News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Dave and Jan Elliott are the new managers of Sisters Inn & RV Park.
The hotel and recreational vehicle park at the west end of Sisters is under new — and local — ownership and management.
Todd Taylor of Hap Taylor and Sons, a local paving and aggregate business, and his partner Jeff Pickhardt purchased the property for $4.1 million. Dave and Jan Elliott of Sisters will manage the property now known as Sisters Inn & RV Park.
The Elliotts own and operate Ali’s Deli in Sisters and Dave serves as Mayor. He acknowledges that he doesn’t have a background in the hospitality industry — but that was not the biggest priority for the new owners.
“I have absolutely no background in this,” Elliott said. “They wanted someone local and known in the community.”
According to Elliott, the local sensibility is a key part of a new business plan. That is, in part, the reason they have dropped the hotel’s Comfort Inn franchise.
The owners and management plan to present Sisters Inn & RV Park “as locally owned and family-operated,” Elliott said.
Elliott said the team wants to “change the persona” of the establishment.
“We’re going to do quite a face-lift... and really make a garden spot here,” he said.
Sisters area residents have wondered what would become of the Comfort Inn/Mountain Shadow RV Park property since it went on the market. The potential existed to sell the land in parcels and redevelop it to include controversial services such as possibly two drive-through fast food restaurants.
Elliott said that that is not going to happen.
“The intent of the owners is that it will remain a hotel and RV park,” he said.
The Elliotts will continue to run their deli.
“We’re not going to cut ties with Ali’s,” Elliott said. “The food will be Jan’s food.”
However, Elliott and his family will be spending much of their time working at the hotel.
“We’re going to build a family team and we’re going to work hard,” he said. “We’re even going to live in the premises part of the week.”
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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