Best Western welcomes new manager

After nearly 40 years of owning and managing a variety of companies, John Messinger’s expertise has brought him to Ritzville as the manager of the Best Western Plus Bronco Inn. Messinger has been interested in becoming part of the Ritzville community for many years, and the management opportunity at the Best Western is something he had been waiting for.

Growing up in Walla Walla, Messinger worked on farms during the summer months of his teenage years and has always loved being surrounded by agriculture. After graduating from high school, Messinger became the manager of a women’s shoe store that he worked at for the next three years.

Messinger served in the United States Coast Guard for four years before moving on to operate a restaurant and management company.

For the past 30 years, Messinger has resided on Orcas Island where he has worked off and on in the hotel business. He managed hotels on the island, as well as ran a vacation rental agency and owned and operated a pizzeria.

Messinger’s wife, Sami, simultaneously operated a deli and convenience store on the island. Sami still lives on Orcas Island and Messinger makes a weekly trip to visit her, while spending five days a week working at the hotel. The couple has raised four children together, and currently have one grandchild and one great-grandchild.

Messinger, who is an avid traveler on his motorcycle, stayed at the Bronco Inn during his travels across the state. He introduced himself and left a resume with former manager, Jessika Wolf, and continued to communicate with her.

When Wolf began her business in downtown Ritzville, Memories Diner, Messinger contacted the Bronco Inn and went through an interview process. He officially earned the general manager title in April and has enjoyed becoming part of the Ritzville community.

“I love small towns, it’s nice to be in a small town,” Messinger said. “Everybody is so nice and so welcoming.”

One of the largest draws to move to Ritzville was the surrounding landscape and the strong agricultural history of the area. After being raised in Walla Walla, Messinger has always appreciated being involved with agriculture, and he also enjoys the beautiful scenery and open country roads surrounding Ritzville.

Messinger said one of the biggest benefits of living in a small community is the majority of his employees are from the local area, and have become like family. He said the staff of around 12 employees has created a strong working relationship, which is extremely beneficial to the business and operation of the hotel.

“It’s been an easy transition. One of the reasons I liked moving here was the small town,” Messinger said. “There’s more conveniences here than a lot of small towns.”

For Messinger, the most important and challenging aspect of his career has been creating an efficient management technique. Messinger said he has had working relationships with managers that are unpleasant, and he is determined to create a technique that is positive and accepted by his employees to create fluid work.

Messinger said being a manager for a hotel chain is a different experience than he has previously had, but the general management of the business is the same as owning and operating private businesses. He said there are also many perks that come with being part of a chain, one being brand awareness, which draws many travelers off the interstate because they recognize the Best Western name.

The hotel is booked solid nearly every night, Messinger said, with around 30 percent of customers booking rooms through central booking. Even though the local establishment is a smaller hotel, Messinger said the international exposure and support is a huge benefit.

The majority of those staying at the hotel are repeating customers, Messinger said, and Ritzville’s central location helps fill the remaining rooms with travelers passing through the area. Messinger said that in surveys completed through Best Western, the Bronco Inn ranks in the top 10 percent of hotels throughout the nation for having return customers.

“My biggest goal is to keep it full and keep it productive,” Messinger said about his long-term plan for the local business.

With the completion of Love’s Truck Stop, Messinger is anticipating a slight increase in customers and sees the new business as a benefit to the hotel, as well as for Ritzville.

“It will be good for business, and business is good for the community,” Messinger said.

Messinger looks forward to continuing his experience with the Bronco Inn and intends on remaining in the community for around 10 years. While his wife still resides in Orcas Island, Messinger said he enjoys the weekly drives on his bike to go visit her and is hopeful an opportunity presents itself in the future that she may also move to the area.

For now, Messinger is focusing on continuing to maintain the Bronco Inn and help create a welcoming atmosphere to all who visit the hotel. Messinger explained that while they are part of a large chain of hotels, the local hotel prides itself in creating a homelike environment for customers.

“The fun of being in the hotel business is you see people from all over the world,” Messinger said. “And they’re coming here, and experiencing small town America.”