Dolphin Motel (Demolished)
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
For a little of the old drive-right-up motel atmosphere, the Dolphin Motel in San Diego's Point Loma neighborhood once fit the bill. West of the airport, this was the sort of roadside lodging where getting from the car to the room didn't need to become a sightseeing trip.
The Dolphin had that familiar 1950s and '60s motel look, offering travelers a smaller place to settle in near the harbor. Park the car, bring in the bags, and see what the next morning brings. No sprawling lobby needed to get the stay underway.
Its location near the Rosecrans corridor put guests close to the waterfront and airport. For roadside photographers, the old motel offered another reason to take a look around Point Loma before heading off toward the larger attractions. Sometimes the overnight stop was worth a photo of its own.
UPDATE: The Dolphin Motel closed on October 31, 2018, and was subsequently demolished. The three-story, 92-room Monsaraz boutique hotel replaced it, bringing a different look to the property. The old Dolphin sign was removed. 10-26
Villa Capri Motel (Demolished)
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Park the '57 Cadillac, grab a Mai Tai, and take the French poodle out toward the pool. The Villa Capri Motel in Coronado had the sort of setting that could get a roadside photographer's imagination going. Just make it back to the room in time for Gunsmoke. No sense letting a little poolside relaxation interfere with the evening's television plans.
Opened in 1956 by Dulcie Trowbridge and her daughter Bettye Vaughen, the motel stood along Orange Avenue near the Hotel del Coronado. The grand hotel up the street may have attracted more attention, but this smaller lodging stop had some roadside charm of its own.
Villa
Capri Motel
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy Thad V'Soske
The property also had a connection to an earlier Coronado. Its land had once been part of the private estate and gardens of sugar magnate John D. Spreckels. By the motel era, overnight guests were settling in where the old estate grounds had been.
Here's another shot of the this fine neon sign at the Villa Capri Motel.
Neon swimmers are becoming more and more of a rarity these days.
Check out the diving lady on the neon sign. She made a fitting introduction to a place with a swimming pool, giving passing motorists something to admire before deciding whether to stop. No reservation needed for a look at the marquee.
Park your '57 Cadillac right in front, grab a Mai Tai,and walk your French
Poodle out to the pool. Just be back in your room in time to watch Gunsmoke.
(yes, our friendly photographer has a very keen sense of the imagination)
Villa Capri Motel
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
For anyone drawn to the smaller motels of the 1950s, the Villa Capri offered plenty to imagine. A parked Cadillac, a room for the night, and an afternoon with nowhere in particular to go. The French poodle might have preferred another walk, but the pool could wait until afterward.
UPDATE: The Villa Capri was demolished and replaced by The Bower Coronado. Its vintage diving-lady sign was saved, restored, and mounted on the new building. The old motel is gone, but its familiar swimmer still has a place along Orange Avenue. 10-26
Padre Trail Inn (Demolished)
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Here's a neon shot of the luxurious Padre Trail Inn, "where the
freeways meet" (the 8 and the 5) in Old Town San Diego. The place may be a bit pricey but so is the rest of the town. Many thanks to Bill Herzog for info. 08-06
Built in 1965, the 100-room inn came with an outdoor pool and a bar and lounge. After enough time behind the steering wheel, those probably sounded like worthwhile additions to a room for the night. The freeway could keep moving while guests took a break.
The roadside sign helped announce the place among the roads and ramps surrounding Old Town. Its illustrated scenery gave motorists something more to look at than another set of directions. Finding the inn was one thing. Deciding which freeway to take the next morning could wait.
UPDATE: The Padre Trail Inn was demolished to make way for a four-story Hilton Garden Inn. The old motel's run ended, with another lodging property taking its place near the freeway crossroads. 10-26
Dolphin Motel (Demolished)
Villa Capri Motel (Demolished)
Villa
Capri Motel
Villa Capri Motel
Padre Trail Inn (Demolished)
