The Valhalla Inn is situated on Highway 6, one block south of the junction of Highway 31A and has good street exposure. It is a 28 room Motor Inn with a coffee shop, dining room and neighbourhood pub. The operation has been approved for a cold beer and wine store. It is the only full service facility in New Denver and the largest facility between Nelson and Nakusp. When the cold beer and wine store is established, it will be the only one between Nelson and Nakusp.

Room configurations cover a broad spectrum as follows:

• 9 standard units with one double x-long bed
• 5 standard units with one queen bed
• 3 standard units with two double x-long beds
• 3 standard units with two queen beds
• 2 two-bedroom suites
• 2 one-bedroom suite kitchenette units
• 1 two bedroom suite kitchen unit
• 2 kitchen units with 2 double beds per units
• 1 kitchen unit with 3 queen beds

All units are in good repair as maintenance has been carried out on an ongoing basis. New furniture and beds have been recently added. Several units have been completely gutted and renovated in the past few years and others have been upgraded. All the windows were replaced in the fall of 2006. The hotel is owner operated and has a reputation for being clean, comfortable and reasonably priced.

The licensed restaurant includes a coffee shop, dining room and outside patio area in the warmer months with a total seating capacity of 76. The patio area is extremely popular as it is nicely shaded by the huge maple tree (see pictures) but still offers a good view of the street. The maple tree is always a source of conversation with no one being able to identify the exact type of maple, how it got here or how old it is. Many a botanist has left with a clipping never to return with an answer.

The kitchen is galley style including propane fired ovens (2), 4 burner stove top, flattop grill, deep fryer and charbroiler as well as an electric two drawer pizza oven. There is a large prep area adjacent to the kitchen with a walk-in cooler and freezer, a Hobart dishwasher and lots of storage space. The flattop and ovens as well as the deep fryer were replaced with new units in the spring and summer of 2007.

Odin’s Pub is a local favourite with a relaxed neighbourhood pub atmosphere. It is the only pub in New Denver. The license also includes an endorsement for a cold beer and wine store. There is huge potential in the cold beer and wine store as it will be the only one between Nelson (110 km south) and Nakusp (45 km north). The pub has an excellent heating and air conditioning system which operates on an air exchange principle thereby saving on heating/cooling costs.

The current proprietors have successfully operated the Valhalla Inn since 1998. They have started up a tour company to drive more business to the Inn and wish to pursue this new venture. It encompasses motorcycle, ATV and snowmobile tours and is growing rapidly. A new owner could benefit from the tour company as the current owners would be willing to enter into an exclusive agreement for meals and lodging for the tour company clients during their stays in New Denver and area.

Due to the marketing efforts by the current owners, the area has become known as a snowmobile, ATV and motorcycle touring destination. Motor-bikers and pedal cyclists, alike, love the curvy roads, beautiful views and relatively low traffic volumes, including significantly less truck traffic than most areas. The current owners have been featured in a 5 page spread in Snowest magazine which is the most well known and most broadly distributed magazine exclusively targeting the snowmobiler. The ATV tours and the hotel have been featured on Wings Over Canada, an internationally broadcast Canadian television production. ATV enthusiasts are typically middle-aged and seniors who want to visit the backcountry but are not as physically fit as in their younger years and require a mode of transportation to get there. Old mining trails and logging roads lends themselves well to ATV traffic. These demographic groups, while at an earlier age were more willing to pitch a tent, are now looking for the comforts of a hotel after a long day on the motorbike, pedal bike or ATV.

The hotel has also been used as a base for two award winning movies as well as a number of TV documentaries. In 1999 the cast and crew of Snow Falling on Cedars descended on the community of New Denver and stayed for several weeks while filming. The Valhalla Inn is mentioned in the credits of this Hollywood production. In September 2004, the award winning Canadian Production “A Simple Curve” was shot exclusively in New Denver and area. The film was written and produced by a young filmmaker who grew up here. The restaurant scene in this film was shot in the Valhalla Inn and the hotel and owners are mentioned in the credits. The exposure from these films has brought many a tourist to the area.

An increase in the numbers of mountain bikers in the area is also notable over the past few years. The local cycling club has built a network of trails and is working together with Forestry to ensure that trails are available for this fast growing sport.

In recent years several events in the area have resulted in increased tourist traffic including the Kaslo Jazz Festival, the Nakusp Music Festival, the Valhalla Summer School of Music and the Hills Garlic Festival. These events are growing each year and the number of people familiar with the area grows exponentially. In spite of the increase in tourist traffic, the Slocan Valley still boasts a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, setting it apart from other longer established tourist destinations.

Real estate sales in the area have skyrocketed in recent years both in terms of price and volume. There have been many new home starts and most properties being developed are upper end.

Two mines have recently opened in the near vicinity. One is a silver mine located at Sandon, which is also a well known historical tourist destination. This mine is a proven find and has operated in the past. High metal prices and new technology have contributed to the feasibility of re-opening this mine. It is currently producing. This operation currently employs 30 people most of whom are resident in the New Denver area. The Valhalla Inn also benefits from this mine when owners and investors come to visit. For the opening ceremonies, all rooms were booked for three days and all meals were catered by the restaurant. A molybdenum mine located in Trout Lake is in the exploration stage. This mine contributes to the New Denver economy as the majority of the employees live in New Denver and Silverton. This operation currently employs approximately 35 people.

New Denver, while small, offers all necessary services including 2 grocery stores, a credit union, a health food store, a medical clinic and 24 hour emergency service, a school (K-12) and an RCMP station. The population within a 20 km radius would be approximately 3,000 people.

This is a reasonably priced, solid business opportunity located in a corner of the province known for its natural beauty and enviable lifestyle. The Kootenays are being discovered and a new owner will benefit from this growth. This business would be ideally suited for a hands-on operation by a family or two couples.