Hangtown Motel
Placerville, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's the sign for the Hangtown Motel in Placerville. Good to see good neon still working, especially at these roadside motel stops. Located along Broadway, this classic spot sat right on the old surface route of U.S. 50 as it wound its way through the heart of the Gold Country before the modern freeway bypass came through.

Dating back to 1949, this modest, low-slung motor court has kept the same name and drive-up feel for over seven decades. In the auto boom era, vintage postcards touted handy travel comforts like thermostat heat, air conditioning, and TV, complete with AAA approval. Despite facing modern pressures and buyout talks in recent years, the little stop has managed to keep welcoming budget travelers, with its vintage neon marquee still holding down the roadside.

UPDATE: The Hangtown Motel remains open for business along Broadway in Placerville, with its classic vintage neon sign still intact and glowing out front. 09-26

Stardust Lodge
S. Lake Tahoe, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Stardust Lodge features a sign that's worthy of its name. The neon sign for this lodge still lights up the sky in busy Tahoe.

Opened in 1966 along U.S. 50, the lodge was one of several California spots that drew inspiration from the famous Stardust Hotel & Casino down on the Las Vegas Strip. Its soaring Googie marquee is a real showpiece, sporting asymmetric angles, bright technicolor panels, and a sweeping neon arrow guiding drivers right toward the office. Back in the mid-1980s, the motel shifted over to a timeshare setup as the Stardust Vacation Club.

UPDATE: The Stardust Lodge remains open along Lake Tahoe Boulevard operating as the Stardust Vacation Club, with its fantastic Googie neon marquee still lighting up nightly. 09-26

City Center Motel (Rem.)
San Jose, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The City Center Motel marquee is just down the block from the motel itself... but it's situated in such a way that the sign just could not be missed by passing motorists. Standing at the corner of South 1st and East Reed streets in San Jose, this eye-catching landmark was placed a half-block away from the actual motel to catch the heavy flow of downtown traffic.

Opened around 1959, the two-story motor court pitched itself as "Resort Living in Downtown San Jose," complete with an inner courtyard swimming pool. The real draw, though, was that massive neon sign featuring an animated neon diving lady plunging toward the street. Over the years, the beloved diver saw a little wardrobe update when one side was repainted from her original 1950s one-piece swimsuit into a bikini. Facing downtown high-rise redevelopment in July 2020, preservationists stepped in and safely dismantled the iconic sign, saving it for the History San José collection.

UPDATE: The City Center Motel remains standing on East Reed Street, while its famous neon diving lady sign was removed in July 2020 and safely archived by History San José. 09-26

Flamingo Motel
San Jose, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

At dusk, the flamingos come out to say hello to passing motorists out front of the Flamingo Motel in San Jose. Located along The Alameda, this vintage two-story court sat along the old path of U.S. 101, complete with drive-up parking and pink room doors. Out by the curb, the roadside marquee features glowing cursive neon perched right over a panel of its namesake bird. While many older stops along the thoroughfare have disappeared, this one has managed to hang on, keeping its retro look and glowing sign intact.

UPDATE: The Flamingo Motel remains open along The Alameda in San Jose, with its vintage neon flamingo marquee still lighting up the street. 09-26

Village Motel
Bishop, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Village Motel is another Bishop motel that glows brightly along the main highway. Tucked just a block off Main Street (U.S. 395) on West Elm Street, this welcoming roadside court has offered a quiet Sierra retreat for Owens Valley travelers since the 1950s.

Built as a modest, single-story 13-unit court wrapped around an inner courtyard pool, the motel caters to Eastern Sierra road-trippers and trout fishermen alike even providing a dedicated on-site fish cleaning station out back. Out front, its classic pole marquee remains a favorite for neon lovers, with its vintage lettering lighting up the cool desert nights.

UPDATE: The motel remains open on West Elm Street operating as the Bishop Village Motel, with its classic roadside neon marquee still fully intact and glowing at night. 09-26

Broadway Motel (Gone)
Oakland , CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Broadway Motel in Oakland also sports complete working neon, still lighting up the roadside. Located along Broadway near Piedmont Avenue, this classic post-war motor court was built with a practical urban layout, featuring drive-in covered parking bays set safely beneath the upper guest rooms.

For decades, the motel's tall pole marquee welcomed motorists with its glowing neon letters. The property eventually underwent a transformation, modernizing its rooms with retro-themed styling and reopening under the name Signature Inn. Around 2018, the original neon sign was given an overhaul, with its classic glass tubes removed and replaced with modern backlit plastic lettering on a repainted turquoise backing. While the exposed neon is gone, the mid-century roadside bones are still there and the old sign structure continues to anchor the streetscape.

UPDATE: The motel remains open along Broadway operating as the Signature Inn Oakland, though its classic neon marquee was converted to backlit plastic lettering in 2018. 09-26

Commodore Motel
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The Commodore Motel in Oakland still shows its "Vacant" sign lit up for passing traffic. Located along MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland, this classic roadside court sits on what was once a bustling commercial corridor packed with mid-century businesses catering to Bay Area drivers.

Built as a modest, single-story motor court with eighteen drive-up units, the Commodore offered travelers easy parking right outside their room. Its multi-tiered roadside marquee features a separate neon indicator box letting motorists know right away if there was room at the inn. While many older spots along MacArthur have vanished over the decades, this independent stop has managed to keep the doors open, providing simple budget rooms not far from the Oakland Zoo.

UPDATE: The Commodore Motel remains open along MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland, with its vintage neon marquee still standing watch out front. 09-26

Hotel Del Rio
Isleton, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Hotel Del Rio in Isleton features a neon-lit marquee as well as a brightly lit neon martini glass out on the facade. Established back in 1949 along State Highway 160, the old hotel sat right in the heart of the Sacramento River Delta, quickly becoming a lively social hub for locals, delta fishermen, and traveling hunters.

The place had a pretty wild history from the start, opening as a casino until local deputies began raiding the joint and dumping slot machines straight into the river. Over the decades, it settled into delta life as a community fixture, famous for its prime rib dinners and serving as ground zero for the town's quirky annual Crawdad and Spam festivals. The classic neon setup—with its tall vertical "HOTEL" blade paired with that great neon cocktail glass—added plenty of vintage flair to the streetscape. The hotel and its cardroom eventually shut down, leaving the old building quiet, but the vintage neon framework still clings to the front of the structure.

UPDATE: The Hotel Del Rio has permanently closed its doors along Highway 160 in Isleton, but its classic vertical blade sign and neon martini glass remain hanging on the historic building's facade. 09-26