Horseshoe Bend undergoes facelift for ‘distinctive’ feel

By David Peck

One of Lovell’s bedrock motel properties is undergoing a transformation, and it’s not a simple facelift. It’s more like a total renovation – one room at a time.

The Horseshoe Bend Motel on East Main in Lovell has been hosting guests for more than half a century, constructed in 1969. Joe and JoAnn Anderson have been lovingly caring for visitors at the motel for 22 years since they purchased the property in 1998, perfect ambassadors for the community they have grown to love.

And now the next generation of the family business is giving new life to the motel. Bobbi McJunkin, Joe Anderson’s daughter, is now the manager and co-owner of the property, bringing with her new energy, creativity and business knowledge that comes from decades of retail experience.

McJunkin also brings something vital to the enterprise – a wholehearted enthusiasm for the community and the wondrous natural features that surround it.

A resident of Napa, Calif., McJunkin first started visiting Lovell in earnest in October to help out when Joe had some health issues, she said. That visit has blossomed into a fulltime partnership, and she is now devoting her energy to the remodeling project, though she still goes back and forth. Chelsey Eades is her right hand daily staff member, along with Joe and JoAnn.

Though she has business experience in ritzy Napa and Sonoma, Calif., McJunkin has fallen for Lovell hook, line and sinker – a perfect figure of speech in that Joe Anderson is an avid fisherman.

“I’m the boy he never had,” she said with a laugh when describing her family ties. “I knew this was the right place because the people are so genuine. I mean, where else can you trade fish to get a dryer fixed?”

McJunkin has lived in Minnesota and Washington state, raised kids in Salt Lake City and has lived in Napa for several years now. Son Sevirin lives in the Salt Lake area, and daughter Brookelyn DeJesus lives in Napa.

The renovation

McJunkin doesn’t want the Horseshoe Bend to be just any old motel. She wants it to be distinctive, with a retro, vintage look – like the large, historic sign out front.

“I want it to be a place of vintage vacations, something to look forward to,” she said, adding that she wants a stay at the motel to be “an experience, not just a stayover.”

“What I appreciate about Lovell is the small-town feel,” she continued. “I want to keep that feel and build upon what Joe and JoAnn did, refresh it.”

Her enthusiasm is infectious. She envisions a large tipi out front and perhaps a bocce ball court, corn hole games and a nice fire pit and upgraded barbecue area.

McJunkin would like to renovate the office and lobby and add a small gift shop and bagel bar.

As for the motel itself, she, her staff and contractor Bruce Bourquins are remodeling the property one room at a time, and so far 10 of the 25 rooms have been completed and three are in the process, with 12 yet to come.

 When work starts on a room, everything is removed and replaced except for the restroom. That’s next year’s project.  For now, every room will have new beds with Serta mattresses and new furniture, linens, TVs and lights. Every room is being re-wired for modern technology. The carpet has been taken out of the completed rooms, and pet friendly rooms will have wood flooring. Area rugs will replace the carpet.

“We have beautiful beds, and the sheets are beautiful. All of the bedding is white,” she said. “There are down comforter inserts.”

As part of her vision of distinction, every room will have a theme. For instance, there’s the Lovell Astronaut Room in honor of Jim Lovell, who stayed at the Horseshoe Bend during his visit to Lovell in 2002. Each room will have a five-foot by five-foot photo on the wall matching the theme.

There’s also the Buffalo Bill Room, the Mustang Room, the Tipi Room, the Stephen Shore Room, featuring his photography, and more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a double-edge sword, McJunkin said. The slower pace has allowed her to speed the renovation process, but there are few tourists, which hurts revenue, though she said work-related bookings have been strong.

“It’s not awful,” she said. “There’s a lot going on in the community.”

As for the current post-COVID world, McJunkin said, “It (the motel) has to be clean. You have to be conscientious about that. It’s a whole different world with COVID.”

McJunkin said she will have “value pricing” at the motel, noting, “I want people to be able to afford to come here but also have an experience.”

She is also updating the booking system for the motel, employing the Cloudbeds property management system, which will allow the motel to be booked on such sites as Booking.com. She’s also working on a new website for the motel.

“This little town is such a gem,” she said. “It’s the little town that time hasn’t changed. I want to keep that, the charm the community has.

“The number one thing for me has been the people. Many people have helped me.”

In short, Bobbi McJunkin loves Lovell, and she wants to share that love with visitors at her distinctive, memorable motel.