Lodging

In their past lives in Flagstaff, Marnie was a doctor in family practice, while Steve worked as a radio announcer and pilot. For a change of scenery, they lived in Vermont for three years. “Our neighbors around the corner had a B&B and started sending us their overflow guests,” Marnie says. “That was where we learned about doing a B&B.”

The couple returned to their Flagstaff home, which had a spare building that had been used as a workshop and office space. They added a bathroom and a bedroom to make it a 450-foot suite, and in late 2011, Elden Trails was born.

Co-owner Maggie Kohanek opened the B&B in 2001 with her siblings. The family wanted to take care of their mother as she battled Alzheimer’s disease, and they bought the Gardens as a way to have an income while looking after her needs. “We had never done anything like that,” says Kohanek, who lives on the property and attends to guests as they come and go. “We didn’t know how to run a bed and breakfast or what to do.” 

Now more than 100 years old — the property celebrated its centennial in 2017 — the Vendome features 20 guest rooms with private bathrooms, many of which include vintage claw-foot tubs. And while modern amenities have been installed over the years (think Wi-Fi, televisions, air conditioning and heat), much of the hotel’s original charm remains. 

Auto courts dominated the roadways when they built the Coronado Motor Hotel in 1938. Combining rooms with adjacent parking under one roof, rather than in separate cottages, was a progressive idea then. 

The Peaches built their home at the center of the original 14 units, using timbers from the old Southern Pacific Hotel. Their son, John Jr., literally grew up in the hotel, helping with everything from laundry to checking in guests in the front room of the family home.