Improvements planned for motel

By Tiffiny Woo

Published: September 2, 2008

Wanda Hockaday has been manager of Town Terrace for less than a month, but she’s already making plans to give the place an extreme makeover.

Hockaday says she is planning some major renovations in the next few months.

Those renovations include complete renovations of the rooms, pool area and, hopefully, re-opening of the restaurant.

She hopes to have it completed by the end of the year.

“We’re going to take everything out and put all new furniture, bathtubs, carpet, and everything in the rooms,” said Hockaday.

Hockaday, who has lived in Eufaula for the last four years, is aware of the motel’s unsavory reputation and wants to change the way Eufaula views the establishment.

“I want it to be like it once was a long time ago,” she said, “somewhere people can come with their family and where locals can come for events like family reunions. I don’t want our customers to feel like they have to hide in their room because they don’t know what’s going on next door.”

Hockaday’s daughter, Jamie Rivas, has been helping her clean the hotel.

She says her mother has a friendly personality mixed with a strong sense of southern hospitality.

“But she can be stern when she has to be,” said Rivas. “She won’t put up with any drugs or anything.”

Hockaday stated a recent visit from the motel’s out-of-state owner is what spurred the change in management. His displeasure with the motel’s facilities is what prompted the renovations.

The hotel has dropped rates and raised standards in order to remodel not only the facility but the business’s shabby reputation. Hockaday says many of the things that have kept people away are already being improving.

“I know it’s considered the roach motel or the crack hotel,” said Hockaday, “and I don’t want this place to have that reputation anymore. I’m looking to make it a better hotel than its ever been.”