Hotel Lenhart co-owners and siblings, Bebe Johnston and John Lenhart Johnston, Jr., have already signed a purchase agreement with the new owners; however, the process of officially selling the hotel is still underway.

John Johnston said it was time for both him and his sister to step aside from the hotel business due to their age.

“We’re not getting any younger,” he said. “I’m going to be 72, my sister’s going to be 69 and my wife is the same age as that.”

Without any heirs able to take over the business, the siblings decided to sell the historic hotel to the new owners who have expressed a desire to make changes with the hotel while also honoring the historical legacy of the Hotel Lenhart.

The Hotel Lenhart is in the process of being sold, following 142 years of family ownership. Co-owners Bebe Johnson and John Johnston, Jr. are retiring from the hotel business as the new owners prepare to make significant improvements to the hotel. Submitted photos

After struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hotel Lenhart had a successful summer season this year. Johnston said it would have been even more successful if they had managed to hire enough employees.

“We just can’t find any employees,” he said. “We’ve been having to fill in. I had to work every night shift on every weekend., kind of tough on us old people. It was a good season for what we did, but we needed about five to 10 more employees to make it really happen.”

After facing unique challenges with the hotel business over the past couple years, the Johnstons are ready to move forward and embrace new experiences.

Nevertheless, they both have expressed bittersweet feelings about selling the hotel.

“We’re looking forward to rest,” Johnston said. “We’re glad we don’t have to work anymore, but we are giving up our family heritage for 142 years. We’re just hoping that people enjoy the hotel in the future here.”

Johnston said both he and his sister grew up in the hotel business and have grown very close to many of the returning customers at the Hotel Lenhart over the years.

“We’re going to miss the people,” he said.

While running and maintaining the hotel can be challenging work, Johnston said they have enjoyed working in hospitality. He said the experience has been rewarding because people have truly appreciated what the siblings provided at the hotel.

Johnston believes the hotel has had a positive impact on the community. Despite concern from the community over the future of the hotel, Johnston said the process of transferring ownership of the hotel to the new owners will be a smooth transition.

“Things might be a little bit different with the new owners because they plan to do quite a bit of renovation, but they want to keep the style, the atmosphere and the history of the hotel,” Johnston said. “They’re going to be doing a lot of renovation in the lobby area. They are putting an elevator in, moving the bar from one side of the hotel to the other, which is significant, but they want to enjoy the history of the hotel.”

The Johnstons plan on leaving behind most of what they described as “historical paraphernalia.”

Johnston said the new owners have requested the family portraits remain at the Hotel Lenhart, along with most of the furniture and other items, in order to maintain a historical atmosphere at the hotel.

“We are leaving 99% of the stuff,” he said. “Everything in the hotel goes with it.”

The Hotel Lenhart traditionally closes from Labor Day to Memorial Day. While renovations to the hotel could affect the reopening of the hotel, Johnston said the new owners have requested they accept reservations for next year and intend to honor those reservations as best as possible.

Johnston said he expects the new owners will have their contractors begin renovations to the hotel as soon as the sale is completed.

“We’ve already signed a contract for sale,” he said. “They’re in the process of getting the financing. We’re hoping to have a closing I would hope by October 1, but rumor is it might be a little further depending on how quickly the banks can do things.”

While the Hotel Lenhart’s future holds exciting changes, the Johnstons already have plans for retirement.

Bebe Johnston has purchased a house in Florida. On the other hand, John Johnston and his wife plan on traveling for six to nine months before possibly settling in the Pittsburgh region.

Before the Hotel Lenhart closed for the last time under the ownership of the Johnstons, the hotel held a final day of celebration for the community on Labor Day.

“Everybody knew it was our last day, so a lot of people from the community showed up,” John Johnston said. “The word bittersweet was used. A lot of guests came back just to say goodbye.”