The motel was originally built and operated in the 1940s by a mom and pop team under the name Montlake Motel. Over the next thirty years, the hotel passed through several different phases. Until the the late 1950s, it was run both as a motel and as family apartments. Since this was the era before air conditioning, each room had its own screen door, and a few rooms had kitchens. Towards the end of the '50s, the now big shady maple trees were planted.
In the 1960s, the motel was purchased by the aunt and uncle of the current owner. After about ten years, "Mom" bought the motel from her sister and brother-in-law and changed the name to Mom's Montlake Motel. She moved in with several of her 8 children and operated the motel very successfully for nearly twenty years.
In the early 1990s, her oldest son, Murray, took over the motel, and he has been running the place ever since. Summers keep Murray extremely busy, and he uses the off-season to perform maintenance and improvements. Staying at the motel and enjoying the sites and sounds of Chelan has become a summer tradition for many families who've become great friends, too. Many guests are repeat visitors along with new ones who just happened to find us!