Author: Eric Grundhauser / Source: Atlas Obscura
It was no doubt not long after the very first family road trip took place that hotels and motels began looking for creative ways to lure in motorists. They may not be as ubiquitous as they once were, but for many decades, especially in North America, unusual or quirky roadside hotels dotted every highway, locked in a fierce competition for drivers’ attention.
Earlier this month, we asked Atlas Obscura readers to share their stories of the most surprising roadside lodgings they’ve ever stayed in, and as always, they gave us just what we asked for and more.
Across hundreds of responses, readers told us about roadside hotels shaped like old train cars and motels housed in former sardine factories. There were ramshackle sheds only good for waiting out a storm and lodgings where you can catch a drive-thru movie from the comfort of your room. And of course, the ever-iconic, ever-problematic Wigwam Villages came up more than once. Each one an amazing or unique place to stay.
We’ve collected some of our favorite reader responses below. Continental breakfast not included.
“The most surprising roadside motel that I’ve ever stayed at was in 2017, when I spent six months driving across the USA. I stayed in hundreds of roadside motels, but one of them was such a surprise: the Best Western East Zion Thunderbird Lodge. From the road, I didn’t notice anything particularly unusual besides the amusing sign for the restaurant that said ‘Home of the Ho-Made pies.’ But once I checked into my room, the architecture looked strangely familiar, and definitely far more well-designed than any other motel I’d stayed in.
I inquired with the staff and found out that the original owner wanted Frank Lloyd Wright to design the hotel but he was either too expensive or too busy, so she hired one of Frank’s students to design the hotel, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence can easily still be felt in the rooms today.” — Stavros Mitchelides, United StatesThe guest rooms are actual train cabooses. Think tiny houses on rails. There are several cabooses arranged around the property. Each one is different, in color and design. They are all super cute. I stayed in one with my husband and three school-age kids. The cabooses have their own bathrooms, mini-fridges, and microwaves. Ours had a deck, too. There’s a little cafe and gift shop on site. They also have a petting zoo and horses to see. — Jeanne VanHassel, Westtown, New York
“It wasn’t incredible because of how it looked but more so because of where it was. Rachel, Nevada, is a very tiny town right on the outskirts of Area 51. There’s about 10 houses and not much else, with the Little A’le’inn being the only place for people to congregate. They have a UFO out front, and an alien standing in the window of the restaurant area. You stay in tiny trailers that have the most basic of amenities but being so secluded in the desert is what makes this place special. Standing outside at night and looking at the clear sky with all its stars, it’s almost no wonder people talk about aliens out there. One of the most unique and amazing places I’ve ever been.” — Janey, New Jersey
“It was alien and bunker-themed, and was decorated with atomic bomb art.” — Julia Alexander, Asheville, North Carolina
“It was a late night and I needed a place to stay for the night when the retro-neon lights of the El Rancho grabbed my eye and I knew I had to stay. The El Rancho is a classic Route 66 motel frequented by seemingly every actor/actress from the golden age of Hollywood, including John Wayne, Jane Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, and Lucille Ball. Each room has a plaque above the door of a movie star who once stayed in the room, and the whole place is seeping with quirky history.” — Nick, Colorado
“There was a petting zoo/real zoo outside. With lions and everything. The lions were very loud at night. The goat enclosure was INSANELY LARGE, and all the goats knew they were the stars of the zoo. Also the lodge itself had this Big Buck Hunter-esque deer bedspread and a totally available DVD player on the TV. I watched Rushmore there with my parents. Amazing place.” — Rory Gallagher, DeKalb, Illinois
“It’s a roadside hostel, located in a very beautiful mountain location. What makes it unforgettable for me is the staff and the fried fish they make.” — Ilya, Tel Aviv
“It used to be a sardine factory, so it’s right on the water in the most beautiful location. The view out the windows is stunning. Small islands float over the water, the mist is salty, and the hum of the little harbor is enchanting.” — Richard Honer, Northfield, New Hampshire
“We were among the only guests for New Year’s Eve 2012, after a day in the Smokies and before a day in Mammoth Cave. We arrived after the sun went down and collected our key from a box near the owner’s house. Why they didn’t stay in a teepee is beyond me. We ordered some pizza, ate it, and fell asleep, the same as we would in any other hotel, but it sure was teepee shaped.” — Fred Kerner, Morrisville, Pennsylvania
“Besides the caverns, which is worth a trip in itself, there’s a totally random collection of antiques, the dinosaur golf course, and typical 1950s roadside motel. Like many places in Arizona, even though it has Grand Canyon in the name, it really has nothing to do with the Grand Canyon.” — Dale, Concord, California
“A 1964 renovated motel that kept to the retro style with some modern additions. Staying there brought me back to my family’s road trips when I was little. Not having a plan and staying wherever the road took us. Plus it’s in Savannah, which is an amazing place on its own, the Thunderbird added to my adventure.” — Danielle Philibert, Lynnwood, Washington
“This had been the Nelson County, Kentucky, jail, and the site of numerous executions since its construction in 1810. It was considered a prominent haunted place, but me and my wife didn’t know this until we had already checked in.” — Ed Fleming, Chicago, Illinois
“Driving up 101 late one night just before Christmas, stopped because of the name and wandered in. A huge fire burning, an older couple asleep on the sofa, toys and lights everywhere. It was like we happened…
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