The Deluxe Inn is still going strong along Route 66, although its roadside sign has changed. The original neon crown was replaced by a plastic panel, while the lower portion now advertises free Wi-Fi and color cable TV. 09-21
The motel opened in 1932 as Court Deluxe. Frank Campbell built its rooms from locally quarried red sandstone, which helped insulate them from Seligman’s summer heat and winter cold.
Now part of the National Register-listed Seligman Commercial Historic District, the old stone motor court continues to welcome travelers. That is a pretty good run for a motel built during the Great Depression.
UPDATE: The Deluxe Inn remains open. Its historic sandstone buildings and roadside sign survive, although the original sign has been replaced. 09-26
Downtowner Motel (Rem.)
Williams, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Downtowner Motel sign stood between the eastbound and westbound sections of Route 66 through Williams. Its large arrow, outlined with chasing bulbs, pointed motorists toward the office. 09-21
The motel opened around 1941 as Mount Williams Court and later became the Downtowner. Unlike many old motor courts, the buildings survived and were remodeled rather than demolished.
The vintage arrow sign was removed and replaced by modern branding. The property remains open as the Rodeway Inn & Suites Williams Downtowner-Rte 66.
UPDATE: The motel still operates, but its distinctive bulb-covered arrow sign is gone. 09-26
Easy 8 Motel (Now Desert Sun Motel)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The enormous boomerang arrow outside the Easy 8 Motel made the property pretty easy to find along westbound Route 66. Rising high above the surrounding buildings, it was the kind of sign designed to grab a driver’s attention at highway speed and point straight toward the office. 09-21
The motel actually opened in 1953 as the Desert Sun Motel. Its 33 rooms formed a U around a central parking area, with an outdoor swimming pool and children’s playground inside the court. Early advertising promised refrigerated air, wall-to-wall carpeting, room telephones, and free radios. Before televisions became standard, a radio in every room was worth mentioning on the postcard.
Located somewhat close to the downtown area, the Easy 8 sign has a huge boomerang arrow.
The big arrow
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Winslow divided Route 66 between paired one-way streets, with 3rd Street carrying westbound travelers past the motel. That gave the tall sign and its huge arrow an important job. After hours of driving across northern Arizona, there was no time for a tiny sign hiding near the curb.
The property later joined the Easy 8 budget network, and the roadside marquee was changed to carry the new name. Around 2005, the motel left the chain and returned to its original Desert Sun identity. The old boomerang sign was repainted once again, bringing the name it carried in 1953 back to Route 66.
Motel office area looks like a Howard Johnson type
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The swimming pool and playground have since disappeared, and some of the rooms are now used for extended stays or apartments. The classic motor-court layout and towering sign remain, although it is unclear how much of the old neon still works after dark.
Plenty of Route 66 motels have gone through several names and lost their original identities along the way. The Desert Sun took the unusual route of circling back to the beginning. After spending years as the Easy 8, the old motel ended up right where it started.
UPDATE: The former Easy 8 remains open as the Desert Sun Motel, the same name it carried when it opened in 1953. Its towering boomerang sign survives with updated lettering, although the present condition of its neon is uncertain. 09-26
Grand Motel (Closed)
Williams, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The tall sign outside the Grand Motel offered Route 66 travelers a simple checklist: modern rooms, steam heat, and low rates. That was enough to make plenty of motorists pull off the highway during a cold night in Williams. 09-21
The motor court opened in 1936 as the Del Sue Motor Inn. Owner Sue Delaney created the name by turning her own name around, combining “Del” and “Sue.” Its small roadside cottages featured a mix of Southwestern and Streamline Moderne touches from the early automobile era.
After a change in ownership, the Del Sue became the Grand Motel, a fitting name for a town promoting itself as the gateway to the Grand Canyon. The motel survived when Interstate 40 bypassed Williams in 1984, but eventually closed as newer chain hotels appeared around town.
The buildings now sit vacant behind fencing. Its old vertical sign remains beside Route 66, although the paint is peeling and the neon no longer lights. The faded promise of steam heat and low rates is still hanging on.
UPDATE: The Grand Motel is closed and vacant, but its weathered roadside sign remains standing along Route 66. 09-26
Motel 10 (Closed)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Motel 10 had been known by that name for years, but its folded-plate roof revealed its earlier life as an Astro Motel. The sharp zigzag canopy brought a little Space Age architecture to the east end of Winslow. 09-21
The Astro chain used this eye-catching roof design as a visual trademark. Its repeating peaks cast strong shadows during the day and gave the office a futuristic look after dark. During the 1960s, that styling fit perfectly with America’s fascination with rockets, satellites, and the Space Race.
The property sat across the block between Winslow’s paired Route 66 streets, making it visible to eastbound traffic on 2nd Street and westbound travelers on 3rd Street. A passing motorist did not need to read the sign to recognize the familiar Astro roofline.
Motel 10
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
After the Astro chain faded away, the property was renamed Motel 10 around the late 1990s or early 2000s. Despite the numbered name, it had no connection to Motel 6, Super 8, or another national chain. It was simply an independent budget motel making use of the old Astro buildings.
The original Astro panels disappeared from the freestanding sign, which was altered to carry the Motel 10 name. The motel later closed, leaving the faded marquee, fenced property, and wonderful folded roof sitting quietly beside the highway.
UPDATE: Motel 10 is closed and vacant. Its weathered sign and the former Astro Motel’s distinctive folded-plate roof remain standing. 09-26
Deluxe Inn
The Deluxe Inn is still going strong along Route 66, although its roadside sign has changed. The original neon crown was replaced by a plastic panel, while the lower portion now advertises free Wi-Fi and color cable TV. 09-21
Downtowner Motel (Rem.)
Easy 8 Motel (Now Desert Sun Motel)
The big arrow
Motel office area looks like a Howard Johnson type
Grand Motel (Closed)
Motel 10 (Closed)
Motel 10
