The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs expands services to offer second-run film showings
May 4—LA GRANDE — Moviegoers now have a new local spot to catch a flick.
The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs recently opened up public access to its fully functional, 60-seat movie theater for second-run showings. The movie theater, in addition to other added amenities, is part of efforts to utilize the space for public use and create a community hot spot.
"People wanted that day-use access and we want this to be a place where people can come and hang out," owner Michael Rysavy said.
Michael and Tamarah Rysavy purchased the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs in 2020 and reopened the hotel after renovation work in February of 2021. Since then, extensive work has gone into the continued revamp of the facilities to create a destination for locals and travelers alike.
After opening the hotel to overnight guests in early 2021, this past December marked the beginning of a more public-based approach. Around that point in the year, the owners opened the hot spring soaking area for day use, Thermal Pub and Eatery for alcoholic beverages and food options and a second-run theater for movie showings. As work continues, the owners plan to have multiple pubs, conference space, a fully operational restaurant, concert availability, spa and added soaking space.
"To do anything here before you had to be a guest," Rysavy said. "As soon as we got the movie theater and pub done, we were also able to open up the soaking for day use. It all really happened in December and that's when anyone could come onto the property at that point."
The movie theater at the Lodge at Hot Lake seats 60 guests in a vintage-style wooden seat theater setting — movies are aired in the evenings on Thursdays through Sundays. Rysavy purchased the rights to 30 second-run films, ranging from classics like "Die Hard" to cult favorites like "Napoleon Dynamite."
"For us to get the movie theater done was just a matter of bringing in the equipment and getting the licensing done," he said.
Licensing is the key to showing the films, with the owners currently in the process of purchasing the rights to 30 more films. This would allow the movie theater at Hot Lake to cycle through its movies on a rotation lasting roughly 90 days.
The current setup includes a 13-foot screen and high-quality sound system for an authentic movie-viewing experience. The previous owners of Hot Lake operated the theater, but the space was only for guests and included a much more basic screen and sound setup.
"I think that while we were just open for hotel guests, there were a number of people that voiced their displeasure with that and wanted it to be open to the public," Rysavy said.
The owners have not over-pushed advertising of the movie theater, but some nights have seen large turnout. On the first night of publicly available movies, about 45 guests showed up for the screening.
Moving forward, Rysavy stated that the theater could be a key element in creating a popular hangout spot at Hot Lake. He noted that the combination of day-use soaking, food and beverage amenities and the movie theater add up to a quality location for a day trip.
"I don't think people are coming out because of the movie that's playing, it's more like coming down to drink a beer, have a snack, watch a movie and have a fun time," Rysavy said. "It doesn't necessarily rely on what the movie is. We haven't really seen a correlation between what we're playing and how many people show up."
As the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs owners continue upping the services offered at the facilities, publicly available opportunities remain an emphasis. The owners hope to include several pubs, two restaurants, concert space, and other opportunities to create a community center in years to come.
"You can make a whole afternoon around it," Rysavy said. "Go for a soak, soon have dinner, see a movie, grab a drink and make a whole day out of it."
