Yale Hotel ownership to change hands

YALE — A longtime historical business along South Main Street in Yale is about to get new owners, effective next week. 

Current owner Shelley O’Brien said she has made the decision to sell the approximately 10,000 square foot building, after 12 years of maintaining the structure.

“I managed it for my mom (Sharon Carney) until she passed away in 2023,” O’Brien said. “I made the decision to close the restaurant and bar down in 2020 after it had been shut down for several months. During that time, it was revealed the true losses the business was suffering every month.”

She said she went as far as to sell all of the equipment  in the building, “so I wouldn’t be tempted to try and reopen with the same problems in my way.” 

O’Brien, who is a member of the city council, added: “I sold the liquor license a couple of years later. I hadn’t given up on opening another restaurant back up, I just didn’t want to do it without alcohol.”

O’Brien said another reason prompted her to not open the business again with alcohol. 

“Honestly, after watching the damage that alcohol did to the families in this community over 40 some years, I wanted no part of that.”

A historical recollection of the business in the 1900s noted: “Located at 119 S. Main St. in downtown Yale, Michigan, The Yale Hotel is one of the Thumb’s oldest operating establishments. Originally erected as a brick building in 1901 (though local history traces portions back to 1852), it has been a downtown fixture serving travelers, blue-collar workers, and locals for well over a century. Key eras in the Hotel’s history in the early 1900s revealed it was established during a major growth period when Yale’s name was changed from Brockway Center to honor the famous university.”

“The hotel quickly became a critical stopping point for wayward travelers, farmers, and regional businessmen. In the mid-1900s, the hotel changed ownership several times, formally being sold in April 1953. Throughout the 20th century, the first-floor tavern was known as “the bar” of Yale. In recent times, the hotel gained national attention for its hospitality. The tavern and restaurant permanently closed in July 2020, but the building remains open to provide long-term room rentals,” it added.

Another historical document regarding the hotel from the same time period  stated: “The hotels of Yale are three in number, each of which is a model in its way. When the Village benedict gets tired of home fare or his wife chases him out, he knows where he can go and get the best the world affords as our hostelries are without exception run on a high standard.”

“The Paisley is a worthy successor to the ‘Rapley,’ which was torn down last year. This hotel was built in 1901 and embodies all of the latest ideas in hotel construction. Built of brick with stone trimmings and occupying a prominent position on main St the building is an ornament to the village,” it continued.

The sale of the Yale Hotel is scheduled for next week. 

The new owner has not been publicly identified, nor what plans of use of the 125-year-old building are, until the transaction is completed. 

The Expositor will have a follow-up story after the sale becomes officially signed, sealed and delivered.