Another motel off the old highway is the Airway Motel in Denver with its rather standard marquee. Not every roadside sign needs a giant rabbit, animated neon, or a towering arrow to get noticed. Sometimes a simple motel sign gets the job done. 07-07
Opened in 1949 along East Colfax Avenue, the Airway Motel is one of the many surviving mom-and-pop properties that once catered to travelers making their way across the country. While the sign may not be flashy, it remains part of the roadside landscape that helped define Colfax during the golden age of automobile travel.
UPDATE: The Airway Motel continues to operate along East Colfax Avenue, and its classic roadside marquee remains standing out front. While many of the corridor's vintage motels and signs have disappeared over the years, the Airway remains a reminder that sometimes the most ordinary roadside places are the ones that manage to survive the longest. 06-26
Wagon Wheel Motel
Twin Falls, ID Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Motels by the name of Wagon Wheel usually have interesting marquees, and this one in Twin Falls is no exception. Though the sign was showing its age when this photo was taken, the large spoked wagon wheel still gave it plenty of roadside presence.
Like many roadside motels built during the heyday of automobile travel, the Wagon Wheel relied on a memorable sign to catch the attention of passing motorists. The giant wheel helped give the property a western identity and made it stand out from the countless generic motel signs found along America's highways.
UPDATE: The Wagon Wheel Motel has been closed for many years, and portions of the property have since been demolished. Fortunately, the historic roadside sign remains standing. While the motel itself has faded into the past, the old wagon wheel continues to mark the spot and serve as a reminder of Twin Falls' roadside history. 06-26
Skylark
Motel
Colorado Springs, CO Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Skylark Motel advertised comfortable rooms at reasonable rates. It even proudly let travelers know that televisions were available in the rooms, a selling point that meant a lot more back when TV was still considered a modern amenity. What really caught my attention, though, was the sign. The marquee featured classic Googie styling, complete with the distinctive cutout holes along the bottom and the kind of futuristic shape that seemed right at home during the Space Age. It's the sort of sign that immediately tells you it came from a different era of roadside travel.
UPDATE: The Skylark property still stands, but the neon on the motel's distinctive Googie marquee has disappeared. That's unfortunate because the sign had far more personality than the building itself. The cutout details and mid-century styling helped set it apart from countless other roadside motels, making it one more lost piece of Colorado's roadside history. 06-26
Hatchet Motel
Moran, WY Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here are a couple of marquees advertising the Hatchet Motel in Moran, Wyoming. What I like about this setup is that you get two very different signs serving the same property. One is a colorful roadside motel marquee designed to catch your eye from the highway, while the other has a much more rustic feel that fits perfectly with the Wyoming landscape. Together they do a nice job of capturing the character of the place. The Hatchet Motel has long been a familiar stop for travelers heading to and from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Surrounded by mountains, forests, and open valley scenery, it's easy to see why visitors have been stopping here for generations. 09-06
UPDATE: The property continues to operate today as Hatchet Resort. The historic roadside signs remain in place, and the lodge continues to welcome travelers exploring Grand Teton and Yellowstone country. 06-26
(Near left) This sign will catch the eye of motorists as they pass by this roadside motel
Royal Palace Motel (Demolished)
Denver, CO Photo courtesy Jason Carlton
Check out this unique looking marquee for the Royal Palace Motel in Denver. The whole sign, from crown on down, makes the place look positively palatial.
The giant crown perched on top is what really makes this sign work. There was no mistaking the theme here. Everything about the design was intended to suggest royalty, luxury, and grandeur. Whether you were looking for a room or simply driving by, the sign was hard to ignore.
I've always liked motel signs that fully commit to a theme, and the Royal Palace did exactly that. Rather than a simple name on a pole, it created an identity that people remembered long after they passed it on Colorado Boulevard. 09-06
UPDATE: The Royal Palace Motel is permanently closed and the former motel building was demolished in 2025 after sitting vacant for many years. Fortunately, the iconic crown-topped sign was saved prior to demolition and preserved for the future, ensuring that one of Denver's most recognizable motel signs survives even though the motel itself is gone. 06-26
Airway Motel
Wagon Wheel Motel
Skylark
Motel
UPDATE
Hatchet Motel
Royal Palace Motel (Demolished)
