Marcophile: Lakeside Inn-terest

With that nutty notion receding comes word of plans for a welcome addition to that out-of-the-way neighborhood.

What is now a humble motel, the Lakeside Inn, soon could be a place to shout about.

If its new owners, Bert and Gayle Luper, can deliver on their dream, the plain-Jane inn on the freshwater lake will become a charming boutique hotel that will include the already trendy Busghetti Ristorante.

I often wondered why that motel never seemed to match its potential, given its great off-the-beaten-track location on a pretty lake.

Truth is, it was hard to find. Giving directions was like trying to explain how to get to some tiny tucked-away London pub.

Once someone actually found the place, the lodging was a disappointment, brightened only by the quality bistro that Busghetti has become.

Even the restaurant's name begs for an upgrade, and the new owners hint that won't be far behind.

The "hideaway" factor doesn't faze the new owners, who built and run a similar, successful inn in Bradenton Beach.

"We want to create a Key West style with French doors and dormers," Gayle Luper told me. "It will be a romantic setting, with white drapings over the bed, white linens and an island theme."

The 20 rooms and suites all will have either queen- or king-size beds. "We'll open up the rooms to create good views of the lake," she said. "We're completely renovating inside and out. That means new flooring, new furniture, the works. Especially the beds."

When you come into a hotel for the night, what do you do first? Sleep. And the Lupers are big on high-quality beds.

After spending the night in one of the units, they immediately ordered new high-quality beds, she said. "We'll have down pillows and comforters. We want to people to say, 'That was the most comfortable bed ever.'"

The Lupers say they paid $1.625 million for the hotel and restaurant lease.

"We want a bed-and-breakfast feel, but the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner too," Gayle Luper said.

The Luper family will be involved, hands-on, in the management of the place.

"I'll be in charge of redecorating and marketing," Gayle Luper said. "My husband is an accomplished developer and he'll be doing the hard construction."

Bert Luper also has a church-building business, Worship Concepts, with about 180 churches in some phase of design or construction.

The Lupers' son, daughter-in-law, niece and sister also are involved with the new inn by the lake.

"We love having a family business, and some of us will be at the property here every day," Gayle Luper said.

They'll stay open, redoing one unit at a time. Best guess for completion? Six months.

The restaurant? Busghetti seems destined for a new name to match its image as a romantic waterside bistro.

The hotel's name? The Marco Island Lakeside Inn. They want to promote the island before they promote the inn, Gayle Luper explained.

My guess is that, if all goes well, the Lupers' lakeside transformation could perk up that entire neighborhood.

It also might put to rest for good that loony proposal to house ailing seniors out over the lake.

Chris hosts the Gulf Coast Weekend radio show at noon Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday on NewsRadio 1660 AM. She is a former news anchor for CNN and several ABC TV stations. E-mail: marcochris@aol.com.