At The American Hotel in Williams Bay we discovered the meaning of the phrase “extreme makeover.”

The American is located at 47 W. Geneva St., the former site of the Bayside Motel, which might gently have been described as having seen better days. The husband-wife team of Casey Tormoen and Terese Wallen acquired the property a couple years ago and began a sweeping renovation. There’s more to come but the couple is ready to lay out the welcome mat with an open house September 29.

Casey and Terese gave us the tour recently. Honestly, we had no idea what to expect. Now we know. The American Hotel is a classy addition to the Lake Geneva area’s lodging scene.

“We were looking for our own condo here in town and we happened on this property,” Casey told us. “We thought about it and ended up buying it.”

“We’ve been doing Airbnbs for about 10 years,” Terese added. “We never did a hotel like this and figured it’s going to be on a higher scale of what we’re used to.”

The basic footprint of the property is similar to past use. There are eight suites along with a larger house. That’s where similarities end. The house was remodeled and the units were gutted to the studs. The complete build-out included all new plumbing and electrical, vaulted ceilings, new bathrooms, new kitchenettes, even new construction to add comfortable living rooms to each unit.

“All of it has been a couple years’ worth of renovations. It’s been a lot of work, a little more than we thought. We knew we had to redo everything,” Casey said.

These two complement each other in nifty ways. Terese, who had taken the lead in managing their Airbnb investments, had the eye for hospitality and design. Casey, whose business background is as a general contractor and builder, had the chops to solve architectural issues and bring blueprints to reality. They’re quick to give each other credit.

“Casey had the vision for the outside. I never would have,” Terese said. “He had the vision how it would look for the patio, for firepits and grills, common space and private patios. How the whole property would all look.”

Likewise, Casey gives Terese all the credit for the unique and charming design themes – the wow factor – inside the units. The theme is mid-century movies and the creativity is stunning.

“When I first saw this property it reminded me of the Fifties and Sixties,” she explained. “That was so adorable back then. So why don’t we bring back that era? My girlfriend suggested doing mid-century movies, so that’s what we decided to do. We wanted to make sure we did it not in a cheesy way but in a real classy way. So they’re inspired by the movies, not replicas.”

Touring from unit to unit, half the fun was trying to guess what movie inspired the design. Without spoiling the plot, we’ll just say guests will find recognizable titles like Parent Trap, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Barefoot in the Park and Splendor in the Grass. If your guesswork falls short, you can always look for the framed movie posters on the wall.

The furniture reflects the period. The colors blend seamlessly to stir memories. The kitchenettes even have the cutest little Frigidaires.

It looks like time travel, but the amenities are all up to modern travel expectations.

We asked what attracted them to the location, and if guest reactions confirmed the point.

“Our location is the thing that caught us most, being right downtown,” Casey said. “Here you can walk to everything.”

“Our guests love that it’s so convenient,” Terese said.

It’s true. The hotel is in the heart of downtown Williams Bay. The Frosty Moose is right next door. Green Grocer is just beyond. Great restaurants like Pier 290 and Cafe Calamari are easily walkable. Williams Bay’s beautiful beach is within easy access.

The location is also significant to Williams Bay’s history. In the 1830s Israel Williams of Massachusetts brought his family to the shores of Geneva Lake, settling on land now occupied by the hotel. He is credited with being instrumental in the founding of the lakeshore community.

As one might surmise, when a builder and a designer team up, plans tend to expand.

After moving parking closer to the street to make room for a large patio and common space – where Casey envisions holding outdoor movie nights – the gaze has shifted to a large garage on the property. The idea is to create event space. The real eyebrow-raiser is seeing Casey’s eyes light up when he explains how he wants to build a large deck over the garage for party space – with a great view of the bay. Their excitement is contagious.

“I felt like this property was so adorable,” Terese told us. “I could see generations loving this, and our kids loving it (they share five). It felt very quaint and sweet. I wanted to bring that nostalgia back that I remember as a kid. I miss that part of Lake Geneva, that really sweet part.”

We found The American to be a perfect blend of past and present, a place of connection for families and friends.

For more information go to the website (theamericanhotels.com).