By the early 1970s the hotel was abandoned and severely run down.

The hotel is still small (15 rooms) and run like a family inn.

If a room is likely to go empty, he said, "a hotel can run a promotion to try to fill it."

Some hotels run special activities, such as a curling week.

He said the most inexpensive hotels run about $200 a week and aren't always near public transportation.

"I think the hotels can run without me for one night."

Most recently, individual hotels ran ads in their local markets.

The economic downturn at the end of the 1980s saw several hotels run into financial trouble.

Despite its previous success, as the century continued, the hotel ran into financial difficulties and closed in 1969.

"I told the owners that they can't afford to let the hotel run down," he said.