Driving across the United States, many travellers – myself included – find themselves gazing out of the window in search of quirky, old-fashioned motels, ideally crowned with a striking neon sign. Years ago, while travelling along California’s Pacific Coast Highway on a damp November evening, I first glimpsed the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Its glowing pink sign appeared against the misty mountains, and I immediately insisted we turn the car around. Pulling into the vast car park, I craned my head out of the window to soak in the vibrant lights and flashing colours, before stepping inside its fairytale-style lobby and realising I simply had to stay the night.
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That evening, sipping a Madonna Rum Punch at the Silver Bar Cocktail Lounge, it struck me that motels are far more than cheap stopovers. They form a vital part of America’s travel culture and geography – humble yet cinematic, inspiring everything from films and novels to paintings. From Hitchcock’s haunting Bates Motel to the moody Americana of Edward Hopper, these places have hosted countless travellers: fugitives, newlyweds, families and drifters alike, each room serving as a silent witness to private stories and fleeting lives.
The Madonna Inn sits in the same city where the world’s first motel once stood: the Milestone Mo-Tel, which opened in 1925 as car culture began to boom. Motels offered a new sense of freedom – a bed, a shower, and the convenience of parking just outside your door. By the 1950s and 60s, they were icons of optimism and modernity, with more than 60,000 sprinkled across American roads, neon signs glowing like constellations above summer road trips and family holidays. But the rise of air travel and the construction of interstate highways diverted traffic, leading to decline; many motels were abandoned, demolished or reduced to grim shadows of their former selves by the 1980s.
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Today, a century after the first motel opened, these once-neglected properties are enjoying a renaissance. Across the country, historic motels have been lovingly restored, preserving their character while offering a fresh take on mid-century charm. The flamboyant Madonna Inn remains a dazzling fantasy of kitsch design; Silver Sands on Long Island delivers serene, vintage waterfront style; the Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 retains its 1930s spirit as one of the best-preserved independent motels; the Ojai Rancho Inn channels bohemian energy in California; and New Mexico’s El Rancho Hotel recalls Hollywood glamour. Each destination tells its own story through design, geography and spirit – a testament to the enduring romance of the open road.
