Montezuma motel opens under new ownership and name

​        Stacy Helm, left, the new owner of the Monte Motel at 309 N. Front St., is shown with her daughter, Shelby Teumer, who is serving as the motel manager. Future plans are to add one additional room, remodel all rooms, replace the flooring, add a new heating and air conditioning unit, add a laundry, a commons area and outdoor grilling area. The original four rooms of the motel were built by Stacy’s grandfather, Lyle Sanders, and opened in 1951. Sanders helped build the motel in exchange for a house and 80-acres of land in southern Poweshiek County.

By J.O. Parker
 
       A long-standing Montezuma overnight destination has a new name and new owner with ties to its early founding.
      Stacy Helm, owner of the English Valley B&B with her husband, Doug, announced in early October that she had purchased the former Cozy Country Inn at 309 N. Front St., renaming it The Monte Motel.
The transition marks a new chapter for the property, with a renewed focus on providing quality accommodations for extended-stay workers, outdoor enthusiasts and traveling guests passing through town.
      Drawing on her success operating the English Valley B&B, Stacy’s passion for hospitality ensures that both short-term and long-term guests will find a welcoming and comfortable
atmosphere at The Monte Motel.
    “Our goal is to make The Monte Motel feel like a home away from home,” noted Stacy. “We’ve been fortunate to serve a wide range of guests (at our B&B and campground north of Montezuma), including wind turbine workers, pipeline crews, deer, pheasant, and turkey hunters, as well as traveling medical professionals. We’re dedicated to continuing this tradition of service and care at the Monte Motel.”
      Since purchasing the nine-room motel, Stacy purchased new mattresses for each room from Todd and Jennifer Schuur at Montezuma Floral.
      “We also collected many old headboards and footboards, including her grandparent’s headboard, and are using them as headboards in the rooms attached directly to the walls,” Stacy said. “We are using quality 1950s, 60s and 70s dressers and end tables I purchased at area resale shops to keep with the vibe.”
     Stacy said she updated and replaced all pillows and bedding, towels and shower curtains in each room. Vacuums, tools, light bulbs, extension cords and all hardware for the motel was purchased at Hometown Hardware in Montezuma.
Future remodel plans
     Plans are currently in the works to do a full remodel of the motel including a new heating and cooling system, refurbished bathrooms and new flooring installed by Ellis Home Interiors in each room.
       “After the remodel, there will be 10 total rooms,” said Stacy.
       Also planned for long-term guests is a new full-access kitchen and commons area and on-site laundry.
      “We also plan to create an outdoor covered patio with seating as well as an open air patio for grilling with seating,” said Stacy. “For fun, I’m leaving the old phones in the rooms. They are old push button phones with chords, and they work with free local calls.”
       “There will be a variety of rooms,” Stacy said. “We will offer king sized beds, queen sized beds and rooms with two full sized beds or rooms with a queen and full sized bed.”
        Included in the remodel is the installation of new Roku smart televisions.
        “Guests will be able to pre-order a breakfast basket to have in their rooms if they wish,” said Stacy.
       Stacy’s daughter, Shelby Teumer, is helping manage the motel. The motel also features a security system and a convenient self-check in for all guests when needed. Free wi-fi is also available at the motel.
       When asked what motived her to purchase the motel, Stacy said she needed more long-term space for her guests at the bed and breakfast, so she decided to ask the owners (who were not managing the motel) if they were interested in selling.
      On Sept. 6, Doug reached out to the owners and a deal was negotiated and finalized within a month. Thanks to a crew of friends and family who gave the motel a good scrubbing, Stacy welcomed her first guest on Oct. 2.
Family ties
       Stacy said the motel holds a special place in her heart. Her grandfather, Lyle Sanders, helped build the motel for the Edgar Gilbert family in 1951. It started out as a four-room unit with additional rooms added later to make it L-shaped.
      “The motel was a unique project where farm ground was traded for labor,” said Stacy. “The Gilberts offered Grandpa Lyle an 80-acre farm south of Montezuma, near the Mahaska County line. That farm included a house and pear tree.”
        “My grandparents later moved the house to an adjacent farm that they had acquired, and that’s where I grew up,” added Stacy. “This was the beginning of the Sanders farming operation, which was passed down to my parents, Larry Sanders and Linda (Sanders) Dodds, and now continues with my brother, Loren Sanders and me.”
       Stacy said the original farm, which she calls the Sanders Pear Tree Farm, is still thriving today – and the pear tree still bears fruit.
        “It feels like I’ve come full circle now, owning both sides of that 1950s transaction,” she said.
For more information, visit www.montemotel.comor call 641-623-3663 or 641-623-5505 to inquire about nightly and weekly rates and booking.