08/15/2026
One year ago today, on August 15th, we officially became the owners of Cool City Motel.
But our story actually began months before that.
For months, Brian and I quietly planned behind the scenes. We spent countless evenings dreaming, running numbers, talking through every "what if," and wondering if we were truly ready to take such a bigger step in our business. We didn’t tell a soul- not our family, not our friends, not the City. No one knew what we had up our sleeves, and in fact, nobody found out until the day we closed and it hit social media. The part that surprises most people? Cool City Motel wasn’t even for sale.
We had positioned ourselves to take a big step, but we just didn’t know exactly what that step would be. For years, we had driven past this property and made comments about how cool it would be to own it someday. Eventually, Brian decided to find out if "someday" could actually become a reality. He spent some time tracking down the owner, who lived in Chicago, and made the call that would change our lives.
"Would you ever consider selling Cool City Motel?"
His response?
"Yeah... possibly."
That was all Brian needed!
The very next week, we were meeting him on-site for a walkthrough.
We spent hours walking through every room, crawling through dark crawl spaces, asking questions, inspecting every inch we could, and imagining what this place could be. Eventually, the three of us sat down in a dim, outdated (and frankly, pretty creepy) motel room and started negotiating. By the end of that day, we were under contract. And just like that, something we had casually talked about while driving by for years was actually happening.
Over the last year, we've poured our hearts into bringing that vision to life. There have been long days, late nights, early mornings, countless weekends, and more learning than we ever expected. Every decision and every improvement has been made with one goal in mind: creating a place where our guests feel welcome, comfortable, and cared for.
Some of the changes are easy to see: a completely remodeled office, refreshed landscaping, new lighting, exterior painting, new windows and facia, and brand-new exterior doors.
But so much of what we've invested is hidden behind the scenes. New plumbing and electrical. New commercial water heaters, updated laundry rooms, new amenities and infrastructure improvements that guests may never notice, but that make the motel safer, more comfortable, and built for the future. Those projects may not make the before-and-after photos, but they're every bit as important to us.
One thing many people may not realize is that we're a very small team. While we do work with a few trusted subcontractors for specialized projects, the majority of the work has been done by us. From demolition and painting to landscaping, cleaning, assembling furniture, and countless projects in between, we've been hands-on every step of the way. Progress doesn't always happen overnight, but every improvement has been made with care, purpose, and pride.
As you swipe through these photos, we hope you can see not only how much the property has changed, but also how much love, hard work, and care have gone into every decision we've made. We know there is still a lot of work ahead, and we’re embracing every bit of it. Please know we are still in the full swing of renovations- some of our new doors are still being installed, we are waiting for our new sign as well, a new driveway is scheduled and of course our completly renovated rooms. (We are so close to having our first room done!)
As we reflect on this past year, we're honestly overwhelmed with gratitude. This little motel has exceeded every expectation we had. From the incredible support of this community to the guests who continue to choose us, this first year has been more successful than we ever imagined.
When we signed those papers a year ago, we hoped people would believe in our vision. We never imagined just how much encouragement, kindness, and support we would receive along the way. Every reservation, every review, every recommendation, every Facebook comment, and every conversation has reminded us that we're building something special, and we don't take a single bit of it for granted.
To the Two Rivers and Manitowoc communities, thank you for welcoming us with open arms and believing in us. To our guests, whether you've stayed with us once or have returned time and time again, thank you for trusting us and supporting a small, family-owned business through every stage of this journey.
The best is yet to come. We still have big dreams, plenty of projects ahead, and we can't wait to continue sharing this journey with all of you.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making our first year one we'll never forget.
Here's to Year Two. 💚
Brian & Amanda
