Dr. Shane Mangus lives more than 1,000 miles from his hometown of Lovell, but a piece of his heart remains in the Big Horn Basin.

Mangus began buying up lodging facilities in Lovell in 2018 and in September, he purchased Powell’s King’s Inn, renaming it Travelodge by Wyndham Powell. He has since initiated a full renovation of the property, which will include updated rooms with an upscale Western motif.

The successful transplant surgeon, who lives in Indianapolis, didn’t set out to start a new lucrative venture as a hotelier. It’s his way of helping grow the Big Horn Basin community by tapping into its underutilized tourism opportunities. 

“I’m successful in what I do; I don’t need to make money,” Mangus explained. “What I want to do is to build up this area to be what it should be and what it can be.”

In recent years, he’s bought and upgraded two motels and a campground in Lovell, along with developing business space, a bed and breakfast and a restaurant, according to the Lovell Chronicle. 

One of his Lovell properties, also under the Wyndham Travelodge brand, has been astoundingly successful. The Chronicle recently reported that, out of 391 Travelodge properties worldwide, Wyndham rated the Lovell hotel the No. 4 property for the second quarter of 2021, which covered April through June.

“We took this old, beaten-down motel on the end of town that was completely neglected for 20 years, and turned it into one of the best in the Wyndham system,” Mangus said. 

As for his new property, he said the King’s Inn was solidly built and has been well maintained. When he learned its previous owner, Wayne Knapp, was attempting to sell the motel, Mangus saw an opportunity to do for Powell what he’s done for Lovell. 

Mangus believes tourism in Powell and Lovell could thrive the way it does in Cody, if their lodging offerings are expanded and improved. Tourism in Cody, as well as its lodging, is primarily associated with Yellowstone National Park. But the Big Horn Basin has a lot more to offer, Mangus said, and Powell and Lovell are the gateway to recreational opportunities that include the Bighorn Mountains, Bighorn Canyon, Medicine Wheel, wild horses, and trophy fishing and hunting. 

“I’ve been amazed how I can go from bumper-to-bumper traffic at Yellowstone four months of the year, and I can go to the top of the Bighorn Mountains and not see another human being. It’s just pristine,” Mangus said. “A lot of times the wildlife you see on the Bighorns is even better than Yellowstone.” 

He added that those who come to, say, see the wild horses, will be more likely to explore other outdoor opportunities. He wants people to say, “We came to see the horses, but stayed for the Big Horn Basin.” 

The former King’s Inn is undergoing an extensive transformation. The rooms behind the Maverik gas station have been taken offline and entirely gutted. They’re replacing the floors, the bathroom vanities, the ceiling, and the furniture. 

All the old furniture, which Mangus said was purchased in the 1980s, was given away to charities. 

“We’ve essentially re-homed all that furniture. So it’s staying in the community, but it’s going to those in need,” Mangus said. 

He and his Mustang Properties will be getting all new furniture, which will be up to the Wyndham standards. They will install hardwood flooring, heavy wood beams and black iron brackets. 

“It’s going to be so pretty,” said Becky Ontiveroz, general manager for Mustang Properties. 

Ontiveroz is eager to see the completed product, which they’re hoping to have done in time for next year’s tourist season. As with so many things these days, they’re just waiting for the ordered furniture to be shipped to Powell. 

“We’re doing the best we can. With suppliers, we’re just trying to get delivered what we can,” Ontiveroz said. 

They’re also trying to utilize local products as much as possible. The granite-top vanities that will be installed in the bathrooms, for example, are being built by a supplier in Burlington, Superior Countertops LLC. After the rooms behind the Maverik gas station are complete, they’ll do the same for those by the pool.

“When people walk into those rooms, they’re going to say, ‘Wow, this is a new motel.’ And that’s what I want them to feel,” Mangus said.

Exterior renovations might not be complete by the 2022 tourist season, but they are part of the plan. 

Mangus said they’ve already seen a good amount of traffic to the rooms still online, so he’s confident the Powell Travelodge will be as successful as his Lovell property — and he hopes that will help the Big Horn Basin’s tourism industry thrive.  

“You got an owner now that’s totally invested in the community,” Mangus said.