An astronaut mannequin, stationed at the hotel’s entrance, is the first hint of the history — and kitsch — found at every turn. According to the hotel’s general manager, Zach Miller, the mannequin references the astronauts who trained in the Flagstaff area before walking on the moon. Meanwhile, the star-patterned pillows strewn about the orange midcentury couches in the board-game-furnished lobby allude to Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930.
Since it opened in 2020, Origins has revolved around making guests comfortable, employing lessons the couple learned on business trips during their corporate careers. As Saelens recalls, she reached a point of saying, “We just can’t do this until we retire; this is really hard on our brains.” When she approached Raible about opening a B&B, he was on board: “I liked it because it would be a great excuse to build a really cool house.”
But a fire in May 2012 destroyed the building next door and caused smoke damage to the hotel, resulting in yet another iteration. Today, the Grand Highland Hotel offers 12 guest rooms, each with its own bathroom and upgraded amenities. The hotel’s general manager, Natasha Baierl, says the owners prioritized keeping some pieces of the original building, and that’s what makes the hotel a part of Prescott history.
But survive it has. And now, a venerable property that once was among the city’s grandest has a new owner and attitude to go along with the altitude, with steps being taken to move it into modern times. A fresh coat of paint was applied to the interior and exterior, the rooms were renovated and equipped with upgraded amenities, and the courtyard was overhauled and redone. “We really did a full renovation of the property,” White says. “We basically stripped it down to the studs and brought it back to life.”
The Herolds already had some experience in the tourism industry, having run several Airbnb rentals in the area. Along with co-owners Les and Kelli Powers, they purchased this property in September 2019 and spent nearly three years building it before opening to guests in July 2022. “This was something we needed in the area,” Lisa says.
“Our goal with High Country Motor Lodge was to celebrate Flagstaff and Route 66’s storied roadside culture and the region’s undeniable natural beauty,” says John Grossman, the CEO of Marc & Rose Hospitality, which operates the lodge. “Throughout the property, darker color palettes are showcased alongside rustic woods and 1960s-inspired fixtures and furnishings, hearkening back to when Route 66 began to flourish.”
The cabins — which are in the small town of Christopher Creek, about 20 min-utes east of Payson — offer a relaxing getaway for couples and larger groups. Property manager Shannon Moore says guests use the cabins for everything from weekend trips to weddings and family reunions. “People come up just to enjoy nature,” she says. “Some people never leave the cabins, but others go out for hiking, fishing and other activities.”
The story of Posada began when the owners, Rich and Sara Combs, embarked on a road trip across the American Southwest a decade ago. After stopping in and falling in love with Joshua Tree, California — the inspiration for The Joshua Tree House, the couple’s suite of properties — the pair made their way to Tucson. Later, in 2018, the Combses found the abandoned inn, which had been built in the late 1970s by Merv Larson, a former director of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
The revamped motel opened in January 2023 with 48 rooms, an outdoor entertainment venue and award-winning restaurant Chilte on-site. According to Rebel Hospitality’s vice president of marketing and brand, Cynthia Davis, the opportunity to revitalize the Egyptian was a no-brainer. “We really had this vision to turn it into something completely different that Phoenix doesn’t really have much of,” Davis says. “The fact that it’s in the Grand Avenue arts district made it even more attractive.”
When Tanya Duarte describes the historic Gadsden Hotel to first-time visitors, she compares it to a geode. "You look at the outside of the building, and you see a pretty generic 'rock' of a building," says Duarte, the hotel's manager. "It doesn't really stand out. Then you bust it open, walk in and it's this gorgeous gem inside."
