Without trying to hide its heritage as a motel along the old Route 66—its street sign is kitschy, and the low-slung street entrance has a very ’50s, feel—this great alternative to Old Pasadena’s pricey hotels has taken pains to evolve beyond the basic roadside motor court. Except for the wall-mounted air-conditioning unit, the rooms wouldn’t be out of place in a mid-range hotel, with their sponge-painted walls, wide-screen TVs, and better-than-average bathroom amenities. The shelf of small potted plants above the TV was a day-brightener, and the Hollywood-style bathroom light bar and floral wallpaper strip lifted an otherwise generic bathroom above the ordinary. Furnishings are simple but good, solid quality. The large central pool is surrounded by palm trees and a well-tended garden. The location, a few blocks of the Foothill (210) Freeway, couldn’t be more convenient. It’s a straight shot to Old Pasadena, a mile from the Huntington Library, and within a few minutes of the Rose Bowl and Gamble House.