The city of Clearwater's first motel is celebrating the beginning of its 61st year.

Tucked between the Belleview Biltmore and Morton Plant Hospital on South Fort Harrison Avenue, Gangelhoff’s Summerside Inn, formerly known as “Gangelhoff’s Delux Motel,” is one of the few family-owned establishments in the city.

It is an old-time Florida motel with shuffleboard, pool and clean, well-kept rooms and it offers visitors a rich mix of friendly accommodations and local history.

The story goes that Fred and Hilda Gangelhoff left the bitter Minnesota cold in 1947 for sunny Clearwater. Daughter Lil Howard remembers the beginning.

“My parents had traveled in the west and they had seen new types of hotels for motorists called ‘motels.’ They noticed that there were no motels in Clearwater, just cottage courts. So they bought this property, moved out all the cottage courts that were here and moved the family – six children – down here.”

Howard said that the family spent their summers at their family owned resort in Minnesota, but the six young Gangelhoffs spent fall and winters at the Clearwater motel working around the property and attending South Ward Elementary and Clearwater High Schools.

“I’ve got lots of happy memories,” she says. “We had people coming from all over the country year after year. Once one of the golf pros from the Belleview Biltmore who was waiting for the hotel to open for the season was staying here. He lost his big diamond ring. Everyone looked all over for it, but I was the one who found it. He was very grateful. It was a big thing in my life,” she said.

Yvonne Silcox, a Gangelhoff granddaughter and her husband Joseph, are the new owners. She said they changed the name to give the old motel a new, fresh and modern sound.

“‘Summerside Inn’ sounds warm, friendly and Florida like,” she said.

Silcox notes that regulars still come every year to take advantage of the location, short distance to the beach, restaurants and shopping.

“Our typical customers are families and people from about 40 to 70 who are snow birds, visiting in the area or have someone at Morton Plant,” she said.

There are also new touches at Gangelhoff’s Summerside Inn. The owners have renovated the rooms and now have high speed Internet and cable. Other plans include a grill area around the pool and possibly a Jacuzzi. They are also considering the feasibility of shuttle service to the airport and to the hospital.

Silcox said that her children are following in the family tradition.

“We’re into the third generation. Just like my generation and their grandmother, our kids help out at the motel and attend local schools.”

Originally published online here: http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/clearwater_citizen/content_articles/011608_cit-01.txt