MACON, Ga. — As demolition prep continues at the Old Ramada Hotel site at 108 First Street, Maconites are sharing their own memories stored inside its aging walls.
For people like 77-year-old Alice Hunnicutt, the loss of the Ramada brings back the nostalgia of the structure's heyday.
From seeing live shows in the hotel ballroom to becoming a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band Association, Hunnicutt remembers it as the "perfect place" for a party.
"Our first GABBA Fest was held in 1992 at the Ramada, it was a one-stop shop," Hunnicutt said. "Everybody could stay there. They gave us enough space to have our concerts there in the ballroom ... I haven't missed one GABBA fest, and that one that really gives me the most fond memories is as Vice President of GABBA, I was responsible for closing the music down at midnight."
The hotel has welcomed various VIP guests over the years, including the Jackson 5, Little Richard, Prince and Elvis Presley.
Elvis performed at the Macon Coliseum in 1972, returning to perform again in 1975.
Hunnicutt attended both his shows for each visit.
"I was a huge Elvis fan," Hunnicutt said. "I was a good bit younger than Elvis, and wasn't what you would call a fan that would go and hang out and stalk him or anything. I do know people that did. He was just awesome ... and he would probably roll over in his grave if he thought the Ramada was coming down. It's really gonna be sad for me personally, because of the experiences I did have."
Bob Harden and his family hosted his daughter's wedding party at the Ramada.
But his story coincides with the Ramada's closure in 2011, when the American Camellia Society, of which he is a member, planned its return to Macon for its annual convention.
"In June 2010, the Camellia Society entered into a contract with the Ramada Inn. Between June and January, there were lots of back and forth with logistics ... but then a finalized contract was done and priced," Harden said.
Harden said the Society's Executive Director Celeste Richard contacted him in late January, two weeks before the conference was scheduled.
Richard failed to connect with the hotel's management via phone about registration numbers and requesting a possible extension of the registration date.
A few days later, Harden drove over to the hotel in hopes of getting some answers in-person.
"The hotel was dark and quiet. I walked around and every door entrance door into the hotel had a sign that said 'closed,'" Harden said. "So I went back home, called the Executive Director and said, 'You need to come up here, we need to talk about what's going on.' My next call was WMAZ."
On Feb. 2, 2011, Harden says he returned to the hotel with a team from 13WMAZ in search of the hotel manager.
"There was a gentleman at the front desk who purported to be the owner of the hotel at that time and he indicated that they were closed," Harden said. "They had to send all the guests out and they didn't know when they might open. He said there were problems and other kinds of plumbing issues...to my knowledge after that date in 2011, it never reopened."
Harden says the American Camellia Society was able to reschedule their conference at the Holiday Inn that year.
While there are no more closing signs on the current Ramada structure, there is plenty of evidence that there won't be any more parties or musical guests inside.