Community Spotlight: Meet Joe & Patti Silipigno of Boathouse Waterfront Lodging
Nestled on the pristine shores of Lake George in Bolton Landing, Boathouse Waterfront Lodging is a boutique inn offering an exclusive, adults-only experience with breathtaking views and Adirondack charm.
Owned by Joe and Patti Silipigno, the Boathouse has become a beloved destination for those seeking a private, romantic getaway in the southern Adirondacks.
We sat down with Joe and Patti to learn more about their journey, the history behind the Boathouse, and what makes their inn so special.
What was your initial connection to the Lake George area, or what brought you here?
Patti: “We vacationed up here with our family and children, and that did it right there. The next thing you know, we had a house, and we lived here.”
Joe: “I’m from Boston, and back then, it was 18 to drink here and 21 in Boston. So, a group of us came over, stayed at the Hill of Happiness on Route 9N, and I just fell in love with the area. That was when I was 19 years old, and I wished I could spend the rest of my life here.”
What about the Boathouse inspired you to buy this property?
Joe: “We landed in Clifton Park, and ended up buying this as a summer home. Before the kids got bigger we decided to look for a place, and our realtor showed us the Boathouse. She was hesitant because it was in bad shape 30 years ago, but we bought it, fell in love with it, and renovated it as a summer house."
Later on, the couple decided to sell the Clifton Park house and move up to the Boathouse full time. They started the bed and breakfast in 2000.
Joe: "We decided we can do this. We like people, we enjoy that kind of activity."
Patti: "I'm a homemaker, I've always enjoyed cooking, so I thought, how hard could it be to cook for a group? The business just took off. Here we are 25 years later."
What were the challenges in starting the Boathouse?
Joe: “We didn't really know how a bed and breakfast runs, so we were on Amazon, and we got a Bed & Breakfast 101 book and started reading it. We cook and take care of our family when they come here - which they do, all the time, and friends - the only difference is now they're going to pay, so it worked out fine. The growing pains were just diving into it, the fear of the unknown."
Patti: “Just learning what to do, how to take credit cards and all of that, but we were willing to learn. We had a great support system. We joined the Adirondacks Bed & Breakfast Association with about 40 or 50 other B&Bs at the time, and they helped us immensely.”
Joe: “They helped us tremendously - what guests like, what they don’t like, don’t go crazy with the pillows! If we had any questions they were there. Most of those B&Bs are no longer in business - they retired or moved. We’re kind of the last man standing.”
And were there challenges later on, during COVID and as the times changed?
Patti: “After COVID we decided to stop breakfast. It didn’t really have any effect on guests. We had a guest cry because we almost closed the business. We looked at each other and said, we can’t do this. We like this connection with people. We’ll stop breakfast.
There is a certain connection with gathering for breakfast - you learn about the guests, they learn about you, you recommend stuff…we thought, let’s do like a coffee hour with pastries, and if they want to join, great, and if not, that’s fine, the pastries are out for everyone.”
Patti: “Things are always changing…guests want something a little different…we’re trying to keep up with what we can do. It’s all about communication between people, caring about people, concern for people."
What are your favorite things to do in Lake George, or what do you recommend to guests?
Patti: “The biggest thing we say to our guests is to get out on the water: boating, swimming, etc. Get out on the lake, whether you tour with us or tour down in the Village. You just don’t get a flavor for Lake George unless you get out there on the water and look at some of the old homes, or newer homes…take people camping, enjoy a day picnicking on the lake.”
Joe: “The second biggest thing, especially if they’re new to the Adirondacks, I tell them to go to the Adirondack Experience at Blue Mountain Lake. It’s incredible there and they’re just a short drive away.”
Patti: “Fort Ticonderoga, Fort William Henry…there’s so much history. And hiking, the Lake George Land Conservancy trails…for a short hike you can see a whole bunch, it doesn’t have to be very hard.”
Joe: “We’re a short distance from hiking trails. And you can walk next door and rent a boat.”
Patti: “This is also a great area for art and music and all things like that, it’s really quite expansive. If people like that kind of thing we have it. You can go to a concert, go to a museum, music in the park…”
What especially connects you to the local community and the Lake George region?
Joe: "The Bolton Chamber of Commerce and Lake George Chamber of Commerce are great resources for business owners. We get together and talk, they support us, they advertise for us.”
Patti: "I think what connects us is that this is a historic home. It used to belong to speed boat racer George Reis who won the gold cup three years in a row in the 1930s, which was unheard of. His family was very well-to-do, they owned a steel manufacturing company…they used to spend summers at the Sagamore. After it burned down they looked for a place and found this property."
The Boathouse property has a historical marker that was given to them by the Historical Society of the Town of Bolton.
Have any local businesses inspired you along the way, or that you've worked with?
Patti: “We’ll start with Mannix Marketing! When we started out Sara Mannix always looked out for us and guided us.”
Joe: “The Sagamore Hotel and their executive staff. We have a close business relationship with them. We have the same type of customer. We receive their overflows, they receive our overflows…just a great two-way street. We go out together on my boat, we talk about things, we have a great relationship…we’re blessed to have that relationship.”
What plans do you have for the future of the Boathouse?
Joe and Patti plan to keep the inn running as long as possible!
Patti: “We love what we do. We feel close with our guests. Some have been here for over 20 years, since we opened, and they come back every year. To shut it down would be to shut down their summer home.
A lot of people say this is their happy place. The fact that we’ve developed friendships all over the world because of this little inn in Bolton Landing. Unless something happens to us the doors are open.”
Can you share any memorable guest experiences?
Patti: “We have journals in the room - guests can write in them or not - and they can get pretty personal. We’ve found out things about the guests we didn’t know, whether they were going through cancer or whatever, and this house and this lake brought them peace. And brought them something they may not have experienced before. Maybe created a miracle with some of them. They’re on their way to great things now.”
Patti: "Here’s a story of one of those guests: We had a young couple come here, we didn’t know why they came, but they sat outside, they looked at the water. We’re Catholic, and we have a blessed mother statue in the grotto that was built when George Reis was here. We didn’t think anything of it.
Two years or so later, they came back, and we didn’t recognize them at first, and they had a child, and we were like, oh I’m so sorry, we don’t take children here. But they said they wanted to bring their daughter back here and tell her about the house, because they sat by the blessed mother and prayed to have children. The doctor had told them they couldn’t, and this is where they came to soak that in, and to find peace. Two years later, they came back with a child.”
Anything else you think is worth mentioning regarding the business and your connection to the community?
Joe: “One of the things that surprised us when we bought this property was how strategically located it is. Once guests arrive, they don’t need to drive anywhere. They can walk to shops, restaurants, and all the attractions Bolton Landing has to offer.”
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