When media personality John LaSalandra, who divides his time between Miami Beach, Saddle River, NJ and Lake George, bought a barn in Bolton Landing in 2020, he was in need of storage space, and the building suited him perfectly. Unfortunately, it came with a house. What could he do with that? Rent it! Advertised on a platform for Short-term vacation rentals after a thorough renovation, the house was fully booked for most of the year within days.
That house – Blue Hill Farm – was the first of seven acquired by LaSalandra for a portfolio of vacation rentals now owned by a company he created, “Luxury Lake George.” This summer, the farmhouse has been paired with another house in the portfolio, Lake View, to create a compound that has proven to be especially popular with extended families planning large gatherings
“Our goal is to acquire more homes. But they must be of the caliber of our current properties,” said LaSalandra, who says he acquired his flair for hospitality – as well as his work ethic –as a youth, working in his family’s restaurant business.
Earlier this year, LaSalandra created another company – LakeGeorgeVacay – to market the vacation rentals and the concept that unites them: a full-service resort, minus other people’s children.
Its media, like the media of traditional resorts, presents would-be guests with available options and prices, but rather than offering them generic rooms and suites, it shows them unique houses. Information about the amenities and little luxuries available to all guests, features common to all properties and those specific to each, as well as the a’ la carte menu of services offered by the company, is also published.
Guaranteed dock space on North West Bay for each of the houses is among the company’s most popular features.
“Everyone should have access to the lake, but as more resorts are demolished and replaced by condos or private homes, that is becoming more difficult. We remedy that for our guests,” said LaSalandra.
Unlike all but the most luxurious hotels, the concierge arranges a remote meeting with guests in order to ensure that they have everything they need when they arrive, from soup to nuts, literally and figuratively. Private chef? Chartered boat for 25? Visit from Sasquatch? Done!
“We offer full, five-star service,” said James Rubino, who manages LakeGeorgeVacay.
“I produced daily television shows. I put together guest experiences with the same values that I adhered to as a television producer,” said LaSalandra.
The results speak for themselves. “This has been our best summer ever,” said LaSalandra, noting that in the past he relied upon well-known, brand-named platforms to market his properties.
“James loves what he does. I love what I do. And that shows in the product that we deliver. We deliver a great product and great memories to our guests. But we also deliver to the whole community. We direct our guests to the restaurants and local businesses. We like to give back. So if you do what you love, you will be successful,” said LaSalandra.
LakeGeorgeVacay has been asked to market and manage properties not owned by Luxury Lake George – something which may be in the new company’s future.
“I expect that by next season, we will be accepting other homes whose owners want us to do the marketing and managing,” said LaSalandra. “If the properties meet our criteria, and we can offer those guests the same level of service we offer ours, we would be happy to work with them.”
