Ledger-Dispatch

By Marcia Oxford (marciayo@goldrush.com)=20

Onkar Mahay and his daughter, Daisey = Mahay, at=20 the Sutter Creek Days Inn guest reception desk, are half of the = family=20 which also includes Onkar's wife, Lourdes and their son, Swain, = who are=20 new owners of the Sutter Creek Days Inn.

Photo by: Marcia=20 Oxford
Onkar and Lourdes Mahay, their = daughter=20 Daisey and son Swain, bring ample experience in the hospitality industry = to=20 their new responsibilities. The senior Mahays are new owners of the = 52-room=20 Sutter Creek Days Inn. The Mahays purchased the hotel from Byron and Jan = Baxter,=20 owners for at least three years.

"We had been looking for a long = time=20 and this caught our attention," Onkar explained. "We are really glad we = came=20 here, and don't know why it took so long because it's right in our = backyard."=20 The couple, currently Sacramento residents where they owned and operated = a=20 31-unit motel they recently sold, sought to purchase lodging from Los = Angeles to=20 venues up the state to Mount Shasta before opting for Sutter = Creek.

In=20 addition to the Days Inn, they recently closed escrow on a 42-unit = Comfort Inn=20 in Concord where Swain is currently working. The Mahays have 23 = employees at=20 both sites and Onkar said he has no plans to change "anything" at this = point,=20 and "maybe not at all." While the addition of a pool on site has been = discussed=20 in the past, he has looked at the blueprints and said, "If it happens, = it would=20 be at least a year. It will complement the building and surroundings or = why have=20 it?"

He was previously in accounting with Norcal Waste Systems in = San=20 Francisco for 25 years, the last 11 as the company's group controller. = "We=20 finally said to ourselves, 'why not build something on our backgrounds' = and here=20 we are in the hospitality industry," Onkar said, smiling. Lourdes has = devoted 20=20 years to working in various capacities at the Hyatt Regency in San = Francisco.=20 "She's done everything from housekeeping to food and beverages, = cashiering,=20 night audit, front desk and accounting," her husband said. "Lourdes has = the=20 operational knowledge, and I have the administrative side."

"We = fell in=20 love with this small community. We drove through a number of times and = as luck=20 would have it, had to drive past the inn to get to Highway 16. Now we're = here,=20 we want to do good for ourselves and for the community," Onkar = continued. "It's=20 a two-way street."

A native of Punjab, India, Onkar and his = family moved=20 to San Francisco when he was 3. His father was in the foreign service = and=20 eventually transitioned into banking, working at Bank of America for = almost=20 three decades.

"We love it here," he added. "A lot of people in=20 Sacramento still don't know where Sutter Creek is. We want to do what we = can to=20 have people gravitate here, to have a little of this magic, this = identity,"=20 daughter Daisey noted. She is currently a student at American River = College=20 majoring in business. "I really like getting away from the city," she = said with=20 a smile.

Sutter Creek Days Inn, in addition to 52 guest = accommodations,=20 also offers numerous rooms for meetings and conferences. For information = or=20 reservations, call 267-9177. The inn is also the venue for the spring = and fall=20 productions of Main Street Theatre Works, the first of which is "Angel = Street,"=20 March 14 to April 12. Ticket information is at 267-5680.

Marcia = Oxford