For 44 years, as owners of the Edgewater Hotel, the Stokes family has welcomed both visitors from Outside who need a place to stay and locals in search of a good meal.

At the end of this month though, Lionel and his son Brent (who've been operating the hotel for about 20 years) will be out of the hotel business, as a new group of investors took over ownership of the long-time establishment on Main Street.

The same group that bought Whitehorse Motors earlier this month is now moving into the hotel business with the purchase of the Edgewater.

Much like their plans for Whitehorse Motors, they are hoping to keep things at the hotel running just the way they have been, Wendy Taylor told the Star Thursday afternoon.

The group, which also includes Tina Woodland and Hugh Kitchen, wants to carry on the reputation of a high-quality hotel setting that the Stokes had built up in running the Edgewater.

"I'd really love to give credit to the Stokes," said Taylor, the group's president.

She went on to note that consistency has seen the hotel continue to hold its reputation for superior quality, whether that be in the rooms or at the bar and grill on the main level or, appropriately named for its place, the Cellar Steakhouse and Wine Bar.

In her own case, Taylor had enjoyed the atmosphere and enough food from the hotel's kitchen over the years to know that if the opportunity ever arose, she would want to be more than a customer.

So when that chance came up, she and the two other investors were ready to take it on, she said.

If, 90 days from now, customers haven't noticed any major changes, the investors will have achieved their goal, she added.

To make that happen, Taylor said there will be no changes for the 36 part-time and full-time staff. The team of employees, including a general manager who has worked there since the 1970s, is the reason the hotel is run so well, she said.

"They're the reason for the success," she said.

While the investors became the owners of two long-time Whitehorse businesses in the span of a month, Taylor said there won't likely be any more purchase announcements, at least for now.

Though negotiations for both businesses happened at different times, the closing dates on each ended up being close together, she said.

Reached Thursday, Brent Stokes declined to comment on the hotel's sale.