New Management Hopes Budgetel Reopening is Uneventful

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF)- A troubled East Ridge motel is attempting its comeback.

The Budgetel Inn and Suites Motel in East Ridge was shut down in November as it was declared a nuisance by Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp.

It had previously experienced issues as the Superior Creek Lodge as well ending in a mandatory evacuation in 2015.

New management has since taken over and they hope this time they can avoid a similar fate.

The new general manager of the Budgetel, Jason Walker, said, “The main goal is for this to be an economical, ordinary hotel that you would have no interest in, in terms of media. I fully understand the history and the things that have happened here over the past couple of years.”

A recent court order is allowing the Budgetel Inn and Suites Motel on North Mack Smith Road to be reopened.

Walker said, “I’ve received directives from our home office and from the city of East Ridge, we’ve gone through all of our inspections. We’ve passed all of our inspections and we’re ready to operate an economical, excellent, basic hotel off exit one.”

There are several conditions the motel must meet in order to stay open.

Some of these include a visitor curfew from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., no sex offenders allowed to stay on property, and 24/7 private security.

Walker allowed us to tour one of the renovated rooms in building one.

It was clear of any obvious damages and in shape for guests to use it.

Walker says that the motel is moving away from its past as an extended stay motel, as any one stay over 120 days would cost the motel a $500 fine each day.

Walker said, “We’ve built a good relationship I believe with the people who operate the city of East Ridge, and we’ve let them know we do intend to be fully compliant and when they hired me, they gave me that exact directive.”

Walker has only been on board with the motel for six weeks but has experience operating hotel properties for many years.

He says that throughout this process, he has been primarily working with the city of East Ridge and not Hamilton County.

Walker said, “I have not spoken to Coty Wamp, and honestly, if we do our job well I don’t expect to.”

He says more than anything, he’s aiming to change the motel’s image in the community.

Walker: said, “Everybody who has come through, especially people with the city of East Ridge and residents and neighbors who have come through, are very happy that what’s happening here is different than what this property has experienced in the past.”

Walker added that one of the main goals is to have a working relationship with the East Ridge Police Department.

Budgetel will be due in court later this month for a status hearing.