DOWELL TAKES REINS AT BOARDERS INN AND SUITES

by Krista Norton | February 24, 2022

It’s exciting when hometown kids come back and begin a career, creating a sense of hope and future for Hamilton County. Albani Dowell, daughter of Shauna Valentine and the late Curt Dowell, has done just that and is now the new manager of Boarders Inn & Suites. She replaced Sarah Gerard who took over for Boarders Inn first manager, Cassy Thompson, after she and her husband Nick moved. 
Dowell was born and raised, in Syracuse, graduating in 2011. Following high school, she attended Johnson County Community College and Hutchinson Community College. Following two years in Syracuse, she attended Wichita State University for one year. Her career goals following high school was art and early childhood, maybe teaching.
Returning to Syracuse, she worked at The Pub, then Frazee Abstract but had to quit due to illness during her pregnancy. After the birth of her son and taking some time off, she decided to enter the work force again in August. She visited with several who worked at Boarders Inn, asking how they liked it, “All they could say was that they loved it,” said Dowell.
She initially began two to three days a week, then Gerard told Albani she was moving, “So I decided to take on more responsibility, taking over as manager the beginning of 2022. Now I’m available 24/7 but I can work a lot by using my phone. ”It can be a challenge, filling in when no one is able to. But we have a great team of ten to twelve people and the housekeepers are amazing,” said Dowell. 
Although her career took a turn, Dowell is enjoying the challenge of her new position but loves the people part of her job. “People come from all over. I’m amazed and wonder what they are doing here?” 
Dowell explained they have a lot of customers from Colorado, especially now that it is getting warm.“They come to play in the sand dunes.” People usually are interested in dining options but are especially interested in knowing more about the historical canvas prints of Hamilton County. “And of course, many people remember the Ramble ‘N’ Restaurant owned and operated by Bob and Edith Majors.” 
The lot to the east of Boarders Inn used to have a restaurant. The new property owners did not wish to continue operation of the Ramble ‘N’, formerly the Capri. So it was torn down and replaced by new concrete to accommodate recreational vehicles, semi-trucks, and guests pulling a trailer. 
The hotel was originally built in the 1960’s by Paul Gadash. It was named the Holiday Motel. There was only one level.  He added a  second  level in the late 1960’s and built a restaurant. Later Gadash also added a swimming pool next to the restaurant which he later enclosed. Customers at the restaurant could see people swimming through the large plexi-glass window. 
In the early 1980’s, Gerald and Jinny McInturff chose to remove the enclosure and fill the pool in when they bought the property. 
SD Real Estate Holdings, LLC; DBA Boarders Inn and Suites purchased the property in 2015 and closed it until April 2017 to undergo extensive remodeling. They kept the primary integrity of the existing motel but tore each room apart and made them larger and more uniform. 
The motel now features 27 renovated and beautifully decorated rooms. There are two large one-bedroom suites which are complete with a large kitchenette, separate living room with a queen-size pull-out couch. It also includes two televisions, a large bathroom, and seating for four at the kitchen table. 
Guests can choose one of the three junior suites with two queen beds and kitchenettes which are accommodating for extended stays. Guests can also enjoy a picnic on the back side of the motel which includes a table and a grill.
Boarders Inn and Suites by Cobblestone Hotels received the Guest Experience award for 2019, scoring a 9.70 out of 10. Most recently they were notified by booking.com that they received the Traveller Review Award for 2022, receiving a 9.1 rating out of 10. 
Dowell explains they send an e-mail, asking for feedback and the award and rating is based on customer feedback, “So we appreciate customer feedback to keep us doing the best possible job we can.”
While winter can be slow at times, as the weather warms, Dowell said from April on out she is expecting to be at full capacity all the time.  
While she has not been there long enough to have a list of customers who were especially interesting or special, one guest recently, soon after her father passed away, was Syracuse native, Bill Maxey. After explaining who she was, naming her parents and grandparents, he told her a great story about himself and her grandpa Charles Dowell fishing as young adults. “It was great to hear a funny story after the loss of my dad,” she said. Knowing Bill and Charlie, one can only imagine how funny the story was.  
Dowell truly enjoys seeing people from Syracuse stay at our hotel because she gets to hear great stories and learn a bit of history about the town. “It makes me feel proud to have such a gem for those to come back to and still have a little piece of home.”
Reservations can be made by calling 620-384-7829, syracuse@stayboarders.com or on their website, https://www.staycobblestone.com/ks/syracuse