Hub City Inn (Closed)
Wendell, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This rooftop MOTEL sign at the Hub City Inn is a fine example of a sight that beckons to you as you travel the road, no matter what state, city, or town. 09-06

Unlike the towering pole signs found along many highways, these signs become part of the building itself. Simple as it may be, the giant lettering leaves little doubt what awaits inside. You don't need a fancy name or elaborate design to get your point across. Sometimes a rooftop sign and a vacancy light were all a weary traveler needed to see after a long day on the road. The sign may have been simple, but it did exactly what it was designed to do.

UPDATE: The building remains standing today as the Hub City Inn, the same name it operated under when this photo was taken. Unfortunately, the rooftop motel sign disappeared sometime before 2016. While the lodging property survives, and is temporarily closed, its most recognizable roadside features has faded into history. 06-26

Hi Lander Motel
Mountain Home, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the marquee for the Hi Lander Motel in Mountain Home, ID. I've never been quite sure if the name comes from the surrounding landscape or if it has something to do with the Scottish highlander standing on the sign. 09-06

Either way, it's a sign that is hard to forget. The highlander gives the marquee a lot more personality than most motel signs, and it's one of those roadside details that makes you slow down for a second look. I can only imagine how many travelers over the years remembered the sign long after they forgot the motel itself.

UPDATE: The Hi Lander Motel is still around, and thankfully so is the sign. The Scottish highlander continues to greet travelers passing through Mountain Home, making this one of those surviving roadside gems that still has plenty of character. In fact seeing this gem again made me forget to drive further down the street earlier this year. 06-26

Holiday Motel
Twin Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Holiday Motel features the kind of sign that once seemed to be found in nearly every town across the West. While the name may be common, the sign's styling and bold roadside presence helped give the property its own identity. It's a reminder of a time when independent motels relied on eye-catching signs rather than national brands to attract travelers. 09-06

One detail that stood out on this sign were the decorative neon balls that once adorned the pole structure. Small touches like that helped transform an ordinary motel sign into something a little more memorable.

UPDATE: The Holiday Motel remains in operation today. While some of the original decorative elements have disappeared over the years, the vintage roadside marquee still stands along Addison Avenue, continuing to greet travelers passing through Twin Falls. 06-26

Grandview Motel
Boise, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the colorful sign at the Grandview Motel in Boise. Standing along Federal Way, it has the look of a display that has welcomed several generations of automobiles. The marquee likely dates from the 1940s or 1950s, giving this roadside stop a little extra history above the driveway. 09-06

An old postcard advertised 18 units overlooking Boise along Highways 20 and 30. Other vintage advertising promoted room radios and Beautyrest mattresses. I've always enjoyed those details. A comfortable mattress still matters, of course, but having your own radio was once worth mentioning before a traveler even reached the office.

UPDATE: The Grandview appears to remain open along Federal Way, and its vintage sign reportedly survives. Good to see this familiar display continuing to mark the property rather than becoming another photograph of something that used to be there. 06-26

Lampliter Motel (Gone)
Burley, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Lampliter Motel is located right near this mill in Burley, Idaho. Check out the fine marquee with the old lamp perched on top. 09-06

The lamp on top leaves little doubt where the motel got its name. It's a simple touch, but one that gave the sign a little more personality than the average roadside marquee.

The mill next door also adds to the scene. Between the industrial backdrop and the vintage motel sign, it felt like a snapshot from another era of roadside travel.

UPDATE: Well enough of the scene accolades. The Lampliter Motel appears to have closed around 2024. The old Lampliter sign marquee and its distinctive lamp topper has been removed. Like so many independent motels of the past, the business has faded away, Like so many independent motels of the past, the business has faded away. Today, only the asphalt remains where travelers once pulled in for the night.. 06-26

Travelers Motel (Closed)
Boise, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Travelers Motel in Boise had a sign that always left me guessing. Check out that fish looking leaf pointing toward the property. Is it a leaf, a fish, or just an unusually shaped arrow? Whatever the intention, it gave this faded marquee a silhouette you weren't likely to confuse with the motel down the street. 09-06

Located along Fairview Avenue, the Travelers eventually became housing for longer stays rather than simply an overnight stop. Its weathered sign recalled an earlier chapter, when roadside lodging depended on catching a motorist's attention before the next driveway. Even after the paint faded, that peculiar shape continued doing its part.

UPDATE: Boise officials closed the Travelers Motel in July 2023 after finding unsafe living conditions. Demolition was proposed in January 2026, followed by plans in June for a five story apartment building with an affordable housing component. The old motel's future has moved toward redevelopment, while the eventual fate of its unusual sign remains unclear. Another reason to photograph these displays while they're still around. 06-26