New-look Riverside Motel wants to be Lewiston's new choice for family & friend accommodations

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Lewiston has a lot of bling – metaphorically speaking.

The Frontier House and the Brickyard/Brickyard Brewing Company have been called the village’s crown jewels.

Academy Park was said to be a diamond in the rough, prior to the additions of the Alphonso I. DiMino Memorial Band Shell and adjoining pavilion.

Now, the Riverside Motel is laying claim to the title of hidden gem.

Rightfully so.

Nestled along South Water Street – down the road past the Griffon Brewery & Gastropub – the Riverside Motel is certainly off the beaten path.

And, thanks to a flurry of recent renovations, the site’s rental units are refreshed; refocused to accommodate a wider range of guests; and feel relaxed and inviting.

“It’s rustic, but it's cool,” property manager Jill Birmingham said.

The property was purchased, in 2022, by Maxima Holdings Corp., a Southern Ontario real estate holdings and development company.

“They really liked Lewiston. … They went and give it a visit, and they like what they saw. They liked the land, the location; and they saw the potential in the motel; and that's how we ended up managing the motel,” said Jose Gonzalez, a business analyst who is overseeing the Riverside Motel.

New ownership saw units were catered toward fishermen. While they certainly wanted to keep that clientele, they also desired to welcome people coming to Lewiston for any number of reasons.

“I thought this was going to be all fishermen, but it’s concert people, it’s weddings, it’s family reunions – it’s people just visiting the area,” Birmingham said of the motel guests.

With regard to the refresh, Gonzalez explained, “The cabins used to have carpet. They used to have old furniture. The bathrooms used to be outdated. So, what we did is we ripped out the carpet, we put vinyl flooring, we switched the furniture to something a little bit more comfortable and more modern. We renovated the bathrooms, painted all the cabins, and that made us a little bit more appealing for a different market, such as the younger people that go for concerts, or people that are having their family come visit to Lewiston.”

And those people, “they started recommending us, which was nice,” he said.

The Riverside Motel has 10 outdoor units, a mix of one- and two-bedroom cabins, and some have kitchenettes.

That’s probably not news for residents who maybe have stayed there, booked a room for a loved one, or just drove by looking for parking to patronize the Griffon or Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours.

What people might not know is that these units have front and back yards and firepits. … Or that there is a two-story, three-bedroom house available to rent right in the middle of front cabin rows.

“The house is amazing,” Birmingham said.

“If you have two groups of people, or two families, this is the place to stay – because it's so spacious,” she added.

Up to 10 people can lodge in the house, which has a full living room and kitchen area.

“We were thinking what to do with the house, and we decided to give it a full reno,” Gonzalez said. “We switched the countertops. We bought all-new furniture for kitchen, living room, all the rooms. We switched all the flooring, too, in the first floor. We remodeled the front and the back yard.”

Another big change Maxima made was in the reservation process. Pen and paper has been replaced with a new website – and discount codes as incentive to book online.

Regardless of who stays at the motel, Birmingham said guests often form their own mini neighborhood.

“On a Friday or Saturday night … they’re all sitting out there with coolers; music’s going,” she said. “There’s little groups that I’ve talked to … that have met people that are sitting outside.”

Gonzalez said that camaraderie mirrors what’s found around the village.

“We love the community that Lewiston has; all that seasonal energy that it brings with the summer and with all the events, the concerts,” he said. “We basically fell in love with the town, and we have been trying our best to integrate into the community and to try to provide just a place to stay for whoever needs to come and check it out.”

Of late, Birmingham said guest response has been “very positive.”

“Everybody has been like, ‘Great atmosphere, quiet location, walking distance to everything.’ ”

“That's what everybody loves about it,” she added.

The Riverside Motel is located at 160 S. Water St., Lewiston; and online at www.riverside-motel.com. For more information, email info@riverside-motel.com or call 716-754-4101.

Use the promo code “Welcome” to receive a 15% discount.