Sedona Main
Street Program nominates Matterhorn Inn for Arizona Main Street 2008
Best Large Scale Renovation Project. This project involved the pool
area of the Sedona hotel.
Built in 1955 –
the Matterhorn Inn is the oldest hotel/motel building in Sedona.
Ralph and Shelley Woellmer, current owners, purchased the motel in
1979 and embarked upon a yearly renovation and upgrade schedule that
now features world class amenities and views of Sedona’s spectacular
red rock formations from every room balcony or private patio.
Past remodels of
the property have updated all the electrical and mechanical systems –
removing old in-wall gas heaters and poorly functioning electrical
systems with new energy efficient systems throughout the inn.
In December 2007
the Matterhorn Inn renovated the last remaining “original condition”
portion of the inn. The pool area was completely renovated and the
two original pool equipment buildings were removed and replaced with a
new state of the art equipment/storage building. Many guest amenities
were added to the project, including a new outdoor spa, a gas outdoor
fireplace, covered and uncovered seating and lounging areas. An
additional 500 square feet of deck space was created by removing and
replacing the pool fence with a beautiful new fence to match the rest
of the Inn
property.
The pool area
entrance now features beautiful pavers along with dramatic columns
that match the details on the new pool building. This inviting
entrance is in addition to the new colorful plants and public art used
throughout the property.
In an effort to
contain energy costs, the Woellmer’s added a solar water heating
system to both the pool and outdoor spa systems. The solar system has
been in operation for just over 6 months and has led to a dramatic
decrease in gas energy usage at the inn.
The project cost
an estimated $310,000 and was completed in just over 3 months during
the slower season. The many long term return guests at the Matterhorn
Inn have commented on the wonderful addition to the facility and a few
have even mentioned that the pool area should be in “Sunset
Magazine”. The pool renovation is a welcome addition to the property
and should be enjoyed by all for many years to come.
