Why an Aviation Theme?

Alexis Park Inn & Suites

1165 S. Riverside Drive

Iowa City, Iowa 52246

Toll Free: 888-9ALEXIS

(888-925-3947)

Local: 319 337-8665

Fax: 319 351-4102

Email:

Proud Members of:

Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild

Iowa City Chamber of Commerce

Iowa City Convention & Visitor's Bureau

Why an Aviation Theme?

As pilots and business owners, Mary and I have spent over 20 years traveling the country, staying in everything from campgrounds to five star hotels. Quite frankly, we have been almost continually disappointed with the service provided at even the finest establishments.

One day, while hanging around the airport, it came to light that Harry, our friend (and fellow pilot), owned the small inn directly adjacent to the airport. Having started life 20 years ago as a luxury hotel, it had gradually declined into a residence motel, renting to mostly long-term, low-rate guests. It was evident that, after two decades, he had lost interest in the whole endeavor...

So, Mary and I began to talk. What could we do with a hotel? How would WE want it to be? Soon, the ideas were flowing, and we could feel the excitement building. This COULD be done!

The Inn

But first we figured we'd better take a better look at the place. Without saying a word, we quietly made reservations for the four of us, and checked in that afternoon. What we saw just blew us away!

Our "room" turned out to be a two-bedroom suite, with a whirlpool Jacuzzi and a full kitchen. The couch folded out into another bed, so the kids each had private sleeping quarters, while we had a huge bedroom to ourselves! Our balcony overlooked the pool AND the airport, so we could watch planes work the pattern all day long.

In short, it was the finest suite we had *ever* stayed in, anywhere, physically. The rooms were simply huge.

The Problems

Not to say it wasn't lacking in amenities -- what we found was the skeleton of a once-proud establishment. The walls were bare and white. What "art" there was was had been drilled and screwed on with simple drywall screws -- right through the frames. The carpet, fairly new, had paint spatters. And after the last room remodeling, no one had bothered to re-install doorstops or a toilet paper holder. We quickly filled a legal pad with problems to be fixed.

And then there was the service -- there was none! No soap or shampoo or "welcome folders" in the rooms. No continental breakfast or room service of any kind was offered, and the desk was rarely staffed.

Worst of all, the front desk was shoved into a cubby hole underneath a stairwell, and the "lobby" had barely enough room for two chairs and an end-table! Little more than a glorified closet, there was no way we would be able to work with that space in the 21st century.

However, everything was "fixable" in one way or another. Doing some simple math, we determined that EVERYTHING we found wrong with our suite could be corrected for less than $20! The special "touches" we planned would cost far more -- things like window treatments and artwork can run into thousands of dollars -- but mostly the suite just needed a deep cleaning, and some TLC. And the potential was huge!

The Sale

Being pilots, all parties involved had what I call "AADD" -- "Aviation Attention Deficit Disorder". This was worsened by the fact that Harry's office was (and still is) located at his hangar, with a clear view of the maintenance shop and runways. In short, for every minute of business talk, 20 more were burned talking about airplanes and flying!

Eventually we worked our way through it, however, although it literally took weeks. We were on our way!

Planning The Renovation

Originally built to look like a European (vaguely German) chalet, the inn no longer seemed to have any direction or over-arching motif. We knew that we needed a new theme. But what?

Well, being literally within a stone's throw of Iowa City Airport's Runway 25, it was obvious (to two pilots, anyway) that aviation was the answer. But the devil is always in the details -- what kind of aviation theme would work?

In typical husband/wife fashion, it soon became obvious that we couldn't agree on a single aviation theme -- so we'd simply have to incorporate them all! Each suite would be redecorated to reflect a discrete period of aviation history.

This task, so easily bandied about over adult beverages, soon became a daunting challenge. One problem with big suites is that they take a LOT of decorating. For a two story, three bedroom townhouse, we're talking an entire home's worth of wall coverings alone!

So, where do you get a truckload of aviation "stuff"? Why, at the world's biggest fly-in, the annual EAA convention in Oshkosh, of course!

The Shopping Spree

Oshkosh is home to the largest gathering of pilots in the world. Each July, nearly 800,000 people visit the convention, and every vendor from Springfield to Australia is there. Having attended the convention annually for two decades, Mary and I knew precisely what we needed to buy, and where it was located on the field.

But what to do with the stuff after we've acquired it? Our little 4-seater Piper airplane certainly wasn't going to work -- we'd need to find a way to get a truck to Oshkosh.

Fate intervened when friends of ours -- who had planned on flying into the convention -- announced their intention of driving to Oshkosh instead. The light-bulb went on instantly, and we quickly convinced them to drive our van up and park it near Wittman field for us. The plan was coming together!

Soon after flying into our Oshkosh campsite, the shopping began in earnest! We even hit the vendors before the official start of the convention, in hopes of finding the "good stuff" before everyone else. Propellers, banners, paintings, prints, models -- it all hit the "in-basket". I was amazed (and appalled) at how quickly we hit our business card's credit limit! Unfazed, we simply broke out another charge card...

At the end of each day, we would make the miles-long trek to the van, praying that no one had discovered our secret cache of aviation goodies. (Or, worse, that Wal-Mart hadn't towed our van to the impound lot!) You just haven't lived until you've carried an 80-pound propeller several miles.

The Set Up

Luckily for us, Harry was perfectly willing to let us immediately start ripping his hotel up, even though the purchase date was set for late August. Soon we were planting flowers and shrubs, installing wall-paper and borders, and cutting holes in drywall for our new lobby!

Realizing that time was simply too short, we gave our assistant manager of our existing business a 30% raise, and told him to "run her till the end" -- while we devoted every waking moment to the new hotel. EVERYTHING needed to be done, and we had just a few weeks to do it!

We decided that our new lobby would occupy vacant commercial space in the "tower" building, with the old lobby being converted to a "night" lobby and vending area. Starting completely from scratch -- literally with a Sawz-All to cut the hole for the counter window -- no expense was spared. Real oak wood-work, complex, detailed moldings, and fine Italian tile were incorporated into a simple yet elegant lobby. Woodworking skills that had atrophied years ago were dusted off, as "sweat-equity" became our new catch-phrase. Do it yourself was our mantra, and we did!

Then it was on to the suites! If it could be done, we did it ourselves. Starting with the "Wright Brother's Suite", dozens of rolls of border were installed, wood work installed and repaired, walls patched and touched up, carpets, stoves, kitchens and microwaves deep cleaned and detailed. Even in the "Memphis Belle Suite" -- which was "fresh" from a complete remodel/renovation -- it took over 7 hours of concerted effort for us to bring it up to "luxury suite" status. No detail was over-looked.

And the property needed help, too. Fences had to be woven with view-limiting material, the pool area had to be redone, and the sign had to be addressed. But what a sign!

The Hand-Carved Sign

We had originally intended to change our name to a more "aviation-sounding" name, like the "Fly Inn". When we heard the story of the big sign, however, those plans changed.

The hotel had originally been built by a man with almost limitless resources. As a result, the sign had been designed and hand-carved from solid cedar by a now-deceased American Indian, at a cost of over $20K almost 20 years ago. Most amazingly, this hand-carved behemoth stood almost 3 stories tall!

Upon close examination, we decided that the sign certainly couldn't be torn down; indeed, it probably belonged on the national historic register! It was a true work of art, on a huge scale.

Still, it needed work. Twenty years of sun, rain, and squirrels, had left it in need of a complete cleaning and painting. After almost killing myself trying to scale this monster on a ladder, I quickly decided that it was worth paying $100 per day for a cherry-picker!

The kids and I loved riding it, but you just haven't lived until you've cleaned every square inch of a 3-story sign -- with a hand-held wire bristle brush! Great care had to be used, lest I remove a chunk of lettering, so the job slowly stretched out over four days. Thankfully, when I ran out of time and had to move onto more pressing tasks, Harry (the seller!) decided that he would enjoy nothing more than painting his old sign. There he was, at 11:00 at night, in the dark -- in the RAIN -- happily painting his sign, getting it in tip-top shape for our grand opening!

And it turned out beautifully. Painted with auto paint, at thirty bucks a quart, it shines like chiseled glass, and should be good for another 20 years -- we hope!

The Saga Begins

As I write this, we've been open a whopping 48 hours. The Wright Brothers and Memphis Belle suites are full, and we've heard nothing but rave reviews. The new lobby is a bee-hive of activity, from the morning coffee all the way through closing. Our "new" old sign is drawing curious on-lookers, interested in taking a look at such a grand old creation. Mary and I are near exhaustion, having experienced two of the most intense days -- after an incredibly strenuous month -- in our lives.

But, by God, we're having FUN. The crew of the MATS Lockheed Constellation is staying with us, and regularly regales us with tales of their times flying all over the world. (The flight engineer flew the Concorde for British Airways before retiring...) Many of our pilot friends have stopped by for a curious look and an adult beverage in the new gazebo by the pool. It's been a real blast!

We're on a mission, and nothing is going to stop us until we've finished the Mid-West's first aviation-themed hotel! Please come share it with us!

Jay & Mary Honeck

August 20, 2002