Howdy, partner! Western Inn Motel has new owners

For nearly 90 years, the Western Inn Motel has served as a temporary place for residents as well as travelers on their way to Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and beyond.

The motel’s new owners, Seth and Tammy Grabel, hope to keep the history of it alive and well, while continuing to cater to those weary travelers looking for a place to rest their heads.

“We have been actively looking to invest and find the right deal for us,” Seth said. “It’s been challenging because the deals are more expensive than makes sense. So, we found a deal that we felt was a great situation and we bought it.”

He said they looked at other buildings as an investment in Boulder City but didn’t find the right fit. Despite this purchase, they’re still looking for others.

“We want to invest even more in the community because this is our home and where we want to live the rest of our lives,” he said.

Tammy added, “It was a nice, clean property, operational and well run. If we buy anything else, it will not sit empty, it will be operational. It does a community no good to look like a ghost town.”

She said a key to the purchase was also that the motel has been in capable hands under its on-site managers of the past 13 years, Joycee and Davey Krejci.

“When we started managing the property, we did not have any experience in doing so,” Joycee said. “We decided to manage it the same way we manage our own home. It’s a very family-oriented place. We interact with the tenants and even feed them on some of the holidays. We try and make it a home away from home.”

That attention to detail has not gone unnoticed.

“We are new to the motel business, so we lean on them to run the place,” Seth said, noting, however, that he majored in hotel management at UNLV. “I had always wanted to someday open up my own hotel and spa. This is a bit of a diversion but we feel blessed to own this property. We feel we can add value and character to it. We plan to reinvest capital back into the property to make it even nicer. We’re really going to lean into that western theme.”

This could include a new exterior sign with a more western-themed look, he said. But for now, it’s all about renovating some of the rooms.

The Grabels purchased the motel from B.J. Conklin, who conveniently lives just down the street from them and has been willing to answer all their questions since the purchase was finalized April 1.

“She kept this property well maintained and our plan is to continue that,” Tammy said. “We want to be the light and not the blight.”

Despite the property being in good shape, Tammy said they are going room by room and upgrading things like flooring, furniture and fixtures, while keeping that western and historic theme.

“We want to bring it to the next level but still comfortable,” she said of the 16-room property, which offers nightly and weekly rates. “When people stay here, they expect a certain feeling or vibe.”

Tammy added that 75-80% percent of their customers have stayed at the motel prior.

“The process of running a motel is fun,” Seth said. “There are a lot of interesting things that have happened and we look forward to see what comes our way.”