FLORIDA, Mass. — The Blue Vista Motor Lodge is still bringing hospitality to the town of Florida — even 100 years, many owners, names, and renovations later.

 

"When we were working on renovation plans, we found a postcard online from 1923 from the Whitcomb Summit Motor Lodge so that's kind of exciting that for over 100 years, people have been coming here and I think you can see why," owner Stella Downie said.

 

It all started with a small shack on Whitcomb Summit offering souvenirs and drinks that opened up with the highway in 1914. With growing popularity along the scenic byway, small cottages were built for motorists to stay on the Mohawk Trail's highest point.  

Unfortunately, in 1938, the store and a restaurant burned and the cottages started to get run down. In the 1960s, the cottages were replaced with the current building, named Whitcomb Summit Lodge. 

 

There were attempts to rejuvenate the summit for tourism over the preceding decades that fell by the wayside — from campgrounds and timeshares to fine dining and condominiums.

 

Downie purchased the building in December 2021, renovated the lodge in 2022 with a soft opening that fall, and officially opened in early 2023.

 

"We really wanted to clean it up and make it a beautiful place again for people to come and visit and really highlight the views," she said.

 

When Downie took over the property, she said it needed fixes and moving around. She took down all of the bordering dilapidated buildings that had long been abandoned, including the shuttered restaurant, to enhance the grounds.