The Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association has inducted Gerda Safer into the Wisconsin Lodging Hall of Fame. The association announced the induction in a notice dated 29 September 2026.
Her family will accept the honour at the association's annual conference in November, the notice states.
A resort built cabin by cabin
Safer and her husband began building A1 Gypsy Villa Resort in Eagle River in 1957. The couple raised six children while they added the cabins.
The resort sits on 100 acres of Cranberry Lake shoreline. It grew to 20 cabins over seven decades. The association calls the finished property a sanctuary for multi-generational families.
Chair of the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association
Safer chaired the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association in 1997. That body is now the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association.
The notice credits her with a role in the 1991 merger between the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association and the Wisconsin Hospitality, Recreation, and Travel Association. The merger combined lodging and tourism representation across the state.
Innkeeper of the Year
The association named Safer Innkeeper of the Year in 2000.
The 2026 class
The association's recap of its Stars of the Industry Awards Lunch, held on 23 September 2026 in the Empire Ballroom at the Hilton Milwaukee, records the induction. The recap lists Safer In Memoriam in the 2026 class.
The class carries three names. Ron McCord is listed In Memoriam. Daniel Schetter, general manager at the CopperLeaf Boutique Hotel & Spa and the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center, is the third.
The recap states that WHLA Board Chair Amy Boston led the induction ceremony. The Hall of Fame was established in 2021, according to the recap.
The November conference
The recap names the 2026 WHLA Annual Conference & Trade Show. It runs 1–3 November 2026 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
The recap states that the conference will carry further Stars of the Industry honours: Innkeeper of the Year, Corporate Champion, Associate of the Year and Development Excellence Awards.
Safer's family keeps the resort running, according to the notice.