From: Super 8 Fortuna
To: Siana Emmons; Amy Nilsen; Mike Johnson; Tami Trent; Kyle Conley; Abe Stevens; Carlos Diaz Subject: Fortuna River lodge
Date: Monday, June 15, 2026 10:00:35 AM
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
My name is CJ Patel and I own the Super 8 by Wyndham here in Fortuna. I have been in the hotel business in this community since 1993 and I felt I needed to write to you about the River Lodge because this decision matters a lot to those of us who depend on Fortuna being a place people want to visit and stay.
I want to be honest with you. When I heard the River Lodge might be leased to a school district I got concerned. Not because I have anything against the school district but because I know firsthand what happens to hotel occupancy when there are no events bringing outside visitors to town. You feel it immediately. Rooms sit empty, staff hours get cut, and the whole corridor gets quiet.
The River Lodge at its best is not just a building. It is the reason people drive to Fortuna from Redding or Sacramento or the Bay Area for a wedding weekend. It is the reason a company books 15 to 20 rooms at my property for a two day training. It is the reason a family reunion fills up half the hotels on the strip. That is the kind of business that does not just help me. It helps every restaurant, every gas station, every shop downtown.
Fortuna's TOT is already down $400,000 according to the staff report. I see that in my numbers too. The River Lodge operated by the right private operator is one of the few real tools this city has to turn that around. A good hospitality operator is going to go out and actively sell that venue to corporate groups, wedding planners, and regional organizations.
They are going to put together packages that make people want to come to Fortuna and stay for multiple nights. At 10% TOT every one of those overnight stays puts money back in the City's pocket.
I just ask that the Council takes a serious look at private operator options before making a final call. The River Lodge has so much potential and it would be a shame to see it go in a direction that takes it off the map as an event destination.
Thank you for your time and service to our community.
Sincerely,
CJ Patel
Super 8 Fortuna
1805 Alamar Way
Fortuna, CA 95540
P: (707) 725-2888
F: (707) 725-1895
[email protected]