Historic Stevensville Hotel has new owners

By Michael Howell

The Stevensville Hotel began its structural existence as the Bitterroot valley’s first hospital in 1910, then run for many years by Dr. William Thornton. Over the years it transitioned into a nursing home, a daycare center, and then a boarding house before going through a major transition beginning in 2004 when former owners Gene Mim Mack and Robbie Springs created the Stevensville Hotel.

 

The newest owners, Mark and Dana Bateman, hail most recently from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dana was born in Utah and Mark was born in Oklahoma. They have been married for 28 years and have five children and seven grandchildren.

 

Mark owned a muffler and brake shop in Oklahoma and the couple would buy old homes, fix them up and sell them for extra income over the years. When his parents passed on, however, the couple decided to move to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

 

According to Danam they were thinking about maybe buying a beach condo but they also toyed with the idea of running a bed & breakfast and were thinking it would be in Arkansas. Then their daughter’s one-year-old child got sick and they decided to come and help her out for bit. Their daughter lives in Florence, Montana.

 

Mark said he had some connections to Montana. For one thing, his parents owned property in Kalispell. But that was before he was born. He also learned to ski in Montana.

 

“Montana is so magical,” he said. “The mountains. The frozen waterfalls. All the animals. It’s peaceful. It’s a beautiful place.”

 

The two of them are also impressed by the history of the old building, the valley’s first hospital in the state’s first town. They are hoping to preserve as much of the authentic hospital history as possible and even, if possible, bring in more and integrate it into the hotel atmosphere.

 

Dana said that entertaining guests was a rather intimate business.

 

“When people come here to see their grandkids graduate from high school,” she said, “we get to know them and get to meet the kids, too. It’s the same when people come to attend funerals. You get to know these people. They share a lot with you.”

 

Dana said that she finds that part of the business very enjoyable.

 

“You start feeling like part of the family,” she said.

 

“Our main aim is to make this a good, comfortable place to come and relax. A place to chill out,” she said.

 

Former owners of the hotel, Gene Mim Mack and Robbie Springs, have not left the area. They have moved a few miles out of town but will remain engaged in managing the 5th Street Motel/Guest House and the Kohl Building properties which they still own.

 

Mim Mack said that after 13-and-a-half years, he and Robbie decided managing the hotel was preventing them from pursuing the other goals and objectives they want to pursue in Stevensville, such as sailing on their 51-foot sailboat, a lifelong passion. He said they decided four years ago to put the hotel on the market because the commitment required to manage it was eating up too much of their time and energy.

 

He said they felt very fortunate the day Mark’s daughter knocked on their door and said her parents had an interest in the hotel. It took a period of time as Gene and Robbie took off for a sailing trip in the Bahamas.

 

“Half way through the trip we got a call,” he said. “They wanted us to come back right away and execute the sale. So we did. It’s as simple as that.”

 

Gene said that he and Robbie would continue doing what they were before, keeping up their buildings and serving the people who use them.

 

“But we won’t have to take care of that seven-room B&B anymore,” said Mim Mack.

 

He added, “We wish the Batemans the very best in their new endeavor and hope they get as much enjoyment from running the hotel as we did.”