5:04pm, October 17, 1989.  I will remember the Loma Prietta Earthquake for as long as I live.  It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago yesterday.  And yet the day passed without much in the way of excitement-department, which really is just fine with me.

Speaking of excitement, I feel like somehow we got robbed with that awesome storm we had earlier this week.  It swept in on Monday night like a Banshee and lashed its fury at us for all of a day, and by Wednesday is was warm and muggy and not…Fall…again.

The property faired really well, considering how sudden and awesome storms like that have a tendency to bring surprises with them.  No power outages, nothing broken (we even bought extra flashlights and batteries just in case!), and nothing to report.

Here’s to hoping the season continues in this uneventful vein, but maybe we’ll get a little more lucky with the cooler weather.  It sure would make watering the lawn a lot easier!

The summer has fled in the face of wintery storms, it appears.  Already the skies are darkening as the first storm of the fall approaches, and this one promises to be a doozie.  We’re all prepared, though, and I must admit the cooler weather is much appreciated.

Our renovation is still pending, with no confirmed news on the water main and its removal.  We got some misplaced hope this week when the Town of Los Gatos was out working on a drainage pipe adjacent to the water main.  When it became apparent that they had nothing to do with the main, their activity lost interest, but we are still hoping that we will get good news early into this Fall season so that we can commence the project we have all been anticipating.

We havent put up any updates in quite some time, mainly because of the uncertainty of when the project will get back underway.  With the water main still in place and in the way of the new building, all we can do is wait and watch.

As we approach the summer months, we have taken some steps to make things more pleasant for our guests staying with us.  We reinstalled a nice grassy area and put in some very nicely hand-crafted picnic tables that will be a nice place to mingle in the cool of the summer evenings.  The main lot is planning on being seeded with grass within the next week to make it more visually appealing, and new flower beds have been added across the property.

Other hopes and plans have been cropping up as well, which hope to make use of the downtime to make the Los Gatos Motor Inn even better when things start up again soon.  We are hopeful that October of 2009 is a realistic date to begin.

One point I do feel like I have to make is that while we no longer have a pool, and have tried to stay on top of any print and online media that used to list this as an amenity, we do have free access to the Los Gatos Athletic Club’s lap pool, and the grass and picnic area is designed for guests to gather and congregate in lieu of the former pool deck we had.  Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Well, almost.  Its been very quiet here at the Inn.  Construction has ceased temporarily because of the rain and the holidays, which has been nice for guests wanting to sleep in a bit!  We will resume activities after the New Year, as we start focusing on building the new lobby and redoing all the rooms.

We still have room for Christmas, so if you get unexpected guests for the Holidays, give us a call.  We look forward to serving you!

The weather has been nearly perfect - mid 70’s and sunny during the days, cooling just enough at night to remind that it is, indeed, Fall - and so grading of the parking lot continues.  Nothing quite picture-worthy, but the earthmovers are preparing the site to receive the foundation within the next few weeks.  With the sun continuing to be projected over the next few weeks, it should be smooth sailing for the construction crews as we approach the holidays.

We will be fully open for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so get your reservations in now!

Here are the pictures from the first week of construction.  The Juniper bush was very close to the first to go, then the pool and surrounding areas.  The rainy picture shows the pool out and the covered drive slightly modified.

It’s here!  All of our planning and hoping has come to fruition, and as of Monday, October 27th, work has begun.  You might not recognize some of what you see, but we will try to keep this updated with photos and information as things move along.

The biggest visual changes are, of course, the removal of the pool, the lawn on the corner, and the porte cochere, which was the covered drive.  Slight rain delays have kept the crews away for the last few days, but watch for the footings of the new retail building to go in very soon.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask, but we are all very excited about what is to be!  At this point we do not foresee the rooms or availability of the motel to be affected until January 1, 2009, at which point the new lobby and rooms themselves will be affected. (I’ll post pictures as soon as I figure out how!)

Beauty in the heart of Silicon Valley

Los Gatos has the nicest down town in Silicon Valley, and the Los Gatos Motor Inn is no more than a 10 minute walk to almost everything the town of Los Gatos has to offer. The Los Gatos Village is a beautiful destination nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The Los Gatos Motor Inn is the price leader in the greater Los Gatos area, with rates 20-50% less than our competition with a superior location.

• Continental breakfast served daily
• Complimentary Wireless Internet Access
• Free unlimited use of Los Gatos Athletic Club’s facilities
• Ample Parking

The Los Gatos Village is regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most desirable residential communities, with excellent schools, tree-shaded streets, historic downtown and a strong sense of community.

A 30-minute drive through the Santa Cruz Mountains brings you to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and the Pacific Ocean. Monterey Bay, with its world famous aquarium and Carmel Village are another forty-five mile drive south.

A 10-15 minute drive North will take you to the capital of Silicon Valley and the Mineta International Airport.