6 of the best motels along Route 66

As America’s most iconic road turns 100, Route 66’s motels are stepping back into the spotlight. Neon signs are flickering back to life outside classic motels as a new generation lovingly restores their mid-century bones, while also adding a few contemporary upgrades into the mix. Oozing retro cool, these characterful motels are the antithesis of the generic, cookie-cutter hotel stay — and often easier on the wallet, too.

1. Americana Motor Hotel, Flagstaff, Arizona

Cruise along Route 66 long enough and the neon signs start to sing a similar song: Elvis performed here, Elvis dined there. This vintage motor lodge, a 10-minute drive from the coffeeshops and urban breweries of Flagstaff town, adds a fresh riff. Not only did it host the King of Rock and Roll, but it also welcomed NASA astronauts, who trained for moon landings in northern Arizona’s lunar-like landscape. It reopened after a full revamp in 2023, but a life-sized cosmonaut statue in the lobby hints at its space-age legacy. The mid-century nods continue in the 89 rooms, where disco balls scatter light across wood-panelled walls, and shag pile carpets swirl in burnt orange and midnight blue. At the motel’s heart is a pool, around which guests play lawn games during the day and gaze at the sky through telescopes as night falls (in 2001, Flagstaff became the world’s first International Dark Sky City). The bang-for-your-buck room rates feel stuck in the 60s, too. From $101 (£79).

2. Arrive Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico

This 137-room hideaway on Central Avenue — the section of Route 66 that cuts through Albuquerque’s heart — offers a thoroughly modern take on the urban motel. Built in 1965 as the Downtowner Motor Inn, it passed through various chains before reopening in 2025 under California-based Palisociety, known for reimagining boutique hotels across the US. It’s its most successful pairing to date. The interiors’ clean lines and geometric prints nod to the building’s original International Style design, and the rooms are accessed via mid-century-style open-air walkways. But there are modern comforts, too, from the Grown Alchemist bath amenities to the Peloton bikes in the 24-hour gym. In the swish cocktail lounge, boozy slushies and ‘disco fries’ smothered in cheese are served to guests reclining under poolside parasols; otherwise, downtown’s breweries and cafés are mere steps away. From $109 (£86).

3. Classen Inn, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Minimalists, divert your eyes: this Oklahoma City roadside motel, dating to 1963 and reopened in 2020, has been given a fabulously camp makeover. Local new owners Steve Mason and Aimee Ahpeatone saw potential in one of the state’s finest examples of futuristic Googie architecture, and after a flamboyant revamp, the swoon-worthy neon sign glows proudly out front once more. The 17 guestrooms pop with tropical palm wallpaper and playful ’60s-style murals of pouting lips and racing stripes. There’s even a dinky Superette minimarket, selling ice-cold beers and kitschy trinkets, like vintage hotel keychains. Guests can borrow bikes to explore the surrounding Midtown area — there’s a diner just down the street — then gather for sundowners on the rainbow-hued patio, where a swell old time is almost guaranteed. From $102 (£81).

4. El Rey Court, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Originally built in 1936, during the golden age of the all-American road trip, this low-slung motel has returned in 2018 for a stylish second act. Californian creatives Jay and Alison Carroll have taken the reins, converting the whitewashed Pueblo Revival property into the hippest desert hangout in Santa Fe, New Mexico’s state capital. The 86 rooms, some with kitchenettes, others with patios, all feature modish interiors. No two are quite alike, but many include woven wall hangings, potted cacti and criss-cross rattan chairs. Daily happenings range from poolside yoga and live music sets to vibrant queer nights, drawing a lively mix of locals and road-trippers alike; outside, attractions like The Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and Georgia O'Keeffe Museum are within a three-mile radius. Fuel up at the on-site La Reina Mesita food truck, which serves a killer breakfast burrito, to power through another sun-bleached stretch of Route 66. From $183 (£145).

5. Motel Safari, Tucumcari, New Mexico

Behind nearly every surviving mom-and-pop motel on Route 66 is a passionate preservationist, someone keeping the neon glowing long after most travellers sped off onto faster interstates. At this address in Tucamari, a former railroad town in eastern New Mexico, that someone is owner Rich Havlik, who reopened this lodge in 2024. Posted behind the welcome desk, beside a life-sized model camel, he’s a Minnesota-native Route 66 aficionado who wants guests to fall in love with the Mother Road just as he did. The motel was built in 1959 in the Googie style and still flaunts its original features: an asymmetrical butterfly roof, cinder block walls and 11 rooms decked out with jet-age furnishings, including Tivoli radios playing rockabilly music at the bedside. As dusk settles, guests gather by the fire pit, near a mural of Elvis standing by and a stretch Cadillac. A stay here is proof they just don’t make them like they used to. From $109 (£86).

6. Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari, New Mexico

One of Route 66’s most photogenic landmarks, the plucky Blue Swallow Motel has defied the odds, keeping its neon sign glowing even as the fortunes of Tucumcari faded. Do as James Dean once did and check in for the night. Built in 1939, the motor-court motel is a shining example of Southwest Vernacular design, with blush-pink stucco walls dotted with seashells and garage bays tucked between rooms. The owners are doing a major revamp, and it looks in great shape. Inside, 12 guestrooms are a vision of chintz-chic charm. Vintage chenille bedspreads, atomic chalkware lamps and rotary phones nod to its original era, while plush mattresses cater to modern travellers. Twilight is when this motel truly shines: the swallow-shaped neon sign flickers on, its glowing cursive promise of ‘100% Refrigerated Air’ casting a cinematic light across the forecourt. From $120 (£95).