Hi Ho Motel Then and Now

1233 E Fourth Street – Reno, Nevada

Although the Morrill-Smith Addition to Reno was platted in 1904, its eastern edge was pretty remote.

Joseph J Parent was the first buyer of Lots 4-6 on Fourth Street just west of Toano in March of 1905. It took a few years for development to really progress, as shown in this aerial photo from 1908. For reference, the Flanigan Warehouse is on the left with Reno Brewing Company in the center. The area east of the brewery was still sparsely populated.

The lots were eventually sold to individual buyers who built rental homes at what became 1231 and 1233 E. Fourth. The east lot was used for various commercial purposes. Harold and Ella Tamka bought the two residental lots in May of 1945. Harold was a painting contractor who also served as President of the Reno YMCA.

The west lot became occupied by Al and Ruth Maler, who operated Reno Trailer Rentals beginning around 1947.

That September, a building permit was issued to Ross V McGuire for an auto court on the west lot estimated to cost $25,000. After Al Maler died, McGuire was also listed with Ruth in connection with the trailer business. In November of 1947, a permit was issued to move the house on the east lot to Sierra Street and the trailer business was listed for sale with all equipment at the beginning of 1948. Finishing touches including heating systems were installed that summer.

Auto courts, also called auto camps, tourist courts, motor courts, etc. began falling out of the vernacular with the rise of roadside motels. Maler and McGuire settled on Hi Ho Motel as the name for their 11-room establishment. At that time, the motel only had one long wood frame building. The majority of the structure consisted of a single story with a second-floor office near the front.

Kurt E Riedel bought the Hi Ho in November of 1949 and hired architect Ralph A Casazza to design a new addition on the east lot, which was planned to be built in stages. Construction began in March of 1950 and the facility was fully air conditioned as part of the project. Riedel is holding the shovel on the left and Casazza is on the right.

The 1950 addition is shown on the right around 1951 when the motel used only a four-digit telephone number of 4256. At that time, the Hi Ho Motel advertised as a “new, fully modern 21 unit carpeted motel with tubs or tile showers. Circulating hot air, vented heat. Free radios in each unit.”

Riedel acquired the corner lot where the tire shop had been located in January of 1952 and was issued a permit for the next expansion phase, which was estimated to cost $42,000. This would give the Hi Ho a total of 32 rooms. The addition facing Toano Street opened that May.

A sketch of the completed facility is shown here with a western-themed mural on the side of the east annex.

It would have looked better if they had matched the roofing materials but I understand things cost money.

Ernest Collins bought the motel around 1959 and it became known as the Hi Ho Motor Lodge. It appears he only owned the property for a few years and it has changed hands numerous times over the decades. In the mid-1980s, the Hi Ho advertised having waterbeds in some of the rooms. What could have possibly gone wrong?

The illuminated Hi Ho Motor Lodge sign is shown here in 1986. For many years, the upper and lower sections of the sign were painted red with a dark blue or black center.

As you all know, things happen in Fourth Street motels. In November of 2018, a “mysterious explosion” at the Hi Ho sent a man to the hospital. A man was shot in the chest outside the motel in January of 2022.

The Hi Ho’s Facebook page hasn’t been active since 2023 but it does include some interior photos. It also includes in its description that pets are not allowed. The usual complaints I see when researching old motels are related to poor living conditions and pests. In this case, it’s mostly about pets. People really seem to like the facility and the owner but really wish pets were allowed.

This is how the former Hi Ho Motel looks today:

The original building is showing its age but it’s clear the owner has been putting money into the property. YESCO has recently maintained the sign, which was retrofit with LED bulbs. The parking lot has been refinished and stucco repairs appear to be in progress. Look, I don’t know what this place is like after dark but a need is being met here and the property was neat and tidy the day I visited. Despite what certain developers keep telling us, demolition isn’t the only option.

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