You’ll find us just 1.5 miles west of Uptown Sedona. Our journey to Sedona was a bit of a happy accident. After getting married and having our first child Lee, we moved from Woodland Park, Colorado to Flagstaff, where we managed the Whiting Brothers motel—a popular chain of Route 66 motor lodges. It was there we learned the ropes and thought, we could run this type of business on our own. After ou
r second daughter Fara was born, we began searching the Flagstaff vicinity and came across Cedars West in Sedona, owned by the same family as the Cedar Motel (now Cedars Resort). Sedona was just starting to become a nationally-renowned tourist destination, and we decided to invest our future and savings into this vibrant community in the red rocks. We arrived in 1986 with our two daughters, who were just 3 and 5 years old. For the first few years, we lived on-site—taking turns watching the kids while handling everything from the front desk to maintenance and housekeeping. The motel quickly became our home, our business, and the heart of our lives. After nearly 40 years, it still acts as a central hub for our family. While we love the natural beauty of Sedona, the best part of this job is the people. Sugar Loaf attracts the most wonderful guests, who appreciate our simple, no-frills approach to business. We owe much of our success to our loyal guests, many of whom have been returning for decades. The 1980s and ’90s were a wonderful time to raise a family in Sedona, and we’re thrilled that our children are now raising their own families here. Sedona’s close-knit community has given us countless cherished memories, and Sugar Loaf has been a source of immense pride. Today, our youngest daughter Fara and both son-in-laws Thor and Jakobe manage the motel, and their own young children are growing up here. As our children take on more of the day-to-day management of the motel, we stay busy with motel maintenance, our garden, goats, chickens, rabbits, and five grandchildren.
-Lori and John Baidinger, Owners
