the shuttle service & departure time w/​the front desk before going to breakfast (service begins at 7am). When we went to the front desk to leave, the clerk said the shuttle driver was running late. They had called a taxi & he waiting for us outside, AND they had paid for the taxi! NOW THAT’S SERVICE! If we return to the area, we would definitely stay at The Clarion at the Century House again! They know how to treat guests!!!

I went here for a business dinner this past weekend (¹²⁄₁₀). The food was VERY good, as was our waiter. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys good food and does not worry about prices. The décor is very nice — old victorian charm.

I went here for a wedding. I stayed upstairs at the hotel, and the wedding was downstairs in one of the ballrooms.
The rooms are nice, cheerful and well-​appointed, and the staff is friendly. The hotel sits on a busy highway in Latham (or Cohoes, for the purposes of Unilocal). In terms of comfort and navigational ease — the Century House is a small hotel, and you don’t run the risk of getting lost in a labyrinth of hallways while searching for your room — this hotel definitely delivers. The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in at a hotel, and several other people at the wedding I attended had the same comment. Also, the Century House is a Clarion Hotel, so you have the added bonus of knowing that it’s managed by a well-​known chain.
The ballrooms and the attached restaurant are in the front of the building, while the hotel portion is in the back. This was where I encountered a surprise: the hotel doesn’t have an elevator. Access to the main lobby and the second floor guestrooms is via staircase only. Since most hotels these days have wheelchair ramps and elevators, this lack can cause a problem for elderly guests or those guests with physical disabilities.
The main lobby is nicely appointed, and check-​in was a breeze. It’s also worth noting that they are an eco-​friendly hotel. In order to cut down on the amount of water used for laundry, housekeeping will only change the bedsheets for those guests staying three nights or more. If this bothers you, simply hang a sign outside your door and housekeeping will change your sheets on a daily basis. The sign contains a picture of a cute rabbit off in the wild somewhere, and if the sight of that little ball of fur doesn’t turn you into an environmentalist for the duration of your stay, then nothing will.
My only caveat with the Century House is the complimentary car service that they advertise to take people to and from the hotel and the Albany Amtrak station/​Albany airport. I’d booked the car service to pick me up at the Amtrak station. My train was delayed 15 minutes, and when I arrived at the station the car I had reserved was not there, nor was the driver waiting inside like the drivers from other area hotels were doing. When I called the Century House to ask after the car, the desk clerk told me that the driver had driven around the station parking lot for 15 minutes, hadn’t seen me, and had returned to the hotel. When I asked if he would return, she informed me that he was helping the staff to set up for a wedding reception that afternoon and therefore would not be able to come back to pick me up. I ended up taking a cab to the hotel — a $ 35 ride — and was reimbursed. For those who use the car service, I strongly suggest calling the Century House to inform them if your train/​flight is delayed, even by only a few minutes. The driver will not wait for you otherwise, and it can really screw you over if you need to get somewhere after checking into the hotel. However, I had no problems with the car service when I had to return to the Amtrak station two days later.
But all of that’s the Hotel. What of the Century House as Wedding Reception venue? The day I arrived, there were two weddings going on simultaneously, and you’d never have known it unless you saw the brides go through the lobby. The staff handled the traffic from these parties very well. On the following day, the Century House hosted my friend’s reception as well as a graduation party. Again, the staff did a great job of navigating everyone. You’d never have known that there was any other event at the Century House that day except my friend’s wedding reception.
The reception was held in the White Ballroom, the smaller of the two main ballrooms. The cocktail hour was terrific and consisted of butlered hors d’oeuvres, a pasta station, a raw bar and a chocolate fountain. The small but pleasant dance floor contained a fireplace, which was lit at the beginning of the cocktail hour and gave a nice ambiance throughout the evening.
As for the dinner… filet mignon and salmon, with side dishes of mashed sweet potatoes and vegetables, were served. After the excellent meal was underway, the chef came out and introduced herself to the bridal party, which made for a particularly nice touch. Dessert included a gorgeous wedding cake and a full Viennese table manned by a very professional head server. In fact, all of the servers were professional and courteous — exactly what you’d expect at an event of this nature. And did I mention the bartender who made a mean Pina Colada?
Bottom line: The Century House is a nice place to host a wedding. The food was quite good and they have a way of making you feel as though you are the only party they are there to serve. The décor is simple — no glittery Venetian-​style ceilings here — yet everything is very warm and cozy. The Century House gets 4 stars, and I’d stay here again should I find myself in Albany.