FIRST CENTENNIAL FOR ASHLAND SPRINGS HOTEL

One hundred years ago, on July 1, 1925, the then “Lithia Springs” Hotel opened in downtown Ashland and stood for several years as the tallest building between Portland and San Francisco. Two years prior, in 1923, a group of Ashland businessmen met to discuss the possibility of building the luxury hotel in the blossoming Southern Oregon town. Acting fast on the idea of creating a top-notch tourist destination and cultural landmark, the businessmen moved forward with a hasty money-raising plan, selling over $100,000 in stocks in just two days. Having acquired the needed funds, construction promptly started in 1924. 

The hotel has gone by three different names: The Lithia Springs, a nod to Ashland’s lithia spring water, the Mark Antony (from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra), and is currently known as the Ashland Springs Hotel. Despite fame from the initial buzz of opening, the Ashland Springs faced several periods of turbulence throughout the tail end of the 20th century. In 1997 the doors were sadly closed again. 

However, revitalization was around the corner. In 1998 Doug and Becky Neuman purchased what was the Mark Antony and began the process of remodeling. On December 1, 2000, the hotel once again opened its doors, ushering in a new era of historical relevance as the Ashland Springs Hotel  

A slew of issues plagued the hotel when the Neumans bought it. Doug remembers several of the main problems. “It didn’t even have any fire safety features,” he said. “The heat only worked for the first couple of floors, so it needed unbelievable work.”  

The number of rooms was reduced from 96 to 70, with the focus being geared toward quality. High speed internet was put in, as well as heating and air conditioning. It was important to restore and modernize the hotel, while also keeping the style and heart of it intact. 

  “I just love creating an oasis for people, that’s kind of my purpose,” Becky said. “Wherever I go, I try to make a de-stressing environment.”

She and Doug both shared a desire to make the Springs a sustainable and functional historic building. This sparked the beginning of Larks as well.

Starting out as Bullseye’s Bistro, there was a disconnect between the atmosphere of the restaurant and that of the hotel, so Becky decided to do a complete overhaul. “It just wasn’t so Ashland,” she said. 

The concept was redone to seamlessly transition from the hotel to the restaurant, and the cuisine was switched from a meat centric, bar style, to a fresh, farm-to-table format that highlights the Rogue Valley’s abundance. Larks opened May 5, 2005, and now, 20 years later, it thrives with the hotel, not just as an addition, but another Ashland staple.

Both Neumans saw the potential the hotel had to make a positive impact in Ashland. “We felt that resurrecting this historical beauty would help people come visit this lovely town,” Becky said.

Moving forward, they want to keep the legacy of the hotel intact but also add to its history as it continues. Every event creates a new connection to the town for somebody—new memories of weddings and reunions, all under the graceful roof of the Ashland Springs Hotel.

—Jack Murphy