How we accidentally bought a motel

Hi! So if you've found this page, you're curious like a cat. We hope that doesn't come back to haunt you; for now, you're in luck because we're prepared to share a little more about our origin story. We're Seth and Lynn, and we're the innkeepers of the Gate. In 2021, Lynn convinced me (Seth) to buy an unusual investment property in Skaneateles, my hometown. In 2023, we opened it as The Gate. The years in between involved a lot of basement work, some light electrocution, and the gradual realization that Lynn's ambitious ideas keep coming. Who knows what else she'll talk me into...

How We Got Here

After 15 years in advertising, I left to start my own paperweight company - Weight, Paper, Scissor. Unfortunately it failed immediately, so Lynn decided I needed a different project to keep me busy.

Lynn heard about the property from Sunshine, our realtor and friend, who was a welcome audience for all Lynn's business venture ramblings. If you know Lynn, you know she got swept away in the excitement of its potential: good bones, great location, financials that worked on paper.

We have experience with passive income investment properties, so we knew how to buy property and generate income. Lynn walked me through the figures - how we'd make it work, that it would be really fun, and would definitely (most likely) break even. It didn't take much convincing.

We bought potential and discovered purpose.

Elmer Chapman

Working in the basement one day, I found a key fob that said "Skaneateles Motel." So it had definitely been a motel. Soon after, we got an even luckier break: descendants of a previous owner stopped in and offered to show us their family photo albums dating back as early as the 1920s - dozens of photos showing the Chapman Motel in its heyday. That's how we learned about Elmer Chapman, who ran this place from 1953 to 1973.

Elmer Chapman is now central to our lives, even though we've never met him and barely know anyone who knew him. We don't know him personally or any details of his story beyond what we can see in those family photos and newspaper clippings, but we are pretty sure he had guts. In 1953, Elmer decided to bet on himself and expand from gas station owner to hospitality entrepreneur.

We're following the same path seventy years later. What we thought would take a few months took more than two years. Why is that, you ask? Turns out things aren't always as straightforward as the plan, and there's a big difference between designing a motel business and then building and operating one. Collecting rent on an apartment is a pretty stark departure from dealing with guest questions at 11pm, broken air conditioning on the hottest day of summer, and explaining to confused travelers that yes, you do have to actually check out.

I learned demolition, framing, plumbing, HVAC, electric, design, plus everything about running a hotel - from finding mattresses that don't suck to dealing with OTAs and trying to get a small motel "on the map." Lynn is responsible for social media (hello, 317 followers and counting!) and occasionally dusts off her amateur yodeling to entertain me when I get lonely from lack of coworkers.

We know our guests because we've been every type of traveler - backpackers looking for budget basics, couples wanting romantic escapes, families needing space to spread out, business travelers who just want clean and convenient. We created a place that works for all the travelers we've been. Now that we're raising a family and are less mobile, we welcome travelers who bring their adventures to our doorstep.

What We Built

Today we have six motel rooms and a cottage at the eastern gateway to the Finger Lakes, each renovated to blend the Chapman Motel's vintage character with everything modern travelers need. We kept what made the original work: park outside your door, peaceful setting among mature trees, walking distance to Skaneateles village. Also hot water, private baths, and heat.

The updates reflect our travel experience - smart TVs, reliable WiFi, climate control you can actually adjust, contactless check-in that lets you arrive when you want to arrive. We designed every detail based on stays we've loved and problems we've encountered as travelers ourselves.

Soon we'll move into the house that Elmer built for his own family on this property. We'll be living exactly where the Chapman Motel story started, continuing a tradition of hospitality that began with an entrepreneur brave enough to bet on himself.

In Spring 2026, we intend to open The Elmer to guests - the original owner's residence converted into a four-bedroom vacation rental that sleeps 10-12. Named for the entrepreneur who started this whole adventure, it's the perfect way to honor what Elmer built while serving how families and groups travel today.

The Story Continues

You don't need to know everything about your predecessors to learn from them. Sometimes just knowing they succeeded gives you enough confidence to try. His motel catered to travelers that appreciated comfortable amenities, and Elmer showed that a small business can thrive at the edge of Skaneateles and that you can bet on yourself and win.

When you stay at The Inn at the Gate, you're adding your chapter to a story that started with an entrepreneur in 1953 who was brave enough to expand from gas station to motel. You'll experience the benefits he created - convenience, character, and connection to beautiful Skaneateles - updated by new proprietors with a strong POV on today's travelers.

Turns out you can learn a lot from someone just by living where they lived.

Here we go.

~Seth & Lynn

The Inn at the Gate offers seven thoughtfully renovated accommodations on the original Chapman Motel property. From studio rooms to the spacious Chapman House, each space honors the property's heritage while providing modern comfort. Book your stay at thegatehq.com.