GOLDFIELD — Malek Davarpanah’s cellphone has been ringing so often lately that he’s had to change the number.
The reason? Insatiable interest in the Goldfield Hotel, a landmark that’s recognized nationally and in Nevada for its historic significance.
“Right now people are calling me every day, sending me emails every day, hundreds of them,” said Davarpanah, active in Goldfield as owner of the Elite Trading Post store and as president of the local chamber of commerce. “They offer you money and I said no.”
Davarpanah’s been busy answering questions as the result of a Las Vegas Review-Journal news feature article this winter.
The story detailed how Virginia Ridgway, keeper of the hotel’s keys since the early 1980s, planned to turn over the responsibilities to Davarpanah.
“There’s lots of excitement,” he said. “There’s just too much excitement right now. Since that article came out, I changed my telephone number, my cell number, because they were just killing me – calling me all the time. I didn’t have one moment in peace.”
“Right now I actually don’t have the key,” Davarpanah said. “I talked to the owners. At this moment, the owners don’t want anybody being in the hotel for any reason, any tours, anything. Basically that is it. They don’t want anything to be done right now.”
That, however, is not stopping Davarpanah from being inundated.
“Since that article came out, I get every day the telephone calls,” he said. “I get the emails from different groups. They basically want to see the hotel, or they want to go in and they do the special paranormal in there.
“They want to do events in there. They want to do book signings in there or simply they are photographers. They want to go photograph it and document it. I have writers who call in. There are so many people. I even had a couple today.”
“They said we’re going to send you an email. If it (hotel) ever comes to be open, let us know.”
Davarpanah is unsure when he will get the hotel keys. Any decision to open the hotel to tours would be up to its owner, Red Roberts of Carson City, Davarpanah said.
No date is set. Roberts could not be reached for comment. Davarpanah describes the interest in the Goldfield Hotel as different than other historic site in the community.
“We give the tour of the fire department, we give the tour of the different buildings in the town, but this one really is privately owned,” Davarpanah said.
“If Red Roberts one day decides that he wants to open the hotel just for show, as is and make money, I’m sure he can make thousands and thousands of dollars,” Davarpanah said. “People are calling, and they are offering all kinds of money. We tell them it is not for the money. The owner does not want anybody to go there.”
Contact reporter David Jacobs at djacobs@tonopahtimes.com