ILWACO Offering clean rooms at an affordable rate and attracting guests to the Peninsula is the overall goal for Brian Carlson and Theresa Luty, the new owners of Heidis Inn in Ilwaco.

The pair took over the motel June 1 from the Patel family and say they are enjoying their new business venture and pleased with the area.

I had never been to Ilwaco, I had never heard of Long Beach, says Luty, who is from Vancouver, B.C., and has a background in the medical industry. But we saw potential in [the motel]. We said, This is it, this is the one.

Carlson agrees, It really fit what we wanted in our first motel purchase and, actually, I think weve been pleasantly surprised. No disappointment whatsoever, but genuine joy.

Its been fantastic, Luty says. The previous owners are amazing people who were very easy to work with through the sale process.

Janek and Anantu Patel had owned the motel since the early 90s and had received many positive reviews about the cleanliness of their rooms, according to Luty.

Carlson, a resort manager and turnaround specialist for various hotel properties for the past 10 years, hails from Friday Harbor but was familiar with Ilwaco.

I used to spend two weeks at Fort Canby State Park with my grandparents each year, so I have very fond memories of the Peninsula and Ilwaco, he explains.

Luty says of the Peninsula, The community was warm and friendly in a natural way. The community has been fantastically welcoming and were loving it so far.

Following their business philosophy of Be who you are where you are, the couple has worked to improve the buildings curbside appeal with some gardening and painting. They say they have also refreshed the rooms with new linens, bedspreads and towels, and plan to eventually update the rooms with new furniture and appliances to rebrand and modernize.

With 26 rooms consisting of standard and group/ family rooms, Luty says the motel offers a lot of options to choose from in order to accommodate guests needs.

We are a motel, but that doesnt mean we cant try to be the best, Luty explains.

We want to offer a great economy rate but we have really high standards of what we provide, she adds. One of Brians favorite sayings is, No frills but no chills.

Two of our housekeepers have been with the property for 17 years and Brian says they are the reason its so clean, she praises. Were so blessed to have them and we are proud of the work they do to make this a success for everybody even the former owners. The housekeepers, they are our rockstars. We are so blessed to have them.

Their five employees have likely been of much help during the transition, as Carlson and Luty took over the motel just as the summer season got underway, which brought back some guests who have been customers of Heidis for more than a decade.

I was surprised with the demographic, he says of his customers. Awesome people. The guests come from a variety of backgrounds and a wide variety of interests.

Carlson and Luty say that their most important duty is to market the Penin- sula as a whole even if that means referring a potential customer to another establishment.

We truly, truly, truly believe in a communal approach. We need to draw people to the Discovery Coast, Carlson says. We have an organic approach to business create goodwill, create good memories, create good service and let the rest take care of itself.

Heidis Inn is a pet-friendly establishment that offers AAA and military discounts, as well as group and event rates. Nightly rates start at $69 per night in the off season and $89 in the high season.

Located at 126 Spruce Street East in Ilwaco, Heidis Inn can be reached by calling 642-2387. Check out their website at www.heidisinnmotel.com.