In a vibrant coastal town where most of the hotels look alike on the outside with their weathered shingles, the Wave Crest Inn resembles something that swept in out of mid-century Holland or New England. Its peaked gables and long row of windows have a neo-gothic look that defies the cheerful yellow paint on the exterior. You expect to see a Victorian schoolteacher, with a high collar and upswept hair, peeking out behind a curtain.
But when you step inside to the main room, grace, modern comfort and an international flavor welcome you. Asian masks line one wall, bookshelves fill another, next to a stack of board games for rainy afternoons. There's a piano, but no television, and plenty of living room space to sit and read. On the walls downstairs and up the hallway, paintings and prints, many by Oregon coast artists, brighten the atmosphere.
The rooms upstairs, eight in all, are very basic, with wooden walls, and that wonderful smell of your grandma's house, a mix of sweet wood, floor wax and rain. Two bedrooms have ocean views. Two have private baths. Everyone else shares the loo, European style. During a storm, the building creaks and lists a little, it seems, but this historic landmark was built to withstand 100-mph winds, according to Daryl "Hank" Johnson, owner and proprietor.
"These older buildings on the coast were built so that they could breathe," he said. "There's no insulation in the walls, so that if anything got wet it would dry out because of the perfectly sound wood. Cedar tends to swell when it gets wet so that makes it tighter, and it kind of seals itself from water."
Wave Crest has various owners, different names
The history of the building is sketchy, but has a straightforward line of narrative: Built in the late 1920s, the inn was first owned by a Mr. Mattson, according to Johnson's flyer, and it served as a stop for the bus or stage line and operated as a hotel, grocery and soda fountain. In the 1930s, it was purchased by Ed Charles, and became the Charles Hotel, and during his ownership the upstairs rooms were finished and a well was put in to the property.
Purchased by Ed Nelson in the 1940s, it once again became the Wave Crest. Sold in the early 1960s to Rae and Hendryck Van Dyne, it was renamed the Quill and Shuttle Inn, a place for writers and weavers. The grocery store was replaced by an antique shop. The Wave Crest got its name back again in 1968 when Don and Vi Thompson bought it, operating the establishment as a guest house and weaving studio.
Johnson, formerly rose curator for the City of Portland Park Bureau, retired around 2000, the year he purchased the inn. He'd been coming down to stay at the Wave Crest since 1979, so was familiar with the establishment, drawn to its quiet demeanor and historic charm. "It was just a retreat for me, and I never thought about buying it." He had befriended the previous owners, Don and Vi Thompson, who were elderly, and both died before Johnson took over. "It dawned on me that this place should be preserved," he said. He came down weekends for three years, until he moved in in 2003, and opened for business.
A French-trained chef on the premises
Johnson may never have owned and run a hotel before, but one hobby in particular makes him a good bet for the hospitality business. He's studied cooking in France at the prestigious La Varenne school, and has plans to eventually add meals to the Wave Crest attractions. Currently, he offers a Continental breakfast - coffee, rolls and fruit - with the room price, but he's updating his kitchen, and is just one step away from earning his commercial license. He's really looking forward to serving food. "I never worked at a restaurant, so I never got burned out."
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar