HoJoLand

(South Fallsburgh, NY) The long saga of the Raleigh Hotel has ended. The hotel, located in South Fallsburgh, New York, closed in not long after longtime owner Manny Halbert died in 2004, and his daughter, Laurie Landon (who is married to longtime Raleigh lounge singer Louis Landon who wrote the song "Donald Trump Can Kiss My Ass" as an ode to Catskill casino opponent Donald Trump) has decided to sell it to the highest bidder. So much for family traditions. Though Halpert's daughter knows her father's wishes were to carry on the Raleigh tradition, and not to sell to an Hasidic group, after several failed attempts at selling the hotel, Laurie Landon has done just that. Congregation Khal Bnei Zion Inc., a non-profit Hasidic group out of Brooklyn, purchased the hotel from Ms. Landon. Halbert's daughter abruptly closed it in April of 2006, putting nearly 200 people out of work. Some employees have found jobs at nearby Kutsher's Resort, which is also up for sale at the tidy price of $50 million after the St. Regis Mohawks abandoned plans to build a casino on the Kutsher's property. Meanwhile, a new twist in the Raleigh sale has developed. Last year, a businesswoman put a deposit of $1 million dollars on the Releigh, for a total sale price of $7.5 million, but, at that time, appeared to have difficulty coming up with the rest of the financing. Now, however, the deal with the Hasidic group is final.

BACKGROUND ON THE RALEIGH HOTEL

It started as "Ratner's," but it would become better know as the "Raleigh Hotel." Through the years, Manny Halpert and his wife Nettie developed a loyal clientele at their charming resort in the Catskills, and also developed a reputation that, while not as big as The Concord or Grossingers, what it may have lacked in size, it more than made up for in quality and hospitality. Manny would end up running the resort long after his wife had died, and, with the help of a hard-working, dedicated staff, end up as one of the last great resorts of an area that once had hundreds and hundreds of hotels. Under Executive Chef Sam Rice, the Raleigh would end up with yet another reputation: the best food in the Catskills. Though Rice recently retired (for a second time), the food is still top-notch. The Catskills have changed, hotels have come and gone, many have either been boarded up or have become home to Hasidic colonies, and yet, the Raleigh has endured. But things may change soon at the Raleigh. The "guiding light" of the Raleigh, Manny Halpert, died in 2004, and in April, 2006, Halbert's daughter sold the hotel to a Hasidic school, and subsequently closed the hotel, leaving nearly 200 workers without jobs.

Countless visitors to the

Catskills over the years have

developed many fine memories of the vacations in

the Catskills, and those folks

are fueling the popularity of

Catskills-related memorabilia

on the popular EBAY auction

website. Whether its menus,

postcards, clothing, signs, brochures and even shower

curtains, if it's connected to the Catskills, it's in demand.

Glory days of hotels such as Grossinger's, The Concord and Kutsher's are relived by owning items stamped with old hotel logos. So, if you'd like to have "flashbacks" of your days gone by in the Catskills, or you've got Catskills-related stuff in your attic you want to get rid of, you might want to head over to EBAY!

(South Fallsburgh, NY) HoJoLand.com recently saw the newly renovated lobby (including registration desk) as well as the new dining room, and were overwhelmed at the beautiful new look of the "new" Raleigh Resort Hotel. When first entering the lobby, you might remember the layout, which, with the exception of the elimination of the "key" counter for arriving guests, looks about the same. But that's where it ends. Everything, and we mean everything has changed-for the better. The new owners have spent tens of thousands of dollars on brand new chandeliers, bright wallpaper to cover up the dingy old brown wood walls. All new, high-end furniture the likes of what you would see in a four-star hotel, has replaced the decades-old reupholstered furniture. The old, leaning counter at the registration counter has been replaced, and the old felt wall sign for the daily entertainment lineup has been replaced with a beautiful HD wall-mounted video monitor. The dining room had new carpet, wood flooring and all new sinks installed on the front wall for hand cleansing.

In addition, the Raleigh recently had a brand-new kitchen installed. Future plans include remodeling hotel rooms and other areas. In the end, though the clientele has changed to a more ultra-religious type, the new owners have done what former owner Manny Halpert should have done: spending lots of money on refurbishing a tired, old queen of the Catskills.

(South Fallsburgh, NY) The Raleigh Hotel, the landmark Catskills resort is open for business again as a weekend retreat for Hasidic Jews and others. “Things are being done the right way,” said Mendel Lerner, who’s running the 320-room hotel for Ralhal LLC, a corporation formed by Congregation Khal Bnei Zion of Brooklyn. “It’s staying as a resort. And we’re going to be paying full taxes.” The hotel, which shut down in December 2005 after longtime owner Mannie Halbert died, has been operating since January and is open to both religious and nonreligious groups for conferences and conventions, Lerner said. The resort will also serve as a convenient stop for members of Lerner’s congregation, part of the Brooklyn-based Bobov sect, which owns a religious camp across the road, in addition to the nearby Heiden Hotel. The congregation also plans to build summer bungalows on the surrounding 90 acres. Lerner has appeared before the Fallsburg Planning Board seeking approval for 320 condominium units. Religious groups have already started packing the hotel on weekends. A bus load of Orthodox Jews arrived from Monroe just before noon yesterday, and more visitors were on the way. “As you can see, we have some big groups coming,” Lerner said, standing at the hotel’s entrance.

Town and county officials cheered the news of the resort’s reopening and the boost to the tax base. Taxes on the resort and three surrounding vacant properties totaled $171,000 last year. “That’s great news for the Town of Fallsburg,” said Deputy Supervisor Arnold Seletsky. “To hear that it’s going to remain as a hotel, that those tax dollars will keep coming into the town … we’re excited to hear that for sure.”

Ralhal, which bought the hotel in July for $5.1 million, has yet to register as a hotel with the county. County Treasurer Ira Cohen said he will notify the group about that. He noted that Ralhal has until March 1 to file its taxes, including whether they plan to file for any tax exemptions. “I’m very happy, though, to hear you say they’re going to operate it as a tax-paying resort,” he said. “That’s wonderful news for the taxpayers.”

NOTE: Since this story, it has been revealed that the Raleigh is in fact NOT paying taxes as it originally stated it would, as the ownership is a non-profit organization.

(Thompson, NY) Well-placed sources tell HoJoLand.com that the Kutsher family has struck a deal to lease out all of the dining operations at the famed resort to a well-known, veteran Glatt caterer. Effective immediately, all kitchen and dining room menus will be strictly Glatt kosher. Sources say this will help insure a bright future for the Kutsher resort by attracting additional clientele. As part of the deal, with the Kutsher family no longer responsible for dining operations, the Kutsher family is expected to spend mega-dollars on remodeling the last family-owned resort of the Catkill glory days. The resort is now closed and will undergo removations in time for a spring 2008 reopening.

(Thompson, NY) The Times Herald Record newspaper is reporting that the Kutsher family has leased out the former location of the Kutsher's Sports Camp to Camp Rov Tov, a summer camp affiliated with a Satmar Jewish private school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Camp Rov Tov officials told the Times Herald Record they will take over the Thompson site. Moishe Indig, a community leader there, said the group has signed a 5-year lease on the property, which is owned by Kutshers Resort. After 39 seasons at the foot of Kutshers Resort, the sports academy is moving to Great Barrington, Mass., in the Berkshire Mountains. Hotel owner Mark Kutsher confirmed that the sports academy is moving, but denied granting a lease to Camp Rov Tov. He would not specify what would happen to the site.

(Town of Thompson, NY) The Time Herald Record has reported that Kutsher's has been sold to Louis Cappeilli, owner of the famed remnants of The Concord and Grossinger's Resorts. CLICK HERE to read more from the Times Herald Record. The Times-Herald Record added that Kutsher's will add the "America's Best Value Inn" name to it's hotel, hoping to lure casual and business travelers to its typical Jewish clientele. This season, Kutsher's will open a streamlined version of the hotel, with only 288 of the 400 hotel rooms being opened. Only time will tell if this is the end of the road for Kutsher's.

(Town of Thompson, NY) The famed Kutsher's Resort, soon to add the America's Best Value brand to its name, is busy getting ready for Passover and another season of Catskills tradition. Already, workers are renovating rooms in the "America's Best Value Kutsher's Marquis" building, as well as renovating the giant main dining room. Also, a new computer system is being installed, and the roof is being repaired. Due to the dining room renovations, this weekends "Israeli Dance Weekend" attendees will be dining in the "Launching Pad" convention room on the second floor near Lake Kutsher. These renovations are part of soon-to-be new Kutsher's owner Louis Cappelli's influx of capital, with Cappelli paying the current owners to keep the grand lady of Catskill resorts open this season. Make your reservations now to enjoy a "renovated" Kutsher's during the summer of 2008. Things can change fast in the Catskills, so enjoy it now...you never know waht next year may bring.