I'm Ready For My Close Up, Mr. DeMille!
Stonewall Motor Lodge Featured on Magnolia Network show (Re)Motel
Since we launched a short 3 years ago, the SML has been blessed to receive some great… no FABULOUS... media attention. We’ve received great regional coverage in the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Austin Monthly, and even featured on KSAT, the ABC affiliate in San Antonio. We then stepped into statewide coverage when we were featured in Texas Monthly, and then a cover story in the January 2021 issue of Texas Highways Magazine. I then thought, well, that’s as good as it gets, until…
I woke up on my 50th birthday in July 2020 to find, totally by surprise, that Conde Nast Traveler has included us in their article, “8 Classic Motor Lodges to Book for Your Next Road Trip”. Then, in summer 2021, during the middle of a pandemic, The New York Times featured us in the appropriately titled “Who Wants a Hotel with a Hallway Anyway”. THE NEW YORK FREAKIN TIMES!!! Covering our little motel in Stonewall!!! What a birthday present.
But, nothing compares to the compliment of being the focus of a national TV show. It’s 5:30am, and I just watched the debut of Season 2, Episode 8 of (re) Motel, a new show on the Magnolia Network. Yes, the new network from Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame. The series showcases passionate motel owners across America who restore and redesign their historic properties to give them new life and create destination stops for a new generation of travelers. They even used a picture of our motel as the cover art for the show, which means anyone who goes to search the long list of shows available on Magnolia will see this image for the (re)motel series.
Unlike Fixer Upper, it’s not completely about the renovation process, although that’s part of it. It’s more about the story of the property, its history, us as individuals and why we decided to renovate one of these roadside motels.
Tim and Errica, our managers, were very familiar with the series, having watched Season 1. They had been big fans of the show since it's airing last year, and were shocked that our sweet motel didn't make the cut....until one day, an email popped into our inbox. Needless to say, they were super excited to finally get our “casting call”. Me, not so much. I wasn’t familiar with the show, but knew enough to know we were interested in anything tied to Chip and Joanna Gaines and their new Magnolia Network. Off I went to binge watch Season 1.
Season 1 covered many of the motels I had researched when we were thinking about buying the SML – The Amigo Motor Lodge, Skyview Los Alamos, and others. It was great fun to look past the décor and learn the stories of the owners and history of their locations. I was hooked, and so I reached out and the planning began.
Our call with the producer, Roxy Hunt, instantly put me at ease. I shared the story of the SML, how we found it, it’s condition and what we did to bring it back to life, and how we partnered with a group of friends and family to buy and restore it. They were hoping to catch us in some kind of renovation or design process, but we had nothing going on to film. So, we decided to hold a special Events at the Barn, and showcase true Texas hospitality with wine, food, music, and friends. The date was set, the weekend of October 8th, 2021.
We were blessed with perfect October weather when the crew arrived. This was no small production. 3 cameramen, a producer, a sound guy, and a pro photographer came down for 4 days. Mind you, the episodes run about 10 min in length. We had no idea what they were going to do with all the footage, but we definitely rolled out the red carpet for them.
We wrapped things up with a wonderful Events at The Barn after a full two days of filming. Grapecreek Vineyards, Ab Astris, Chef Mitchell with The Liquid Culture set up shop to serve some Texas BBQ with slaw. Piccolina came out in her too cute truck, The Madame, to serve a variety of Italian ice, and of course, a massive charcuterie board, courtesy of local friend and grazing board enthusiast, Javier Alonso.. Our friends Lexy and Jamey Howard played until the wee hours of the morning as we sang and some of us danced. Even the cameramen eventually called it a wrap for filming and stopped to enjoy the festivities. We are truly blessed.
I won’t spoil the episode, but it’s a perfect homage to the spirit and history of the Stonewall Motor Lodge. It features the beautiful Texas Hill Country and the properties and businesses that make us a national wine destination. It’s a nod to President LBJ, the Hahne family who built the original Stonewall Motel, and of course, the US Press Corp who have a special tie to our property. I wish I had been around during the 1960’s. What a time in history.
Thank you to our vendors who came out to show some love – SML Co-owner and Winemaker Jason Englert of Grapecreek Vineyards, Ab Astris Winery, Chef Mitchell with The Liquid Culture, Piccolina with her super cute truck serving up Italian ice, Fredericksboards for the Charcuterie, and Lexy and Jamey Howard for entertaining us until 2am! We also appreciate all the family and friends who came out to enjoy the evening with us.
(re)motel is now streaming on the Magnolia Network, which can be found on Discovery +. The Stonewall Motor Lodge is featured in Season 2, Episode 8.
