The likelihood of finding yourself in Ely, Nevada and in need of accommodation for the night is low. Ely (pronounced e-lee) is one of 3 towns on the 300 mile stretch of Highway 50 (the Loneliest Road in America) that runs West from the Utah border. The town isn’t really on the way to or from much, and although that stretch of highway is stunning in the late afternoon as the sun goes down, there’s not much going on in Ely itself.
Which is a shame because the Hotel Nevada is a great little roadside find.
![Hwy 50](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/5826611692_e77e7c3f07.jpg "Enjoying the solitude of Nevada's Hwy 50, the "Lonliest Road in America."")
Approaching Ely well after dark (trying to squeeze in a few more miles heading home from Bonneville this year) we passed an alternating stream of billboards for Hotel Nevada and the Ely Motel 6. When we finally hit the Ely city limits we had a tough decision to make. We were exhausted after a full day on the salt and Anjel’s contacts were killing her thanks to having washed them in Utah’s mineral-heavy water. Do we make a left for Motel 6 – which we knew would be bland but probably have clean beds and a reasonable shower, or roll the dice, head straight and give Hotel Nevada a chance.
We fired the bikes up and decided to roll the dice. Pulling up to the Nevada we were greeted with a giant glowing marquee and a hotel that wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. To hedge our bets Anjel stayed with the bikes and I walked in to check it out. As soon as I walked through the doors though I knew we had a winner.
Stuffed wolf?
Check.
Antler chandelier and Buffalo head?
Check
Corner full of cowboy memorabelia?
Check.
Yep, we were good to go. But it only got better.
The room was a very reasonable $45, and when I asked where we should park our bikes for the evening she said “Oh, you’re bikers? We give a 10% discount for bikers” and suggested I just park them right in front of the hotel, along with the others.
The Hotel Nevada opened in 1929 and at 6-stories was the tallest building in the state. In fact, as we were told by a hotel pamphlet “for many years our hotel was a favorite stop-over for the Hollywood set traveling between California and Sun Valley, Idaho.”
Why the Hollywood set was traveling to Sun Valley, Idaho, I can’t tell you, but the walls are indeed covered with plaques of famous people who stayed there over the years. In fact, all the the rooms are celebrity themed. Not like Madonna Inn themed, but named after- and hung with- pictures of stars of a bygone era. We got the Ken Maynard room, star of such Westerns as Boots of Destiny, Whistlin’ Dan, and Phantom Rancher.
Most of the posters also touted his “wonder horse” Tarzan.
The rooms were basic, but for $40 we were thrilled. The bed was comfy and there was a flatscreen on the wall that we could use to catch up on the local newscasts and basic cable.
If our room was anything to go by, you’ll also find several signs (and cartoon drawings) in the bathroom warning guests that they’re staying in a 100-year-old hotel with 100-year-old plumbing and that the shower temperature can be a bit uncertain. It was indeed; yo-yo-ing with some regularity between pleasant, freezing and not-quite-scalding, but it was a small inconvenience, they were up front about it and it just added to the character.
In the morning we enjoyed a great roadhouse breakfast, loaded up the bikes, and went on our way.
Should we find ourselves needing Ely accommodation again, the Hotel Nevada’s a pretty sure bet.
Hotel Nevada
01 Aultman Street
Ely, NV 89301-1578
(775) 289-6665
www.hotelnevada.com
