New owners hope to open Hurley Inn by fall

HURLEY — Owners of the recently purchased Hurley Inn are working to reopen the property as a motel this fall.

Hurley Mayor Joe Pinardi said he has been in contact with one of the owners, Paul Bertelson, and the initial plan is to have 50 rooms open. Pinardi said the building’s bar and restaurant would potentially open at a later date.

“Right now, the city of Hurley has enough restaurants and bars, and (it’s) in dire need of a motel,” Pinardi said, conveying what Bertelson told him regarding the time-line to open. “And I agree.”

The idea is to establish a cash flow through the rooms, Pinardi said, and then Bertelson may attempt to get a Minneapolis restauranteur to take over the bar and restaurant portion.

Bertelson, who said he was part of a trust that bought the property in April, confirmed the general time-line, saying he planned for a soft opening sometime in September.

“The property has struggled for years to be successful,” Bertelson told the Daily Globe, adding he didn’t want to see the area flooded with new hotel openings.

He said he has connections with various groups in Minneapolis and elsewhere in the Midwest and hopes to turn Hurley and the Upper Peninsula into a vacation destination for these groups.

“I just feel we can reintroduce people from Minneapolis ... to the area,” Bertelson said, mentioning Milwaukee and Chicago as other markets he would explore.

The area’s snowmobiling and skiing opportunities were mentioned as draws to the area.

The Hurley Inn wasn’t one of the properties receiving a motel permit when the Hurley City Council approved liquor licenses and other permits earlier this month.

Pinardi said Bertelson would have to go through the process before he could do anything and the council could not approve a permit if they disagreed with his plans.

“At the time when he gets the license, (the property) will be inspected and it will also be on the room tax register,” Pinardi said.

As the Hurley Inn is located within city limits on U.S. 51, he said the city handles permits and other zoning issues.

Pinardi denied he had struck any deal with Bertelson regarding alternative plans for the property.

“Absolutely not,” he said, “any decision like that is going to come through the full city council at a city council meeting as an agenda item.”

Bertelson said he originally became involved in the hotel industry in the ‘80s, operating five hotels in North Dakota and Minnesota with a brother, before getting out of the business.

He returned to the business last year, and is also involved with groups owning the Royal and Blue Cloud motels in Ironwood.

He said the plan for all three properties is for them to be used to draw tourists.

“(The three) are definitely three different properties,” Bertelson said, “(with) different pricing levels).”

He said the two Ironwood motels would likely be slightly cheaper, catering to those looking for a “ma and pa operation,” while the Hurley Inn property would be for those looking for an experience similar to a Holiday Inn.