The buzz of excitement was palpable the moment one stepped through the doors. All around, an exuberant crowd was laughing, chattering and admiring their sumptuous surroundings, gazing in awe at what had been created in a space that had once been nothing more than a dilapidated, vacant building, left to the ravages of time. All evidence of the previous state of disrepair had vanished and in its place was the newest feather in the cap of the Cline family, the opulent Belvada Hotel.
The grand opening celebration for the Belvada Hotel was held on Saturday, April 17 in Tonopah and dozens of guests, specially invited by owners Fred and Nancy Cline, gathered to commemorate the day and pay tribute to those who had worked so hard for so long to see the Clines’ dream become a reality.
It wasn’t an easy journey, coming with plenty of challenges, but for Fred and Nancy, it was all worth it.
“Tonight is extremely important to Fred and I, and I speak for the whole family. What we paid $1 for four years ago, and we spent two or three since then,” Nancy said as the event got underway, eliciting chuckles of understanding from the audience, “We’re so, so excited that it’s open and running. And I will tell you, the times I spent in this lobby saying, ‘It will never happen!’ Yet here we are and I just cannot thank all of you enough for being here.”
Nancy extended her profound gratitude to everyone who had helped make the renovation of the historical building such a resounding success before inviting her guests to drink up, eat up and enjoy their evening at the Belvada.
“The grand opening of the Belvada turned out to be the perfect evening celebrating the opening of this historic building,” Nancy told the Pahrump Valley Times following the event. “Great food provided by the Tonopah Brewing Company, and Chef Chris Greenway from the Mizpah Hotel, great music provided by Dave Stamey, an iconic country western singer who understands both the hardships and the beauty of the high desert, and all the great people who worked over the last three years to renovate and restore the Belvada. Community members, VIPS, friends and family all came together to launch the historical renovation of this iconic building. We couldn’t be more excited about offering luxurious accommodations for people to base in while they explore Tonopah and Central Nevada!”
There were several VIPs in attendance that evening, including two former governors of the state of Nevada, Bob List and Richard Bryan, along with prominent members of the Nye County community such as Judge Kim Wanker, Nye County Clerk Sam Merlino, Tonopah Justice of the Peace Jennifer Clapper, Nye County Commissioner Bruce Jabbour and Tonopah Town Manager Chris Mulkerns. If the festive atmosphere of revelry and laughter were anything to judge by, a wonderful time was had by all.
“We are just so grateful that Fred and Nancy Cline continue to invest in Tonopah and in Nevada,” Jabbour commented. “They are amazing people who found their roots from back in the early days of Tonopah and Goldfield and we are happy to consider them as part of the Nevadan family. The Belvada has now been revitalized along with her sister property, the Mizpah. Discover Nye County and hold on, because once guests enter the Belvada, they will experience the absolute nostalgia of days gone by and realize that they are now part of history.”
For Nancy, she said the best part of her evening was seeing such a cohesive, lovely group of family and friends, all of whom understood the huge undertaking that the Clines had taken on when they decided not to let the historic building go by the wayside. Built in the early 1900s, the building has played host to all sorts of businesses and enterprises over the years but it eventually fell into disrepair and some were even eyeing it for demolition. That was when the Clines stepped in to save the historic building and Nancy said she could not be more blissful seeing it acting as a lush venue for travelers from all over the world.
“The Belvada renovation was approached with a historical understating of the role it played in the birth of Tonopah. It was the heart of the business community in 1907,” Nancy detailed. “Lawyers, assayers, doctors, insurance companies, dentists, pharmacies, surveyors, and even a fancy hat shop and a beauty salon had all called this building home. The building was built with all the attendant beliefs in the permanency of the town. It was the epicenter of the hopes and dreams of the founders, the residents and the investors.
“It is decorated as the center it was,” Nancy continued. “Upscale, urban style, with fantastic linens, robes in the suites, sitting rooms, and incredibly crisp views of the soul of Tonopah. In 1907-08, the deals and the money changed hands at this building, then the players would go across the street to the Mizpah and celebrate their good fortune!”
Nancy said the Belvada and its sister hotel, the Mizpah, represent what she feels was a very important mindset of the early 1900s, concluding, “Tonopah was the birthplace of the last gold and silver rush in the western United States. In its buildings you can feel the hopes and dreams of those pioneers and seekers. It is amazing to me that the extremes of Tonopah did not deter those who sought a better life for themselves and their families. To me, renovating and restoring these buildings is a testimony and an honoring of the human spirit to persevere and their tenacity to do so under the most extreme conditions.”
For more information or to book a stay at the Belvada Hotel visit www.BelvadaHotel.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com