AS OWNERS OF THE SUNSET MOTEL in Moriarty, Mike and Debbie Pogue put their heart and soul into keeping the midcentury property in tip-top shape. Mike helped his dad build the original 18-room hotel, which opened in 1959. He eventually purchased the motor inn from his mother and moved back to Moriarty to run it in 2010.
WHEN WE started building the motel in 1956, I was five and my brother was seven. My dad gave us a shovel and said, “Alright boys, we’re going to start a motel.”
WE DUG a trench and built six rooms at a time. I do have a soulful connection to that property and the guests.
PEOPLE ARE looking for personal experiences. One guest left a review saying, “If I could bundle up this motel and take it with me everywhere I go, I would.”
THE FIRST THING a guest hears when they arrive is “How are you?” We have a conversation.
WE’LL NEVER SELL this motel. It’s too much fun. Once or twice a week, we ask people to join us for dinner, typically people I’ve had conversations at the desk with.
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