The Limelight Mammoth sales gallery in the Village at Mammoth (next to Hugs Ice Cream) will open next weekend. 

The gallery officially opens Saturday, February 11 from 4-6 p.m. Adding yet another little boost of excitement and momentum to Mammoth’s first hotel development project in almost two decades. 

This week, The Sheet spoke with John Curnow, Limelight’s Regional General Manager, and Erika Alm, a principal for PowerPlay Destination Properties, the sales and marketing firm for Limelight Mammoth. 

Curnow knows what it’s like to open a Limelight. He did so in Ketchum, Idaho, opening the hotel on December 28, 2016. 

The Ketchum property has 99 rooms and 14 private residences. 

The Mammoth property will have 151 rooms and 15 private residences ranging in size from 2-5 bedrooms. 

Curnow said Limelight is very focused on community engagement. “The hotel will only be successful to the extent the community buys in,” he said. The goal is to serve as a community living room. The adjectives he used were humble, honest and real. 

He said the “living room” in Mammoth [the lobby] will seat about 300. 

In terms of vibe, he used the phrase “elevating casual.” 

Kinda like a gourmet cheeseburger. Which is comforting and delicious and awesome. And still a cheeseburger. 

“Customer service is about creating a culture,” said Curnow. “And it doesn’t happen overnight.” 

When he opened Ketchum, he started with twelve managers, five of whom were imported from Colorado. 

Six years later, much of that staff is still in place. 

He said he always seeks staff who have a passion for the mountain lifestyle, and talked about the hotel as a headquarters for the adventure.

“We don’t serve lunch,” he said, because the expectation is guests will be out doing things. 

“We’re gonna pay well, we offer great benefits, it’s a fun work environment, and we’re growing.”

Erika Alm is no stranger to Mammoth, having worked as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Intrawest during the Westin Monache debut era. 

She says early interest in Limelight Mammoth has been phenomenal, “without [us] even really trying.”

Alm said the sales gallery will feature renderings and floor plans. 

And PowerPlay is looking forward to working with the local real estate community, she said. 

Local realtor Tammy Hooper of Mammoth June Properties says her clientele is looking for exactly this type of turnkey property. “Some of my clients are interested in a lateral move out of a single-family home and into something like this,” she said. “This” being ease of use, rentability and on-site property management. 

“It’s just what Mammoth needs right now,” said Hooper. 

And Hooper described Limelight’s local sales director Nikki Elmore as a “superstar … total class.” 

Owner/Broker Paul Oster of Re/Max Mammoth described Limelight’s ownership, Aspen Skiing Co., as “the biggest hitter that has ever gotten into the batter’s box in Mammoth Lakes.” 

He said the affluence we’ve seen rolling into town of late is precisely due to Alterra’s affiliation with Aspen. 

Local realtor Cynthia Fleming said, “We have an expanding luxury clientele and Limelight Residences will offer the extraordinary mountain living our buyers are seeking.” 

And from Hartley’s desk: Finally a traffic law that makes sense. If there’s one thing I hate when driving, it’s people that drive in the left lane who aren’t driving fast. It’s infuriating. They jump on the highway and immediately move to the left lane as if they are going to control traffic. People gotta weave in and out of them to get where they want to be. 

If you aren’t in a hurry, why are you declaring yourself a GUARDIAN OF THE LEFT LANE? Get your ass to the right. And stay there. 

Turns out in Florida, they are trying to pass a law to give folks tickets for driving slow in the left lane. Hell yes! About time. 

You have to love Florida. If some weird s&%t is going on, it’s going on in Florida. Can’t wait to move there and get in on all the action. Laws, Federal Law Resistance, Invasive Species … I want it all. 

But to be honest, I lived in Florida for awhile when I was serving in the Navy and the most invasive species of all … PEOPLE that move to Florida from the Northeast. They were everywhere. I also lived in the Northeast for a bit, and I know why they invade Florida. The Northeast sucks and the weather in Florida is much better. And now I’ll be able to enjoy it without the annoying left lane guardians.

Lastly, Inyo County announced the winners of its annual grant awards. Winners include: 

• Amargosa Conservancy – $2,000 for a trailhead project near Tecopa

• Bishop Area Climbers Association – $2,500 for the Sky Pilot Project involving a guided Mt. Whitney Trip for two area youth;

• Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau – $2,000 for “Fam” Tours to familiarize local frontline hospitality providers with the region’s recreational, scenic, and cultural assets;

• Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association – $2,000 for its Eastern Sierra Youth Outdoors program that takes local teens on a six-day rock-climbing/backpacking adventure;

• Farm to Crag – $2,000 for a program that connects the climbing community with local agriculture;

• Friends of the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair – $6,500 to hold another season of Friday Night Markets in Bishop;

• Goodent – $2,500 toward the purchase of a stove for the Lone Pine Forum Theater, helping facilitate year-round events and activities;

• Healthy Communities of Southern Inyo County – $1,000 for summer youth programs;

• Inyo County Search and Rescue – $4,000 for the Range of Light Trail Races that raises funds for the volunteer organization;

• Lone Pine Museum of Film History – $3,000 for “Movies at the Museum;”

• Mule Days – $3,000 for digital marketing.