“Lunch in Elko, NV: Star Hotel Basque Family Restaurant” by michaelsmithchico is licensed under CC BY 2.0 | Cropped from original
The Star Hotel is a Basque family-style restaurant, lounge, and bakery serving excellent European-style food in an old world atmosphere. The Star, as it is referred to locally, is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Elko, NV.
Pete Jauregui opened the Star Hotel in December 1910 as a “home away from home” for Basques. With eleven rooms, one bath, and heat from wood stoves, the Star Hotel originally served as a boardinghouse for sheepherders who needed a place to stay. Just two years later, business demands increased and the Star doubled in size to its current size.
The nightlife scene was nonexistent when the Star was built, so the Star began holding dances as fun events for the local community to get together. One of the major attractions of the dances was the presence of the young Basque women who worked at the hotel as maids and waitresses. The turnover rate ended up quite high due to the young women quickly getting marriage proposals, but the Star was happy to perform the weddings and offer supper and dance as a wedding gift to the couples.
More than a hundred years later, the latest owners of the Star Hotel continue to carry on the tradition of Basque hospitality. The restaurant’s eating experience is family-style, as it always has been since it first opened. The calling dinner bell that can be heard throughout the entire hotel is another custom that is still practiced.
It is estimated that nearly 90% of the Star is still the original wood from when it was constructed, which puts a spotlight on the tremendous amount of work and care that has gone into maintaining the building over the years. The walls, floors, and bar all appear to be original, and the walls are adorned with old photographs of previous owners.
If you are looking for a traditional Basque boardinghouse or family-style restaurant setting in a beautifully maintained building from the early 1900s to use as a filming location for your next production, be sure to check out the Star Hotel! For more information and pictures, you can view the full Star Hotel filming location details here and don’t forget to register your project!
The Star Hotel also has plenty of full view images of the interior of their building on their website: elkostarhotel.com
To find more film-friendly locations, be sure to visit our Nevada Filming Locations Database or contact us if you need further assistance with your production!