Remember that Garden City motel on stilts? It’s getting a stylish new life. What to know
You know that old motel on stilts in Garden City? The one that’s been under construction for a couple of years? It’s finally about to reopen — as the Arcadia Hotel.
In a few months, you can stay there for about $150 a night.
The Arcadia Hotel used to be the Sun-Liner Motel, a mid-century modern landmark characterized by two buildings up on stilts.
The property got a major facelift after being purchased by a new owner in 2022 who wanted to keep the mid-century design but with a modern appeal. Chelsea Santiago, executive director of the hotel, told the Idaho Statesman that the renovated hotel is more than just a place to stay for the night.
It’ll be a venue for small events, weddings and conferences, and for business trips, event travel and staycations.
Most of all, the hotel hopes to meet the needs of the modern traveler to the Boise area, Santiago said. The rooms are climate-controlled with Verdant thermostats that use heat and motion sensors to adjust temperature upon arrival. Check-in is completely contactless. But if guests have questions or just want to say hello, the office is downstairs.
“If you want to come down to the reception, you can,” Santiago said. “I’m very friendly and I love to see people. But it’s not necessary with the technologies that we have.”
The hotel is partnering with local businesses including Bert’s Brewing, Parcero Wine Bar and Flourish Bakery to bring its guests a taste of Garden City. Santiago said they want to support the artists and shops already there. At 3433 W. Chinden Blvd., the hotel is located in Garden City’s Live-Work-Create District, home to art studios, galleries, wineries, hotels, restaurants and apartments.
The Arcadia Hotel has 24 queen rooms, each about 200 square feet; three king rooms, which are nearly 400 square feet; and three other rooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Rates for the queen rooms will likely range between $135 and $155 and the king rooms $155-$175, depending on availability and season, according to Santiago.
Each room has a headboard with a different design, and the bedding, light fixtures and wall art incorporate geometric patterns and colors like green, purple and gold. There’s also some vintage games tucked in the shelves and a list of local recommendations.
The Sun-Liner Motel dates to 1958, according to Santiago. It had fallen into disrepair.
“This building is iconic in its unique form,” said a building permit application filed with the city in September 2022. “The new design respects the original form while bringing it up to date and providing more color and texture to improve its overall presence.”
Now renovated, most of the guest rooms, plus a health and fitness room, are situated in the two floating buildings accessible by several staircases. Another building, on the ground in between them, houses the office, a conference room and the ADA-compliant rooms.
The updated rooms play with lighting, mirrors and textiles in a way that pays homage to the original design.
“This hotel is completely elevated,” Santiago said during a tour. “You park underneath and it’s just sort of floating there. It creates that little extra something that makes people turn their heads and go, ‘Wait, what is that?’”
Behind the office will be a courtyard with a stage for live music.
Santiago pointed out the definition of arcadia, which means a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
In March 2022, the property was listed for sale for $1.3 million, according to Zillow. Later that August, it was purchased by Elevate Chinden LLC. The company is operated by Demetre Booker Jr. of San Diego, California, who is the principal partner of Elevate Commercial, a commercial real estate firm, according to its website.
Santiago said Elevate Chinden purchased the Sun-Liner Motel to “give it a second life.”
As the company was renovating the property, it found an old pool that had been buried in the yard behind the office. The new owners won’t be rebuilding the pool, though they plan to add either a hot tub or a sauna and an ice plunge.
Santiago said the hotel hopes to open in a few months, pending the approval of a landscaping-related permit application with the city. It had initially planned to open by summer 2024.
In the meantime, Elevate Chinden is putting finishing touches on the rooms and completing the renovation of the middle, ground-level building.
“Renovations are always difficult,” she said. “It’s like an onion layer — you pull it back and find out there’s something more that you’ve got to do. But I’m so excited for this thing to be open. We really want to create an experience for people, not just a room.”
This story was originally published September 23, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
