The Star Motel

The couple had taken a break from their obligations in California in the midst of the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic had thrown at them. They visited Prescott and Jerome, then made an unplanned stop in Sedona for a couple of nights. And something beckoned them to put down roots after a stay at an old motel on Jordan Road.

“​​We stayed in Room 7, which we now call ‘lucky Room 7,’ and when we checked out, we stopped through a real estate agency in town, just to see what was going on” and if any small hotels were on the market, Feldman says.

As it turned out, the Star had just been listed two days earlier, after 45 years under the same ownership. Armed with their previous experience running an inn in Idyllwild, California, Feldman and Morton took over. “And then we became the new vortex keepers,” Feldman says.

Since then, the owners have made functional and aesthetic improvements, such as new beds, new mattresses and smart TVs, with the goal of upgrading the guest experience while preserving the motel’s character. And there’s plenty of the latter: The Star, built in the 1960s, incorporates the original river-rock home of Nettie Van Deren, a member of a family of Sedona pioneers who grew peaches and citrus on the surrounding land. The motel was known as the Northern Star before a windstorm blew off the “Northern” part of the sign in the 1980s, Feldman says.

The Star combines midcentury style with some modern luxuries, and each room is adorned with local art. Seven of the rooms face Jordan Road and offer views of Wilson Mountain, Coffee Pot Rock and other landmarks, while the other four rooms are nestled behind the motel front.

Guests can walk to local gems such as the Sedona Arts Center, Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits, and the Jordan Trail. At night, the view of the starry sky is unmatched, Feldman says, and if you hike up the Jordan Trail, you’ll see another star: a blinking sign overlooking 11 motel rooms.

“It’s just a really special place that we love to share with people,” Feldman says.