A motel or motor lodge is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, coined as a contraction of "motor hotel", originates from the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, California, which was built in 1925. The term referred to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and in some circumstances, a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. Motels are often individually owned, though motel chains do exist.
Jones Motor Company is a historic U.S. Route 66-era building in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Built in 1939, on Central Avenue in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, the building originally housed Ralph Jones' service station and Ford Motor Company car dealership. It was designed by Tom Danahy in the Streamline Moderne style, with curved garage bays surmounted by a central stepped tower.
U.S. Route 66 in the state of Texas extended across the Texas Panhandle from its designation in 1926 to its decommissioning in 1985.
The historic U.S. Route 66 ran east–west across the central part of the state of New Mexico, along the path now taken by Interstate 40 (I-40). However, until 1937, it took a longer route via Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, now roughly New Mexico State Road 6 (NM 6), I-25, and US 84. Large portions of the old road parallel to I-40 have been designated NM 117, NM 118, NM 122, NM 124, NM 333, three separate loops of I-40 Business, and state-maintained frontage roads.
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico area. Central Avenue was part of U.S. Route 66 from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering system. It was also signed as Business Loop 40 until the early 1990s when ownership of Central Avenue was transferred from the New Mexico State Highway Department to the City of Albuquerque.
The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Until its demolition in 2011 it was the oldest continuously-operating Route 66 motel in New Mexico and "one of the five most important motels left" in Albuquerque.
The De Anza Motor Lodge was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was built in 1939 by Charles G. Wallace, a local trader of Zuni art and pottery, who remained the owner until 1983. Wallace decorated the motel with a variety of Native American art, including a series of murals by Zuni artist Tony Edaakie in a basement room.
Nob Hill Business Center is a historic shopping center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Built in 1946–7, it was the first modern suburban shopping center in New Mexico, and its construction marked a shift away from pedestrian-oriented development in Albuquerque in favor of decentralized, auto-oriented sprawl. Located on Central Avenue at Carlisle Boulevard, the building is the focal point of the Nob Hill district.
Nob Hill is a neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico, consisting of a commercial district along Central Avenue and surrounding residential areas. Located just east of the University of New Mexico, the neighborhood was developed between about 1925 and 1950 and has since become a popular tourist and shopping destination. Known for its eclectic mix of mostly locally owned businesses, Nob Hill has been described as "the heart of Albuquerque's Route 66 culture and also its hippest, funkiest retail and entertainment district". The neighborhood is named after Nob Hill in San Francisco.
The Cactus Motor Lodge, now known as the Cactus RV Park, is a motel located along historic U.S. Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. I.E. and Edna Perry built the lodge in 1941. The motel included three wings of units forming a "U" shape and an office, the latter of which was a dance hall when the motel opened. In 1952, Norm Wegner purchased the motel; Wegner added an artificial stone exterior to the buildings and converted the dance hall to an office. After Route 66 was decommissioned, the motel lost much of its business, and by the 1990s it became an RV park; the motel units are currently unused. The motel's neon sign was restored in 2008. In October 2018, the sign was sold and removed to be relocated to an Albuquerque neon-sign park. Many other items have been sold off as the current owners negotiate to sell the property itself to O'Reilly Auto Parts.
The International District is a neighborhood in southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is centered on Central Avenue, the historic alignment of U.S. Route 66, and contains the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. The community is one of the most diverse areas of the city and is home to a large number of international restaurants and grocery stores, as well as the city's "Little Saigon" Vietnamese enclave. It is also one of the poorest areas in the city and has a high crime rate. Prior to being re-branded as the International District in 2009, the neighborhood was commonly known as the "War Zone".
The El Vado Auto Court is a historic motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, located along former U.S. Route 66. Built in 1937, it operated until 2005 and reopened in 2018 after renovations. The motel was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and was also designated an Albuquerque city landmark in 2008.
The Tower Court is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is notable as one of only a few 1930s motels remaining in the city. The motel was built in 1939 by Ben F. Shear and was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
The Tewa Lodge is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is notable as one of the best-preserved Route 66 era motels remaining in the city, and one of the few still operating as a motel. It was built in 1946 and was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The Luna Lodge is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is notable as one of the best-preserved Route 66 era motels remaining in the city. It was built in 1949 and was one of the easternmost Albuquerque motels, located about 6 miles (9.7 km) from the city center. The motel eventually closed and fell into disrepair, but was restored and converted to low-income housing in 2013. The property was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The El Campo Tourist Courts is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is notable as one of the best-preserved prewar Route 66 motels remaining in the city. It was built in 1939 by M. H. McGraw and was one of the westernmost Albuquerque motels, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the city center. The motel was later converted into an apartment complex. The property was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1993 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The Hilltop Lodge was a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was notable as one of the best-preserved Route 66 motels remaining in the city. It began as a small three-unit lodging in 1941, and was expanded to 12 units by owner E. H. Stopple in 1946. The property was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1997 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The motel was demolished in 2003 after being shut down by the city as a nuisance property. The remainder of the site, including the neon sign, was cleared around 2017 for a realignment of Yucca Drive due to the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project.
The La Mesa Motel was a historic motel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was notable as one of the best-preserved prewar Route 66 motels remaining in the city. It was built in 1938and was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The building was demolished in March, 2003, and replaced with a larger two-story motel.
The Downtowner Motor Inn is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Opened in 1965, it was originally part of the Downtowner chain, which operated economy-priced motels in city centers across the U.S. In 1972, the motel was sold and became a Quality Inn. It has also operated as a Ramada and most recently as the Hotel Blue, which closed in 2017. As of 2020 the motel is planned to be renovated by the Los Angeles-based ARRIVE Hotels & Restaurants to reopen in 2022. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 as "an exceptional example of a mid-20th-century motel on Route 66 in Albuquerque."
