Lanna and Joe Duncan, owners of the historic Hotel Paisano in Marfa and the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, have announced the purchase of The Lodge at Cloudcroft Resort and Spa.
The Lodge has a long and storied history dating back to its inception in 1899. It is nestled in Cloudcroft, New Mexico at 9,000 feet elevation surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest in the Sacramento Mountains. The historic hotel has 59 rooms, a restaurant known for its fine dining, a nine-hole golf course, retail and golf shops, a day spa, pool and numerous forested trails on the property.
The original structure burned to the ground in 1909. It was rebuilt two years later as a larger 41,000 square foot wood structure. The building still stands today. Adjacent to the inn is the original Cloudcroft train depot that was moved to the property in the 1980’s. It serves as the golf shop and spa.
For the first 40 years of existence the golf course was noted as the highest in elevation in North America. It is also one of the oldest courses in the US celebrating its 116th year of continuous operation. Today it is the seventh highest golf course in the world.
The inn was built by The Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway headed by Charles Eddy as a byproduct of the railroad’s search for timber in 1899. (As history repeats itself, Eddy was a business partner of Lanna Duncan’s great grandfather Edgar Bronson of El Paso in the 1880s).
The Lodge was an immediate successful mountain retreat to thousands of overheated Texans that would visit in the summertime. Over the last century The Lodge has hosted hundreds of notable politicians, artists, entertainers and business leaders. From 1930 to 1933 it was leased and managed by Conrad Hilton.
The Duncans bought the historic inn from Great Inns of The Rockies, a privately held corporation, which had owned the property since 1986.
Lanna Duncan said she and Joe bought the Lodge because of their love of history and historic preservation. “I love the stories the properties tell and what they mean to the communities and their historyâ€.
Joe said, “we needed another notable historic projectâ€. For 25 years their career has led them to restore four historic hotels and numerous historic homes. They use the homes as nightly rentals with their hotels. Three of their properties are listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, DC. The Duncans also previously owned and operated The Hotel Limpia for over 20 years and most recently redeveloped the Stone Village Tourist Camp and Market, both in Fort Davis.
The Lodge will continue under the direction of General Manager, Lisa Thomassie, who has served on the property for 28 years as well as many other valued managers and employees who have been on the property for decades.
The Duncans have plans to gradually make upgrades to the property as they get to know it. Joe says “at this time we want to focus on a smooth transition of ownership. The Lodge has a great future aheadâ€.
