I’ve been talking a lot about motels on here lately, I guess that’s the effect of falling into rabbit hole of looking up old motel postcards on eBay. So here’s another one!
The Gateway Motel was at 907 S. Carson Street. It was one of the many little motels that dotted Carson Street back when the population was under 10,000. Built in 1948, it was arranged surrounding a central courtyard that served as the parking lot. With the office in the middle, surrounded by shrubs and flowers. There was a pool behind the office. Overall it looks like a nice place to stay.
At the time it was built, this was the far south end of town. There was not much beside sagebrush past this point. That didn’t last long. Other motels were built in the neighborhood. The Carson Mall was built a couple of blocks away. The Mother Lode hotel and casino was built right across the street. And, like many of the other motels around town, the luster faded the more time went by.
The Gateway Motel is still around, but it’s not named that anymore. And like most of the smaller older motels in town, it’s no longer rented out nightly. By the 21st century it had been renamed the Pioneer Motel.
And then in 2016 it was renamed the Lander Studio Suites.
jimsawthat on Flickr
And in 2023 the Lander underwent a pretty major remodeling and a new sign went up. It is now called the 907 Flats. This is following a naming trend that has been happening a lot throughout Carson and Reno. A lot of remodeled motels are rebranding as “Flats”. Just in Carson we have Capital City Flats, Genoa Flats, Marlette Flats, Independence Flats, Freedom Flats, and probably more.
907 Flats is the least-imaginatively named of the bunch. It feels like they didn’t even try to be creative. I don’t even think it’s owned by the same company as the other “Flats” around town, they just stole the idea.
But the remodel does look good, and it breathes some new life into the property. So while we’ve seen some other motels around town be torn down and replaced recently, I think the 907 Flats, or whatever it will be called next, is going to be here for a while.
It is owned by the same company only now a room that rented for $650 before the remodel now goes for $950.