SEQUIM — To Debbie Bourquin, the Red Ranch Inn is a Sequim fixture; a “signature” lodging establishment she recalls from childhood.
And now that the Red Ranch has reopened after an eight-month hiatus, her visions for what it could be are all but endless.
Bourquin doesn’t just have a soft spot for the crimson motel. She manages the place.
“I’m anxious to get in there and market it — to let people know we are here and we’re open,” she said.
The 55-room inn near Washington Street and Brackett Road has a colorful history as one of Sequim’s first motels.
But hard times led to several changes in ownership.
A Seattle man, J.C. Choi, who owned the property since 1998 tried to keep it afloat, but eventually found himself in foreclosure early this year.
Choi paid $1.9 million for the buildings and near-acre lot six years ago.
$1.1 million purchase
Chang Cho, operating under the corporate name of Bellma Inc., closed escrow June 9 on the property for $1.1 million.
Cho hired Bourquin, who had worked last under general manager Mike Hurh before the motel closed in November.
She immediately hired a housekeeper and two desk clerks, and Cho has set out planning refurbishments including a new roof and possibly a new paint job.
