There are many beautiful places in the world that deserve a second chance to be explored and enjoyed, but it is often hard to keep them afloat in the conditions that they exist in for us to enjoy. While there is an approach that just leans into leaving well enough alone, what would you do if you suddenly found an abandoned resort in a beautiful spot? Would you leave it? Or would you fall in love and make it your home? Well, this is the exact choice that a couple had when they came up to an abandoned resort in California.
The story seems simple enough a couple driving along California’s Old Highway 80 came across a rundown motel in Jacumba up in the mountains near the Mexican border. While this idyllic scene should have been filled with vacationing families and glittering water sources, it was run down and abandoned, ravaged by the years of neglect and the desert climate of the region.
It happened in 2020, potentially the best and the worst time in recent history to take the plunge on such an enormous project, but as interior designer Strukel, one half of the couple told Travel & Leisure when interviewed about the renovation and her impetus for making the purchase “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I couldn’t stop talking about it. I knew there was something bigger happening, and that it was a part of my life in some way.”
The hotel’s worn down pink façade hid many a stories, in its heyday it had been a popular getaway for Hollywood stars like Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, who went there to enjoy the climate and the mineral waters that surround the property. After all, its location could not have been better for a getaway.
Located about 70 miles east of San Diego, Jacumba Hot Springs has a small population of 900 and is a very quaint little town that was originally created in the 1920s. Its closeness to the city yet its isolated location made it perfect for those in the public eye to disappear for a few days, and its waters meant that a built in excuse for being there was helpfully supplied along with the accommodations.
However, as happens with so many towns, Interstate 8 was constructed in the 60’s, allowing motorists to bypass most of the local towns and sights and drying up tourism. This meant the end of the hotel and almost of the entire town on Jacumba, who relied heavily on its water attractions to keep the population afloat.
The new lease on life of this California resort
But now times have changed. People are looking to go to places off the beaten path, where there are not as many people and they can disconnect. Plus, Social Media has allowed us to get to know these remote locations that now do not need to rely on traditional advertising or on travelers stumbling into them.
And that is the vision that Strukel could see. She bought the motel and the other properties that can with it, making it a resort, along with her friends turned business partners, Corbin Winters, an interior designer, and Jeff Osborne, a real estate investor. They then swiftly got to work to restore the property to its former glory.
They are ambitious, apart from the already renovated 20 rooms and two pools filled by natural spring waters they are now planning to open or encourage the opening of new restaurants, new stores, and maybe even a recording studio to put the hotel and the town back on the map. As Strukel shares “We love the people of this community. They’re like family now. We want everybody to feel really good and welcomed.”