As a specialist in design for hotel chains, the architects at Bounds and Gillespie, PLLC are continually searching for upscale design solutions that will fit within a project’s given budget. The firm’s work on the Hampton Inn & Suites in Lake George, NY, was a prime example of this, as it brought in local thin stone veneer for both interior and exterior applications.

Bounds and Gillespie has worked with a range of hotel chains, and it has become a preferred vendor of Hilton, Marriott, Choice, Microtel and Intercontinental Hotels. When approaching a design, the firm stresses, “ease of building maintenance, future utility costs, road presence and guest satisfaction” -- goals that were enhanced through the use of stone. In the original plan, the specifications called for cultured stone on the veneer and interior fireplace and bar. However, when the architects discovered that natural stone was available in a thin veneer application, they conducted further research. Ultimately, this led them to Champlain Stone, Ltd. of Warrensburg, NY, a producer of local stone materials that it quarries throughout the region.

The material selected was American granite, which is quarried at Champlain Stone’s Fort Ann quarry -- a short drive from the site of the hotel. The use of thin granite veneer begins at the main entrance to the hotel, where it was used for a feature wall as well as column cladding and several stone “piers.” Inside the facility, the stone was used to clad a large-scale fireplace in the main lobby, providing a signature element and a gathering space inside the hotel’s public area. American granite was also used to clad the facing of the hotel’s bar area, adding a rustic, yet comfortable aesthetic. In all of these applications, the stone is complemented by rich woodwork, completing the overall design objective.

In all, the project features 1,200 square feet of thin sawn ashlar American granite, and 100 lineal feet of thin sawn ashlar granite corners. The contractor for the project was British American Development of Latham, NY, and the masons quoted an installation rate for the natural stone at the same price as they did for the cultured stone product. “The owner paid a little more for the natural stone thin veneer to get the desired color and cut, but the budget held,” stated Champlain Stone.     

Sidebar: Hampton Inn & Suites

Lake George, New York

Architect: Bounds and Gillespie, PLLC, Memphis, TN

Stone Quarrier/Producer: Champlain Stone, Ltd., Warrensburg, NY

Contractor: British American Development, Latham, NY