Scrimshaw Restaurant

The Desmond Hotel, Albany has been a family-owned and operated business since 1974. It remains one of a few privately owned hotels in the Capital Region. Priding itself on outstanding hospitality, award-winning food and superb accommodations – the Desmond family considers its customer service among the utmost importance. Consistently voted the best among Albany hotels, we are proud to be celebrating 44 years of service. Early 1970s – Philadelphia native John K. Desmond, Jr. visited Albany for business and realized there was a need for a premier hotel in the area. While driving on Wolf Rd, which at that time was still mostly farms, Mr. Desmond could not locate a hotel for the evening, and noticed there was prime land available near the Albany Airport. 1974 – Originally named The Americana Inn, the new hotel opened its doors in January and was a joint enterprise between John K. Desmond, Jr. and American Airlines. The hotel featured 183 guest rooms, a unique indoor courtyard called The Village Green, two restaurants, The Green Tree Coffee Shop and The Patroon Room, and a bar, The Tavern on the Green. One year later, in 1975, American Airlines departed the hotel business to focus on their growing air service. 1979 – Recognizing the growing sophistication of its clientele and the need for a true upscale restaurant, management responded with the creation of the elegant Scrimshaw to replace The Patroon Room and renamed the bar Scrimshaw Tavern. 1982 – Keeping pace with the continual growth of the Capital Region, the hotel was enlarged to feature 140 more guest rooms along with King Street Ballroom and Courtyard, High Street Conference Center, Town Hall Amphitheatre, The Lodge, and Health Club. This addition brought the hotel to the size it is today, with 322 guest rooms and almost 30,000 sq ft of banquet space. It was also at this time that the coffee shop restaurant was renovated and became Simpsons Grille. The original courtyard was also renamed Fort Orange Courtyard,