April 3, 2024 |
Photo – Aaron Mumford and Jesse Baker at The Virginian Hotel – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
The Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow has new owners. The team which bought the historic Carbon County landmark vows not to change it.
When completed in 1911, the Virginian was the largest hotel between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. The hotel was named after the Owen Wister book that immortalized the small town of Medicine Bow in what is considered the first Western novel.
For the past four generations, the Scott family has owned the historic hotel. During a meet and greet Friday evening, Vickie and Vernon Scott passed the torch to the Virginian’s new owners: Jet Hospitality’s Aaron Mumford and Jesse Baker.
Bigfoot99 sat down with the two entrepreneurs to discuss their plans for the Carbon County icon.
Baker said he founded Jet Hospitality in 2017 to manage vacation rentals. After the COVID-19 outbreak, Baker said he pivoted the company toward revitalizing small-town hotels and motels.
Baker said after learning that the Virginian was for sale, he investigated the local market. The Jet Hospitality founder said the historic location seemed primed for growth.
Baker said he and Mumford do not plan on making any major changes to the Virginian. Baker said he will focus on maintaining the hotel’s historic character to ensure that it continues to attract visitors from around the world.
Mumford said Jet Hospitality has a unique business model that prioritizes the community. Mumford said he will work with the people of Medicine Bow to ensure that the legacy of the Virginian is honored. With that mindset, Mumford said he expects the hotel will be profitable.
Mumford said owning a 113-year-old building presents a unique set of challenges. The Jet Hospitality co-owner said his goal isn’t to turn the Virginian into a soulless modern hotel. Mumford said he and Baker want to leverage the people’s strong work ethic to ensure the hotel continues to be a great place to work and stay.
Jet Hospitality founder Baker said his biggest challenge has been convincing the people of Medicine Bow that he and Mumford have the best intentions for the century-old hotel. Baker said he knows that over time, his authenticity will overcome the small town’s natural distrust of strangers.
Baker said he has experience managing vacation properties in other small towns in the mountain west. The Jet Hospitality owner said he wants to use the Virginian to improve the economy of Medicine Bow.
Both Baker and Mumford want to assure the people of Carbon County that they will not alter the legacy of the historic old hotel.
