INSIDER Q&A: KEBLE PRYCE NI: What’s the history of The Gondolier Inn? Pryce: Henry and Leona Harer opened what was then called The Gondolier Apartments in 1958. They were from St. Louis. She promoted the business with shell art classes, and he took guests to the best fishing spots a ound town. The property was in the Harer family for six decades, and their son, Henry, who managed the hotel until he died in 2018, lived in what’s now our lobby. How did you come to acquire it? When we came to visit Katherine’s parents, we saw the place and were really excited about it. It wasn’t for sale at the time, but we would come in and talk to Henry and tell him if he ever wanted to sell, sell it to us. We used to bring him gift baskets, just so he’d remember us! When Henry passed away last year, there was a small sign out front, ‘For Sale by Owner.’ His sister sold it to us [including Katherine’s mother, designer/developer Kristen Williams, who’s restored other historic homes in downtown Naples] after we came and talked to her about our passion for hospitality and for the hotel itself. She had other offers,
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but when we told her our vision—to restore it, not tear it down—that was important to her. She grew up here, too, and wanted to see it carry on. That was last year. We had our grand opening in March of 2019. How has the renovation been received? So many locals have stopped by and told us how glad they were we kept it as it is. We replaced the driveway, fi ed some drainage issues, updated the TVs, and put in Wi-Fi. My mother-in-
law is the interior designer. She did every room differently, in an eclectic and fun Florida style, classic but modern. How’s business so far? Great! We’ve been booked solid ever since we opened. This coming season we have a lot of long-term bookings. Customers who’ve been coming here for years say Henry would’ve loved what we did. That’s important to us because you can’t ignore six decades of history.
COURTESY OF THE MILES COLLIER COLLECTIONS AT REVS INSTITUTE
LOCAL ATTRACTION
Nearly every vehicle at the Revs Institute has been masterfully restored and is maintained in peak operational condition.
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The Revs Institute, one of the most visited attractions in Naples, recently finished eighth in a national poll of 10 Best Attractions for Car Lovers. A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors from USA Today to pick the initial 20 nominees, and readers determined the top 10. Revs presents the Miles Collier Collections of more than 100 significant automobiles built between 1896 and 1995. These vehicles, some of the rarest in the world, blazed technical trails and redefined aesthetic standards. Neapolitan car buffs will want to take several laps around the museum, which is a haven for scholars, preservationists, and passionate connoisseurs of automotive history. Want to visit the rest of the top 10? Check out the list below. (revsinstitute.org) —Loretta Grantham 1. Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, multiple locations, including Palm Beach, April 16-18, 2020 2. Mecum Auctions, multiple locations 3. National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky 4. Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia 5. AACA Museum, Hershey, Pennsylvania
6. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, Indiana 7. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, Indianapolis 8. Revs Institute, Naples 9. The Shelby Heritage Center, Las Vegas 10. BMW Performance Center, Greer, South Carolina
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