Visiting teams and fans alike will have to seek alternative accommodations while traveling to Grand Forks, North Dakota to watch University of North Dakota hockey games. The city zoning department condemned the Ambassador Motel after numerous licensing violations and with a late-night fire putting the final touches on the iconic motor lodge.
The Grand Forks motel’s closing eliminates one of the few lodging options that achieve the ‘Dakotas Hospitality Golden Triangle’ – indoor plumbing, color TV, and Magic Fingers.
“We thought we could identify some key donors to save it,” said UND athletic director Bill Chaves. “A little paint, some elbow grease, a few nails, and the grand old lady would’ve been good as new. Plus, with hourly rates, Athletics staff had a place to go to recharge during the day.”
UND Hockey head coach Brad Berry will have to find new accommodations for his mother as well. “I moved Eunice from Valley Eldercare to The Ambassador five years ago and was saving $87 dollars a day.”
The demolition of the fabled motor lodge made local Grand Forks news:
Sources tell us that the University of North Dakota athletic department is frantically looking for alternative housing options for visiting teams, dignitaries and student families.
Denver faces the Fighting Hawks in a two-game series this weekend in Grand Forks for the rivals’ only matchups of the season. No word yet on the Pioneers’ accommodations.
Why no game here?
Due to limitations on number of games, each team only faces two other conference teams once (2 games versus 4). So this year, DU doesn’t host UND but DU doesn’t travel to St. Cloud. Next year, it’ll shift teams.