Have you ever felt like there was something more you could do or that something may be missing, but you didn’t know what it was or how to reach a particular goal?

I think it’s safe to say that every person and business owner faces problems like these from time to time.

In 2014, one of the main challenges I faced was to bring more awareness to The Lodge from outside our community. Also, I needed to learn how to promote the local shops and wineries in the community. Ultimately, when people visit Mountain View Lodge, they need places to eat, drink, and play, so I had to figure out how to make it all come together!

I knew what The Lodge needed, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to get there.

Then one day, my staff received a letter in the mail that would help us change everything.

Hotel Impossible Reaches Out

In 2014, the Travel Channel producers for Hotel Impossible were looking for small, independent hotels within the Pacific Northwest. Luckily, we were one of those hotels that the producers decided to contact.

While most of the team felt excited about Hotel Impossible possibly coming to our town, I was very nervous and hesitant about the whole thing. I didn’t know what to expect or what would happen after my family and friends were on TV.

However, after much encouragement, I finally decided to submit my application to be on the show. 

And wouldn’t you know it? We were selected!

The process before being on the show was quite intense. First, one of the producers contacted us and interviewed me, my husband, son, and brother. They also had us send in testimonials, videos, and images of The Lodge. 

Finally, after the comprehensive interview process was over, we awaited their arrival.

Hotel Impossible Meets Mountain View Lodge

When Anthony Melchiorri and his team arrived at Mountain View Lodge, it was crazy. There was so much going on all at once!

The camera crew was setting up their equipment, the lighting crew was putting up their stuff, and we were getting mic’d up and instructed on how each shoot would happen. 

It was certainly something that none of us had ever experienced before.

Once everyone and everything was ready to go, we went about our daily activities as usual while Anthony and his crew observed how we naturally operated.

Hotel Impossible Makes It Possible

The next phase of the show was quite eye opening to me. 

After Anthony observed us working, he had a sit-down with my entire staff and me to go over what they noticed and what we could do to strengthen the work environment.

The main problem that Anthony had pointed out was that we tended to work more like a family dynamic and not so much like a traditional business. When working with family, people tend to be more lenient and understanding with those they work with when the daily operations are not running efficiently. This didn’t always have the result I was looking for!

It was solid advice and something that we all needed to hear to reach new heights.

It was our saving grace because once everyone began working together in more of a business role instead of a family member role, things became less ambiguous and more structured. 

Highlights From The Show

The show remained filming and working with us at Mountain View Lodge for about four and a half days.

They truly went above and beyond the normal scope of their TV show!

One of the more notable things that came out of being on the show was the More to Manson marketing campaign they helped us establish within our community.

Anthony and I were able to sit down with Jeff Conwell and discuss how we could better market the town of Manson as a whole. Jeff found a marketing firm based out of Florida and created the More To Manson campaign with Anthony’s encouragement.

This truly helped bring Manson business owners together to establish how we could help one another thrive in the community. In addition, everyone was very excited because this was something entirely new for everyone.

Another highlight from the Hotel Impossible visit was that Anthony and his crew surprised us by remodeling one of our rooms. From a new coat of paint to the room’s layout, what they were able to create was breathtaking!

I had seen the show before, so I had a good idea that they would be doing something along these lines. However, I had no idea how amazing it had turned out. This room is still available now and is named the Hotel Impossible Suite in honor of the show.

End Of Episode

The conclusion of the show was perfect.

Anthony, me, and my entire staff went out to The Lodge’s Pavilion and had a sunset toast to our new beginning and future. I was able to get to know Anthony better and ask him further questions on what more I could be doing to improve the business.

When the show aired, we invited the entire community to a viewing at Mountain View Lodge.  Food was provided by Green Dot Sub Shop and wine by Atam Winery, our partners in the show.  We watched on 2 screens with so many friends. We all had a great (and surprising!) time!

The advice he gave me that day and throughout the show’s filming has been invaluable. I’m continuously looking for new ways to improve things within the community, the Lodge, and myself. To this day, Anthony answers my calls and gives me advice. It’s incredible how life presents opportunities to us. I was lucky enough to be ready for this unique opportunity when it arrived.