WALLA WALLA — To get an idea of what a first-class hotel meant to this rural community in the late 1920s, consider: One of the most common words used by dignitaries, socialites and travelers to describe the 12-story Whitman Inn during its prime was "grand."
Today that’s a word more frequently reserved for describing a type of piano or the Arizona canyon.
But if you think about the exquisiteness of a grand piano or the greatness of the Grand Canyon, it’s a little easier to appreciate the meaning of a "grand" hotel in a land known for its wheat fields.
Over the years, the hotel — now known as the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center — survived debt, closure and a series of changing owners.
After an extreme makeover two years ago, it reaches its 75th anniversary with a renewed importance in the community.
Still a place for social gatherings and dignitaries, it is also home to business offices and has become a destination for conventions, tourists and local residents.
Walla Walla tourism promoter Gil Langley describes the Marcus Whitman as the "linchpin in the entire marketing strategy."
Without it, the local tourism puzzle would be missing a piece, he said.
"It would be like Orlando without Disney World," Langley said. "It might be a great destination, and there would be a lot of other things to see and do. But without the Marcus Whitman, a lot of other development in the community and ability to target tourism as a market would have been an impossibility."
Dave Warkentin, executive director of the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce, agrees the building is essential in development of convention tourism.
"It plays a vital role in terms of meetings," he said. "It is a huge selling point."
This is a niche owner Kyle Mussman is eager to fill.
Shortly after the renovation and 2001 reopening of the Marcus Whitman, the hotel suffered somewhat of an identity crisis.
Expected to spawn new economic development through tourism, the hotel offered more services than many guests in this modern farm community used.
Full-service breakfast is one example.
Two things since the renovation have helped stabilize the Marcus Whitman: time and an overnight visit by Mussman.
The Marcus Whitman is one of the few — if not the only place — in town that can regularly accommodate large groups. Mussman said reservations are doubling and tripling on a regular basis.
"Every month we get stronger," he said. "The word of mouth is huge."
Mussman also identified the need for customer service improvements after spending a night at the hotel in February.
Thinking as a customer instead of a manager, he noted all the details of his stay — from restaurant service at The Marc to the comfort of the bed in his suite.
Then he wrote a five-page letter to the hotel from a guest’s perspective, complimenting everything done right and noting everything that needed improvement.
One of the few historic hotels operating in the Pacific Northwest, it’s grandeur lives on.
"It’s been the cornerstone of Walla Walla for the last 75 years," Mussman said. "It’ll be here for another 75."
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