After years of having the word "seedy" attached to them as a matter of course, American motels have undergone a renaissance over the last decade or so, writes Ellie Seymour in Vintage Motels (Luster; $45), a coffee-table book celebrating the sorts of standalone roadside lodgings that had their heyday in the middle of the 20th century.
Seymour, an English travel journalist who specializes in the United States, credits the recent revival of interest in motels to a crop of restored properties that balance preservation and "modern flair"—keeping, for instance, the neon signs and kidney-shaped swimming pools, while incorporating contemporary amenities like "chef-driven restaurants" and interior design that might evoke Scandinavian minimalism or, at the other end of the spectrum, push the midcentury look to its campiest extremes.
With more than 200 recent and archival photos as roadside scenery, the book makes stops at 40 different motels across the U.S.—in California, the Southwest, the South, the Northeast, and beyond. Seymour describes the history of each property as well as its restoration, making time for notable signage and eclectic architectural features along the way.
Among the properties in the book: Central California's cult-fave Madonna Inn, with its kitsch-tastic themed rooms; drag superstar Trixie Mattel's pink fantasia in Palm Springs; Nashville's disco-inspired The Dive; and many more unique beach retreats, desert oases, mountain hideaways, and interstate Shangri-las.
Scroll on to check out some motels where you'll want to check in after reading Seymour's book.
Pictured above: Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico
Trixie Motel in Palm Springs, California
You know that crack from Steel Magnolias about the wedding venue looking like it was "hosed down with Pepto-Bismol"? Designer Dani Dazey appears to have taken that as the primary inspiration for her work at drag performer Trixie Mattel's Trixie Motel, which was renovated as part of a reality series starring the RuPaul's Drag Race alum in 2022.
The motel's seven individually decorated rooms can now be booked by overnight guests, who also have access to the Barbiecore swimming pool (pictured above) and a bar serving snacks and cocktails.
The Dive Motel in Nashville, Tennessee
If the Trixie Motel is too understated for you, perhaps you'd prefer Nashville's The Dive. Each of the property's 23 rooms has its own distinct decor, but all of them lean into the retro 1970s look and each of them has its own disco ball. There's a pool and a wood-paneled Dive Bar onsite, too.
The Pearl in San Diego
The Pearl, on the other hand, recalls the 1950s and '60s, with its mid-century modern interior design in neutral tones and, explains Seymour, plenty of "organic textures like linen drapery, cane-back chairs, acacia wood bedside tables, ceramic lamps, and flat-woven rugs." The "oyster-shaped saltwater pool" adjoins a cocktail bar named after Ponyboy from The Outsiders.
Farmhouse in Paso Robles, California
Situated near the rolling vineyards of Paso Robles, Farmhouse comprises a cluster of red-roofed cottages that date to the 1940s. When the locally based Nomada Hotel Group took over in 2023, it carried out a restoration that references nature and country life at every turn, as in the extravagantly botanical wallpaper in the lobby.
Skyview in Los Alamos, California
Another Nomada property is Skyview, where '60s rock groups including the Beatles and the Mamas & the Papas were said to spend the night when they needed a stopover between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Nowadays, Skyview has its own working vineyard and luxury trappings such as "push-button fireplaces" in some suites and a restaurant serving Wagyu beef and tiki cocktails. The bright-yellow sign out front is a holdover from the old days, though.
Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California
Dubbed a "wonderland of kitsch" by Seymour, the Madonna Inn, located close to the Pacific Coast Highway, stands out for its 110 uniquely themed rooms (there's a Caveman suite with rock walls, a Safari room with animal prints, you get the idea) and predilection for hot pink everywhere from the steakhouse (pictured above) to the tennis courts.
Opened in 1958, the Madonna Inn takes its name from its founders, Alex and Phyllis Madonna. Other attractions onsite include a bakery and, according to Vintage Motels, "a urinal in the shape of a rock waterfall in the men’s lobby bathroom."
Starlight Motor Inn in North Charleston, South Carolina
Built in 1961 and, at various times, battered by hurricanes, abandoned, and threatened with demolition, the Starlight Motor Inn in North Charleston (just outside Charleston proper) was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 and restored in 2022. The pastel-heavy, midcentury interior design in the motel's 50 rooms complements a checkerboard pool deck and nostalgic, wood-paneled lounge serving classic cocktails to the accompaniment of live music.
Vintage Motels: America's Most Iconic Motels, Beautifully Restored by Ellie Seymour is published by Luster ($45) and is available at bookstores and from online booksellers.