Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Kudasik.
Hi Anita, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hospitality has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents immigrated to the US from Poland, eventually becoming longtime hoteliers in Salida, Colorado. Growing up, our family lived on-site at the hotel they owned and operated, so I had a very unique introduction to the industry. When your home and your family business are one and the same, you learn pretty quickly that hospitality isn’t a 9-to-5 job: it becomes a way of life.
Ironically, I didn’t immediately realize that I would follow in my parents’ footsteps. I started college pursuing other interests before eventually finding my way back to hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Here, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management. Once I entered the program, everything clicked and I realized that the industry I had grown up around was also where I was meant to build my own career.
That opportunity came sooner than I expected. In early 2018, while I was still finishing my degree, the retiring owner of the American Classic Motor Inn in my hometown of Salida approached my family about purchasing the property. He was ready to retire but didn’t want to see the motel disappear or be torn down for redevelopment. With my parent’s support, we purchased the property in May 2018, and I became a hotelier before I had even finished college.
To say the property needed some love would be an understatement. It had great bones and a ton of potential, but it was in serious disrepair. We had to look beyond what was there and envision what it could become.
The first several years were a process of rebuilding from the inside out. Before worrying about aesthetics, we tackled the things guests might never notice: roofs, windows, doors, insulation, heating and cooling systems and countless other structural improvements. The motel remained operational throughout the process because the income it generated helped fund the renovations. We reinvested what we earned and improved the property piece by piece. Eventually, we completely redesigned the guest rooms, expanded from 20 to 21 rooms and transformed the property into the modern-retro roadside motor inn it is today.
Over time, my vision grew beyond simply providing visitors with a place to stay. I’ve always loved Chaffee County and the mountains surrounding us, and I wanted to find another way to help visitors experience the place that I get to call home.
That next chapter came when my husband, Lukasz, and I purchased the property directly next to the motel along with Bigfoot Adventure Rentals, a small existing side-by-side rental company with only two rental vehicles at the time. We saw a tremendous amount of potential in the concept and decided to take it a step further.
We worked toward being accepted and trained as an official Polaris Adventures Elite Outfitter and have since grown the operation from 2 rental vehicles to a fleet of 10 brand-new Polaris RZRs and side-by-sides. Today, the two businesses work hand-in-hand: one gives our visitors a home base while they’re here, and the other gives them an opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience the mountains for themselves.
Looking back, what started in May 2018 as taking a chance on a rundown roadside motel has grown into something much bigger than I originally imagined. We’re still constantly renovating, improving and coming up with the next project… and I don’t think that part will ever change. Both businesses have ultimately become different ways for us to share our love for Chaffee County, the mountains and the community we call home.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I think that’s part of owning businesses, especially in a small, tourism-driven community.
With American Classic, one of our biggest challenges was taking on a property that needed an incredible amount of work while still keeping it operational. We relied on the motel’s revenue to fund renovations, so improvements had to happen strategically over time. Then, just as we were beginning some of our largest renovations, COVID brought tourism to a basic standstill and forced us to quickly adapt just to keep the business moving forward.
Bigfoot Adventure Rentals has brought an entirely new set of challenges. Growing from 2 rental vehicles to a fleet of 10 was a financial risk. Becoming a Polaris Adventures Elite Outfitter meant learning a completely different side of the tourism industry – from safety and training to vehicle maintenance, damage, insurance and the logistics of sending guests into the backcountry.
But I think every challenge has ultimately made us better business operators. We’ve learned to adapt quickly, solve problems as they come and, most importantly, never become too comfortable. There is always something we can improve or an opportunity just waiting to be discovered.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At their core, both American Classic Motor Inn and Bigfoot Adventure Rentals are tourism businesses. I think what sets us apart is that we’re not just selling a room or renting someone a RZR, we’re helping create a memorable experience in Chaffee County and hopefully giving folks a reason to come back again.
American Classic is a 21-room independent roadside motor inn in Salida. We’ve really embraced the character of the traditional American motor lodge while giving it a modern-retro personality of its own. Instead of trying to make every room look exactly the same or replicate the experience of a large hotel chain, we wanted the property to feel fun, nostalgic and memorable. Our rooms have individuality, guests can park right outside their doors, and we’ve worked hard to maintain the convenience and charm that made classic roadside motels special while providing the comfort and amenities modern travelers expect.
Being independently owned also gives us the ability to be incredibly hands-on. We live and work in the same community our guests are coming to experience, so when someone asks where they should go, what they should see or how they can make the most of their trip, our recommendations come from actually knowing and loving this area: not from a corporate referrals list.
Bigfoot Adventure Rentals takes that philosophy one step further. As a Polaris Adventures Elite Outfitter, we offer a fleet of 10 new Polaris RZRs and Xpeditions that allow visitors to experience Chaffee County from the driver’s seat. They can explore historic mining areas, ghost towns, mountain passes and incredible backcountry views while experiencing a side of Colorado that many visitors would otherwise never have the equipment or opportunity to access.
One of our biggest advantages is that the businesses sit directly next to one another and naturally complement each other. Someone can stay at American Classic, walk next door in the morning, load up a RZR and spend the day experiencing Colorado from the mountaintops. Likewise, someone who initially finds us because they want to rent a RZR now has a locally owned place to stay right next door. One business genuinely makes the other stronger.
I think what I’m most proud of brand-wise is that neither business feels manufactured. They’ve grown organically around who we are, where we live and what we love. We aren’t trying to recreate an experience that could exist anywhere else. These businesses are very specifically tied to Salida, Chaffee County and the mountains around us.
There’s also something special to me about taking two very traditional concepts – the roadside motel and exploring Colorado by off-road vehicle – and finding ways to modernize them without losing what made them fun and authentic in the first place.
Ultimately, I want people to know that when they choose either of our businesses, they’re supporting a locally owned operation run by people who genuinely care about their experience. We want someone to leave with more than a clean room or a fun day in a RZR. We want them to leave understanding a little bit of why we love Chaffee County so much, and hopefully already thinking about when they can come back and who they’re bringing.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’ve been incredibly fortunate and I don’t take that for granted. I believe luck can put the right opportunity in front of you, but your work ethic and drive determines what you do with it.
One of the greatest advantages I’ve had in life was being raised by immigrant parents. They came to the U.S. from Poland and built a life with multiple successful businesses through an incredible amount of hard work. Growing up around that taught me very early that you don’t wait for things to happen: you work for them. That mentality has probably been one of the biggest driving forces behind my success.
I’ve been lucky with timing and opportunity. The American Classic became available in my hometown at a point in my life when I was finishing my education and willing to take a chance on something of my own. I had the support of my family and people around me who believed in what the property could become. Similarly, the opportunity to purchase Bigfoot Adventures timed out almost perfectly.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate with the people who have stayed part of this journey. Our manager at American Classic has been with the business since the day we purchased it in 2018. Life has changed tremendously over those years, but we’ve been lucky to maintain a relationship built on trust, respect and a shared commitment to the business. Having someone who knows the property, our standards and guests almost as well as I do is something I value tremendously.
Today, my husband Lukasz, and I share the same entrepreneurial drive and immigrant work ethic. Together, we’ve continued finding new ways to grow and invest while each managing businesses of our own. From the mountain tops with Bigfoot Adventure Rentals to beachside rental properties in Mexico, we’ve built a life together around seeing potential, taking calculated risks, and never being afraid of a little bit ( usually a lot ) of hard work. We’ve also been fortunate to build great teams at all four of our separate businesses. I’ve learned that you can have a great idea and work incredibly hard, but the people who show up beside you every day play an enormous role in what you’re able to accomplish.
When I look at the timing of everything: the motel becoming available, the people who have stayed along for the journey, meeting my husband, the opportunities that we’ve created together and the teams we have today, it’s hard not to feel incredibly lucky. But I was also raised to understand that when luck or opportunity shows up at the train station, you have to be willing to buy the ticket, board the train and work incredibly hard once you get to your destination.
Pricing:
- OFF Season Rates ( October 20th – May 15th ): $75 – $125
- PEAK Season Rates ( June – September ): $150 – $250
- RZR Rental – 2 seater @ $450/unit per day
- RZR Rental – 4 seater @ $475/unit per day
- Xpedition ( 5 passengers ) @ $550/unit per day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.americanclassicinn.com/ and https://bigfootadventurerentals.com/
- Instagram: @americanclassicinn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americanclassicinn/ and https://www.facebook.com/bigfootadventurerentals/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHapppyHotelier
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehappyhotelier
