As members of a family that”™s been in the hotel business for more than 100 years, Mark and Helen Kutsher are no strangers to changing times. Starting out with a boarding house in 1907 and becoming one of the Catskills largest family-owned resorts, the Kutsher family made it through the two world wars, the Great Depression, recessions and political pitfalls.
One change, however, has not been as easy to deal with: the demand for gambling and Kutsher”™s inability to offer it to guests. At one point in 2003, five different Indian tribes were vying to build casinos at hotels surrounding Monticello Raceway. “Now there are none,” said Mark Kutsher, grandson of the hotel”™s founders, Max and Louis. “And that”™s not a good thing.”
The Kutshers”™ plans to redevelop the hotel with the St. Regis-Mohawk tribe and add a casino were quashed by Secretary of the Interior Richard Kempthorne, who declared that Indian gambling should remain on reservations. As a result, the other kind of reservations hotels depend on have dwindled down to a trickle. One by one, famous Borscht Belt hotels like Grossingers, The Pines and The Concord that gave so many famous comedians and singers their first crack at show business and offered welcome summer respite to overheated city dwellers, slowly disintegrated into boarded-up buildings with broken windows.
Now that Westchester developer Louis Cappelli has bought both Grossinger”™s and The Concord, he has his sights set on Kutsher”™s, giving the family $1 million to keep its golf course open for the 2008 season and another $2.5 million option to buy the hotel along with its 1,400 acres.
The Kutshers accept the impending loss of the family”™s history-rich hotel, but still have a touch of optimism in their voices. “Perhaps there will still be a place for us in Mr. Cappelli”™s Catskill makeover,” said Mark Kutsher. “We”™re not adverse to the idea. We have been here many years. It would be wonderful for us to be part of the revitalization of the Catskills and help in some way to bring it back again.”
Cappelli is planning a $700 million resort/gambling/ luxury destination at The Concord and is hoping to move Monticello Raceway, along with Empire Resorts”™ ailing racino, to his proposed “Las Vegas in the Catskills.” Throw in the Concord”™s “Monster” golf course and other upscale amenities today”™s hotel guests expect, and Cappelli is betting he can make the Catskills a destination once more.
At present, Kutsher”™s is getting ready for the 2008 season and is “sold out for Passover,” said Helen Kutsher. “We have been serving families for generations. We”™re more than a hotel to them; we”™re a tradition. We”™ve seen couples come here as honeymooners now coming back with their children and grandchildren. It really is wonderful for us to have accomplished that goal, to become a true family hotel.”
The Kutshers are also preparing to offer new rooms for their regulars and golfing guests who may take advantage of Capelli”™s three-for-one package deal: golfing at Kutsher”™s, Grossinger”™s and “The Monster” course at the Concord for the 2008 season. Sixty rooms in Kutsher”™s main hotel building will be run by America”™s Best Value Inns at Kutsher”™s Marquis. In addition, the Kutshers are doing extensive renovations and getting another 160 rooms ready for the hotel”™s official opening April 18.
Glatt kosher is still a staple on the menu for Kutsher”™s guests: “We haven”™t forgotten the families who kept us open the past 100 years,” said Helen Kutsher. While many of their “regulars” do not keep kosher homes anymore, they have family members who do, and Kutsher”™s aims to please every guest who comes through the doors.
The family also took into account others don”™t need a special menu, and that”™s where Mr. Willy”™s of Monticello comes in. That restaurant will operate a separate non-kosher dining area in the hotel. “Nobody can accuse us of not changing with changing times,” said Helen Kutsher. “We wouldn”™t be here more than a century if we didn”™t roll with the punches. We want to have something for everyone, but still keep our long-standing traditions intact.”
Kutsher”™s day camp was leased for the 2008 season to Camp Rov Tov. “They have a one-year lease,” said Mark Kutsher. “Then, it will be up to Mr. Cappelli, if he exercises his option, on future plans for the camp … this year, Rov Tov will use the camp in the summer.”
For their part, Helen Kutsher, son Mark and his wife, Carla, have kept the family business going. “My children are not interested in the business,” said Mark Kutsher. That may change if Cappelli”™s promises to remake the Catskills and bring casino gambling in become reality.
Cappelli may get his request to move Monticello Raceway and Empire Resorts”™ 1,800 slot machines to his new entertainment venue at the Concord. “The New York Racing Association lost $34 million in 2007… why should we continue to give money to places that lose?” asked state Sen. William Larkin at a dinner held in his honor at Anthony”™s Pier 9 on March 29.
“If Cappelli does exactly what he says he plans to do, and doesn”™t pull any last-minute surprises on us, I think he can expect to see his plans to move the raceway and the racino get the green light.” Larkin is Chairman of the Senate”™s Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering.
For Kutsher, whose father, Milton, was one of the founders of the famous harness track, moving Monticello Raceway is good news for the Catskills, The Concord and his own hotel.
Kutsher also credits Allan Gerry with keeping the spirit of the Catskills alive in Sullivan County. “We”™ve been very fortunate to have Allan continue to care about his community and build a great performing arts center, Bethel Woods; he”™s going ahead with plans to open the museum there this spring. His multimillion-dollar venue has brought renewed interest to the area. We”™re seeing a lot of new homes going up, and more services coming our way. We”™re going to have a different kind of Catskills, but we have confidence things are starting to turn around for the area. If Cappelli is successful in moving the raceway and the racino, it will help our economy further and make the Catskills a destination once more.”
Cappelli did not return calls seeking comments.
While the Kutshers are elated they are going to have a full house for the upcoming Jewish holiday, there was a tinge of sadness in Mark Kutsher”™s voice when he spoke of the other hotels now shuttered. “There was a time when we didn”™t care if our guests went and stayed at another hotel, as long as all of us had a full house. This really was a ”˜family area”™ ”“ we all cared about each other. And for us, we hope that feeling of family will remain once the area goes through this impending transformation.”
