THE LOCAL NEWS OF THE MADISON VALLEY, RUBY VALLEY AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Lure Me Inn’s new proprietor Tony Treglia revels in his new home and business. He’s passionate about maintaining the Inn’s already-established reputation as a quiet, welcoming haven for travelers from near and far. He stayed at the property before purchasing it and looks back fondly at his first stay in Cabin 5. PHOTO BY JOLENE PALMER

A dream come true

Lure Me Inn’s new owner counts his blessings

Sometimes opportunity presents itself in the most unexpected of ways. Prior to the pandemic Tony Treglia was a successful businessman, working in corporate human resources, before starting his own consulting and executive search practice. But by late spring 2020 business had all but dried up.

Rather than sitting home and twiddling his thumbs in Florida, Treglia decided to check some items off his bucket list on a two week trip – see Mount Rushmore, fish the Snake River, visit friends in Colorado, and so on and so forth. He had checked off Mount Rushmore before heading to Ennis, where opportunity would soon knock on his cabin’s door, so to speak.

Upon recommendation by a friend, Treglia booked a cabin for four nights at Lure Me Inn in Ennis. His time there included plenty of fishing on the Madison River, where a conversation with John Way, owner of The Tackle Shop in Ennis, helped seal his fate in Montana.

While fishing, Treglia mentioned to Way how much he enjoyed his cabin at Lure Me Inn, as well as describing his dream to own a bed and breakfast. As luck would have it, Way just happened to have a little inside knowledge that the owners of the Inn, Melissa and Tom Rodgers, were considering retirement.

Treglia wasted no time. The next morning he sat down with the Rodgers and opened the conversation about the possibility of them selling him the Inn. Talks continued into the fall. Treglia returned in mid-November to get some hands-on experience – cleaning cabins, checking guests in and out, and getting to know Melissa and Tom.

“Really, they wanted someone to come in who would continue with their traditions and their legacy,” said Treglia. Those desires resonated as he recalled corporate HR training sessions focused on leaving behind legacies.

“This fit what I’ve always wanted to do, and it fit because my consulting practice dried up, so I thought, ‘What am I going to do next?’ This turned out to be a gift from God for both Melissa and Tom, who wanted to keep their legacy and Inn reputation intact, and for me, it presented an option to fulfill a dream,” he said.

The agreement was made to close on the sale in mid-December of 2020. The pandemic then tossed another wrench Treglia’s way – he came down with Covid right at the time of closing, delaying the process by a couple weeks. Once he was well enough to get out of bed he jumped in his truck, drove across the country and arrived in Ennis on December 27. Two days later, the deal was sealed, and he was the proud new owner of Lure Me Inn.

Building off of the previous owners’ offerings, Treglia said he’s focusing on making a stay at the Inn a personalized one. He’s working with Madison Foods to offer stocked kitchens, he’ll provide welcome baskets for repeat and long-term guests as well as discounts to Willie’s Distillery, and plans to promote as many outfitters and restaurants that he can. He also joined the Ennis Chamber of Commerce board.

Treglia said he’s adjusting well to the climate shift from Florida to Montana, though there was a 40-mph wind and 20-below-zero type of evening this winter where he said he may have begun to question his decision to live year round in Montana. That trepidation passed with the bad weather. As for Ennis’ notorious winds, he chuckled, and said he figures he was prepped for those by the hurricanes he’d experienced back in Florida.

“I look at this as a terrible year for the world, and this country, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from doing the things that I felt I wanted to do,” said Treglia, perched behind the front desk of the Inn, surrounded by fishing décor. “It gave me a great time to do it. While 2020 was a bad year overall, it was great year for me because I fulfilled a dream. I’m loving it out here, and I am blessed to be here.” Treglia is currently residing in one of his cabins while his new home, being constructed above the main office, is under construction. He’s also redoing a space next to the office to add a ninth cabin to the property as well as doing a laundry room revamp. He’s decided to keep the property open year round, and looks forward to welcoming new and return guests to his much-loved new venture.

For more information, visit Lure Me Inn’s newly launched website: https://www.luremeinn.com/

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The Madisonian

65 N. MT Hwy 287
Ennis, MT 59729
406-682-7755
www.madisoniannews.com

Cori Koenig, editor: editor@madisoniannews.com
Susanne Hill, billing: s.hill@madisoniannews.com 
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