DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — The historic Fish Creek Motel & Cottages has a fresh new name, The Spruce and Shore Motel. It’s staying true to tradition and is set to welcome guests this May.
- Katie Wanzer of Refresh Collection Hospitality explains how the new motel came to be
- Tour of the new Spruce and Shore, formerly known as the Fish Creek Motel & Cottages
- Pictures of the motel building on a barge traveling from Ephraim to Fish Creek
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The Fish Creek Motel & Cottages has a fresh new look, with modern updates and its classic charm under new ownership.
Katie Wanzer and her partners at Door County’s Refresh Collection Hospitality Group purchased it last month.
"Obviously once this came up and the conversation started just kinda became naturally," Wanzer said.
Wanzer says that as soon as the deal was finalized, renovations on the 24 motel units began the very next day, without missing a beat.
"Purchased it on a Tuesday, literally started demoing on Wednesday when it was forty below," Wanzer said.
Co-owner Mitch Ehly says getting the motel ready wouldn't have been possible without the help of their local team.
"We have a network of awesome local contractors that are a big part of what we're doing," Ehly said.
The historic motel, built in the 1960s, was originally part of the Eagle Harbor Inn in Ephraim before being floated over on a barge in the 1980s.
"Literally over the water which was quite the sight to be held at that time," Luke Nelson the third partner of Refresh Collection Hospitality said.
Nelson said it's the building's history that made this project a no-brainer.
"There's definitely historical aspects to this property that really kinda sealed the deal for us," Nelson said.
The owners of The Spruce and Shore say that, although they won't be opening until May, their website for reservations will go live on Monday.
