Clermont hotel now up for sale

It’s not listed on any travel brochures, but it’s one of Atlanta’s biggest visitor draws and a rite of passage for many residents.

And it can be yours for the right price.

The legendary Clermont Motor Hotel —- the Ponce de Leon Avenue destination for many a weary, uber budget-conscious traveler, and whose infamous Clermont Lounge has been a favorite stomping ground for, ahem, entertainment —- is up for sale for $6.5 million.

At 108 rooms and five floors, it’s not Atlanta’s biggest hotel offering. Its address is not tony like many of its competitors.

But Gene Kansas, who is selling the building for Inman Park Properties, said it has something the others don’t.

“It’s a great attraction.”

That will come in handy, he admitted, given that the property is being offered during a recession.

“If you have a pretty good amount of real estate or you have something to sell, pick the unique one,” Kansas said. “The Clermont has cachet.”

He emphasized that the Lounge, a strip club that made a superstar locally out of fan favorite Blondie, is not affected by the change.

“I don’t want the Clermont Lounge to go anywhere,” he said. “It has a rich history there.”

The lounge has survived years of rumors about its future, said bouncer Chuck Jeffress, who’s worked there for five years. He was a regular for 10 years before that.

“Every six months, I hear a new rumor about the bar closing,” he said.

But the Clermont stands, same as it ever was. At 4 p.m. on a Wednesday, a few regulars huddled around the dimly lit bar. The banter was familiar.

“Want to hear a joke?” a customer asked a bartender. The rest is for mature audiences only. Fitting, considering the setting.

“One thing I like about this club is that the personality will never change,” said dancer Cathy Lankford, aka “Lil’ Cathy.” She’s been working at the Clermont since her 20s. She’s now 53.

“I still have a few years left in me,” she said.

The Clermont Motor Lodge was constructed in 1924 as an apartment building. It was turned into a hotel in 1940. Rooms usually start at just over $35 a night.

Mark Woodworth, president of PKF Hospitality Research, said being unique may help the hotel stand out among real estate listings, but the market is extremely tight.

“There’s a belief in commercial real estate that prices are falling and will continue to fall,” Woodworth said. “The perception is, why pay for something today that you can get cheaper tomorrow?”