Another great article spotlighting Inn on the Cliff and Cliffside Restaurant

The following article was published in the September/October 2014 issue of "View on Southern Utah Magazine."

A LABOR OF LOVE - TRANSFORMING A LANDMARK

The idea for the Inn on the Cliff and Cliffside Restaurant was born when new Washington County resident, Tom Heers, was looking through Craigslist and saw a posting for a hotel and restaurant for sale in St. George, Utah. He looked it up on google earth and quickly told his wife, Dorothy, he now knew what their next project would be. “When I saw it was on a cliff, it was all over. I knew we were going to try to purchase it.” The former Rococco Hotel and Restaurant had fallen on hard times. It was built in 1977 and was a landmark restaurant in St. George. The property was purchased in August 2013 and the extensive remodel was finished in February 2014. Renamed Inn on the Cliff Hotel and Cliffside Restaurant, it has opened to wonderful reviews. The hotel was named the #1 hotel in St. George on Trip Advisor after just three months of operation. The restaurant has delighted its customers with its menu of fresh American style food with a twist. According to Heers, the key to the success of the hotel and restaurant has been pretending that is wasn’t on a cliff with a spectacular view of the beautiful city of St. George and of the surrounding picturesque red hills, and that the success of the hotel and restaurant would be on the merits of its hospitality and food.

Tom and Dorothy are the parents of five and the grandparents of 16. Tom Heers is a second-generation general contractor who has been licensed in three states and has spent his career building single-family homes, various commercial projects and hotels. With his contracting skills and Dorothy’s designing skills, they put their collective efforts into this project along with many talented subcontractors, consultants and suppliers and are proud of the results. The style of the hotel and restaurant is a soft contemporary with the view taking the main emphasis. The Heers love the hospitality business. They have previous hotel experience as the creators of the Anniversary Inns in Salt Lake City and Boise (sold in 1999).  According to Tom, ”the Inn on the Cliff hotel is a real all-around hotel as the rooms lend themselves to honeymoons and ‘staycations.’ They also are great for families, with the hidden trundle beds and the Cliffside pool, bordered by glass overlooking the city”. With wall-to-wall windows, the panoramic views are spectacular from every room. 

The construction was a beehive of activity for many months and was a fun job to work on because of the view and the can-do attitude of the workers. “With an old building, there is always something unexpected happening to keep your attention”, according to Tom. As the opening day, February 14^th, approached, the Heers were anxious to see the public’s response to the city’s landmark. They were happily surprised when it opened to rave reviews and no vacancy for three straight days. Dorothy was happy to see that the guests noticed all the little touches she had put in the rooms for their enjoyment. The beds, with their Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses, are a big hit as customers repeatedly ask where they were purchased, so they can enjoy a great night’s sleep in their own homes. Also noted are the 50” high definition televisions that are hooked to high speed internet so the guests may watch movies with their Netflix accounts.

The Cliffside Restaurant opened in April 2014 and was delighted to have as some of their first customers, the Sullivan family, who owned and operated the hotel and restaurant for over 30 years. From that night on our guests have experienced great fresh food prepared by trained chefs with terrific plate presentation and served by smiling young servers anxious to learn their craft and provide great hospitality. With Chef Vance Lott and sou chef Paul Huggans, the restaurant consistently serves excellent food at very reasonable prices.

This project, found on craigslist, has become a labor of love for Tom and Dorothy. They, along with their friendly staff, invite all to come enjoy the Inn on the Cliff and Cliffside Restaurant experience.