Devising a slogan
to draw customers to your doorstep is a challenge for any entrepreneur.
But when the new place of business happens to be a famous Door
County landmark,, perhaps the only announcement needed to attract
customers and community members is simple; "We're now open!”
Such is the case
for the old Hillside Hotel of Ephraim. Once again, the landmark
resort will become a tourist destination, reopening as bed-and-breakfast
establishment operated by James and Clare Webb.
Although August
1 marked the first day of' business for the Hillside Inn, the
business venture already has received a great deal of attention
from the Ephraim community.
Village President
Paul Burton "has come over a couple of times and told us
how happy the village is that (the hotel) is still standing:'
Clare said. "We’ve met so many supportive people
who have been excited about what we're doing."
Stacked nearly
three stories high on a bluff overlooking Eagle Harbor, the
Hillside Hotel has stood as a prominent part of the Ephraim
landscape since 1890. Although the frame of the vintage hotel
his endured through decades, the building itself hasn't been
quite so time-resistant.
After purchasing
the Hillside property last August, the Webbs discovered they
had taken on a massive renovation project. To revive the faded
beauty the couple hired Sturgeon Bay architect Henry Isaksen
and the PortSide Properties construction firm.
The resulting renovation
- a spacious bed-and-break-fast with five suits, two guest cottages
and newly landscaped yard - did not go unnoticed by Ephraim
villagers.
Already, residents
have, “come up to us and thanked us for what we’ve
done:' Clare said. "One woman told me that she never turned
to look at (the hotel) because it was so sad and dilapidated,
and now she looks at it and smiles."
Yet community members
aren't the only ones pleased to know that a century-old tradition
will endure. Former patrons of the hotel are just as delighted
to see the legendary lodge reopen.
"I sent quite
a few, mailers to people who had stayed here years ago, and
about 200 were returned Clare said, adding that she has received
a number of phone inquires from former guests as well.
Of course, the same
charming features that captured the hearts of hotel patrons
in the past had cast a spell upon the Webbs, inspiring them
to relocate from Los Angeles to Ephraim and in their hands at
innkeeping.
Last August, while
vacationing at their cottage in Sister Bay. the Webbs noticed
a "for sale" sign posted in the front yard of the
Ephraim resort. Immediately, they inquired about the status
of the property. only to hear the heartbreaking rumor that an
offer to purchase had already been made.
Refusing to cast
aside hope, Clare called the broker and, to her amazement, learned
that the prospective buyer was backing out of the real estate
deal. The Webbs jumped at the opportunity to make the Ephraim
landmark their full-time home.
Even prior to that
pivotal event, fate intervened in another way that made an otherwise
unaffordable piece of real estate more accessible to the Webbs.
The original Hillside sales package included a large strip of
beachfront property, the cost of which would have priced the
hotel beyond the Webb's reach.
But then the bavshore
lot was acquired by Ephraim village officials to develop a public
park. With the beachfront in village hands. the asking price
for the hotel dropped dramatically.
Following the real
estate transaction and months of restoration work, the Webbs
were at last ready to pick up where the previous owners had
left off two years ago, continuing a century-old tradition of
Ephraim hospitality.
To capture the magic of Door County in the summertime, Clare
appointed each room in simple yet elegant colors, making full
use of light blues and green to compliment thee white walls
and sun glossed hardwood floors.
"We wanted
the rooms to be as nice as any luxury hotel one would stay at
in California or New York (yet have) a comfortable Door County
look,” Clare said.
The new proprietors
hope to restore the Ephraim Landmark to the popularity it enjoyed
a century ago, when the Norwegian family of Morton and Maria
Olson operated the hotel. The Olson's made the guesthouse famous
for sumptuous cuisine and even more savory waterfront views.
Despite the rustic
atmosphere sported by the Hillside Hotel decades ago, the resort
featured just 12 upper-level sleeping quarters, each no larger
than a child’s bedroom. The saving feature was the luxurious
grounds.
When guests were
nor relishing Mrs. Olson's legendary cooking, they were savoring
the panoramic view of Eagle Harbor. On many evenings, visitors
could drink with their eyes from the breathtaking scenery, taking
in the sunset much like a connoisseur would sip a glass of dessert
wine.
In fact, it was
that very spectacle that renewed the Webbs’ sense of enthusiasm
every time the renovation project overwhelmed them.
“We would
come in the evening before the sun would go down… the
windows upstairs were very small then so you’d have to
stoop down … and we’d (look out and) say, ‘Oh,
that’s a gorgeous sunset!’” Jim said.
“That was
part of our encouragement for wanting to be here,” Clare
added.
More than just acquiring
a resort building, the Webbs also inherited a never-ending project
when the purchased the hotel. For starters, the upstairs rooms
begged to be converted into more spacious quarters, the dark-colored
walls longed for a white-wash; and at least one wing of the
building required a complete reconstruction.
And the hotel was
not the only structure on the property demanding attention.
A pair of guest cottages nestled alongside the main building
also needed refurbishing.
Despite the scope
of the restoration project, the Webbs took painstaking care
to preserve the historic look of the building.
While bringing the
interior up to modern standards of luxury, the Webbs did everything
possible to salvage the buildings historic appeal, refinishing
the old maple floors on the upper and lower levels. They even
retained the original Hillside Hotel sign: a slab of green wood
and white lettering prominently displayed on the inn’s
facade.
Other improvements,
although not original to the hotel design, accent the structural
attributes of the building, playing on such amenities as the
waterfront view. New additions include an expanded kitchen area
and a 100-foot-long second-story deck that over looks the bay.
More enhancements
are yet to come as time and funding permit. Future projects
include the conversion of two backyard barns into a fitness
center, Clare said.
For the time being,
the Webbs will simply focus on introducing the new Hillside
Inn to prospective patrons and village residents. To that end,
they plan to hold a housewarming party for the entire community
during the early part of September.
“We hope to
have some kind party for the community,” Clare said. “There’s
so many people we’d like to thank for helping us.”
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