Haus-ful of history
Feisty Swiss ski instructor Hans Georg, one of Mammoth’s earliest ski icons, photographed on his way to Mammoth from Hollywood in the 1930s. This photo will be in the Hans Georg Ski Lodge Room at the Holiday Haus.
Holiday Haus renovation includes nod to Mammoth’s past
The Holiday Haus Motel, snuggled into a pine hollow along upper Main Street just shy of the intersection with Minaret Road, dates back to the 1950s – a somewhat worn, yet nostalgic option at the lower end of Mammoth’s totem pole of lodging options.
Now, just in time for ski season, its owners, Ward and Nadine Jones, have renovated the motel’s 15 lodging rooms and one cabin with a historical theme that details the richness of Mammoth’s lodging history. “It’s going to be awesome,” said Nadine.
The lobby and several of the rooms will be showcased during a grand reopening reception from 4-7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15. A Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting will make it official at 5 p.m.
The history of the renovation goes back seven years when the Joneses bought the property with the intention of redeveloping. With architect Bruce Woodward’s design, they navigated the town’s planning processes and got the necessary approvals – just in time for the recession to intervene and put a halt to the project.
This year Nadine made the decision to move forward with a renovation.
Serendipitously, Mark Davis, curator for the Southern Mono Historical Society SMHS), called her, looking for more information on the Holiday Haus for his research book on properties up and down Main Street. Davis is working on a book that augments the text and historic photo collection begun by Adele Reed in her book “Old Mammoth.” That book covers up to the 1950s, a time when development moved from Old Mammoth over to Main Street.
Nadine Jones’ vision of a historical theme for the motel, combined with Davis’ ability to research, hunt down and scan more than 200 black and white prints, has yielded a refreshed lodge with 16 rooms that are also mini art galleries.
Each room is its own archive, each is named after historic Eastern Sierra lodges, such as Camp High Sierra, Wildyrie Lodge, the Mammoth Mountain Room, Arcularius Ranch Resort Room, and the special Hayden Cabin.
With the same name as the historical society’s museum, the Holiday Haus’ Hayden Cabin is entirely pine paneled, with a cozy living room, a full kitchen with an old, refurbished Republic Steel sink, bedroom and summer patio.
Through the hard work of Mark Davis, the Southern Mono Historical Society has provided all the historical prints that fill the renovated Holiday Haus. “This is a great partnership that benefits both the Holiday Haus and the Historical Society,” said SMHS board member Bill Sauser, “the first of many between the historical society and local businesses.”
Visit the lobby and rooms at the open house from 4-7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Holiday Haus, 3905 Main Street. Learn more from Nadine Jones, Mark Davis and Patty Costilla. For information call 760-934-2414.
