Longtime Richmond Highway hotel reopens after huge makeover

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The Moon Inn on Richmond Highway has opened for business after a months-long renovation of the building and grounds. 

The 35-room hotel, formerly known as Cedar Lodge, was purchased for $4 million in September by Zangana Hospitality, Inc. The new owners immediately shut the motel down and began gutting the building, which had fallen into disrepair. 

A short tour of the revamped hotel Wednesday revealed a dramatic transformation. Gone are the dated styles and near squalor that existed in parts of the old motel. New bathrooms, beds, carpet, paint, TVs and other amenities have been installed. The lobby has been completely overhauled, and a second-floor meeting/dining room is all new. 

The exterior of the hotel is also much improved. A new roof was installed, new doors were put on all the rooms and many windows were replaced. The rusted chain-link fence that surrounded the property is gone, replaced by a white picket fence. Plants and additional landscaping were added, and a new courtyard was built in the center of the parking lot. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and luncheon for the hotel was held last Monday, with Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon), representatives from the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department among the attendees.

“The removal of the fortress-like fencing and redevelopment of the former Cedar Lodge is another strong step in the right direction of dramatically improving existing properties, enhancing the look and value of our corridor,” Storck said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome Zangana Hospitality, Inc. to our community and appreciate their commitment to its improvement.  I look forward to their success!”

Located at the corner of Route 1 and Fairhaven Avenue, the Moon Inn was built in 1952. It was originally named the Harry Smith Motel, after the first owner, and changed its name to Cedar Lodge in the early 2000s. 

 More pictures and information on the Moon Inn can be found on its website