Hannon Family Keeps Stoughton Motel Running

Think about it, how many times have you driven down Route 138, passed the and wondered, “Who stays there? How do they stay in business?”

Joe and Kathy Hannon currently own the Stoughton Motel at 1919 Washington Street; this year they are celebrating their 25th year as owners/operators of the Motel.

Originally from Middleboro, the Hannons are high school sweethearts who owned a couple of rental properties as well as their home when Joe saw an ad for a small motel for sale in Stoughton in 1985. They came down to look at it and ended up signing papers that same day.

“We knew nothing [about the motel business.]” Kathy said. “It was learn as you earn.”

As impulsive as it may seem, it turned out to be a great decision for the Hannons. The family moved into the house in the back of the Motel and their two kids went to the Gibbons Elementary School.

“Stoughton is wonderful. It’s been a great location for us. But, it was a lot of work,” Kathy said. “It took me four years before I knew where the Library was! We were working all the time.”

In 1987 Joe and Kathy added a second floor to the Motel and doubled their room count from 8 to 16. The rooms range from King down to single.

A bit of a Jack-of-all-trades, Joe takes care of all the upkeep and maintenance of the Motel. That basically involves staying ahead of any problems.

The way Joe looks at it is, “If it needs to be fixed, it’s too late. I haven’t been paying attention.” Joe inspects the rooms consistently, looking for anything that might need to be restored, repaired, or replaced. He is currently having all the tubs replaced in the rooms with full baths.

Business trips, road trips, or family events—these are just a few of the things that bring customers to the Stoughton Motel.

The Hannons pride themselves on running a clean, comfortable and quiet motel and because of that, and their low rates, they are full about 70 percent of the time.

The Hannons do not do any advertising so they rely on word-of-mouth and repeat customers. “We have a gentleman from Ohio. He’s been staying here for years. He works for a company on Route 139. He checks in on Monday, stays until Thursday, and flies home for the weekend. He’s been doing that for 10 years,” Joe and Kathy said.

Other customers include parents visiting their kids at Stonehill College, people visiting patients at the New England Sinai Hospital or other area hospitals, visiting professors for some Massachusetts schools and people who do not want to travel during snowstorms. 

The Hannons know exactly what their clientele wants. “It’s not a luxurious place. It’s a necessity,” they said. “But [we] want to make sure you’re coming into a nice place.”

There are strict rules regarding check-in time. You don’t need to make a reservation, but the office closes at 10 p.m. and you must be at least 21 to rent a room. Once a guest is checked in, Joe or Kathy make themselves available to them 24 hours a day. 

Several interesting folks have stayed at the Stoughton Motel—a woman making a cross country trip to document lighthouses; an 85 year-old woman from Maine who comes down by herself every Memorial Day weekend to place flowers on the graves of her family members; and a curator for the Museum of Fine Arts who stayed for a year and a half while getting settled in his new job and finding a place to live in Boston.

Joe has also been approached by several film producers inquiring about using the Motel as a location in a movie, but he always declines. “I don’t really want to be involved in that.”

The miscellany and assortment of people has been rewarding for the Hannons. “It’s amazing how many different people you see in this business. So diverse,” they said.