OutpostUSA.org

Route 66 Lodging

America's oldest and most reliable adventure travel website since 1995

Sadly, many of the classic old motels are gone. Some are deteriorating as they sit empty. Some remain in business but are managed by people who have not maintained them well. They're not clean, the showers are not hot, air conditioners don't work, and beds are sagging. Stopping at one can be a roll of the dice. So we've checked them all out. We list here the best of those still in business. We present them in order from East to West. For those who wish to drive the absolute entirety of the road, we list the Congress Plaza Hotel at the very beginning and the Royal Santa Monica Hotel at the very end. Unlike the other Route 66 websites and books, we include the classic old hotels. The more affluent travellers stayed there, and their histories are also important to the Mother Road. Naturally, all of these places are on Route 66, or were at one time before it was rerouted. The spacing is such that you would not stay at all of these on one trip, but with careful planning you could try one set on the way out and another set on the way back and have a good sample.

The Congress (Plaza) Hotel, Chicago, Illinois. The very beginning of Route 66 was the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Jackson Avenue. One block west, Jackson crosses South Michigan Avenue, which is where the Congress Hotel sets. From hotel room windows, you are looking directly down on the corner of Lakeshore and Jackson, then watching Route 66 come toward you as it begins its westward journey. The Congress Hotel was built in 1893 and certainly hosted many of those who had come from West to East on Route 66 to visit, seek jobs or conduct business in Chicago. The hotel has also hosted Republican, Democrat and Bull Moose Party conventions and been visited by presidents, athletes, musicians, actors and executives over the years. It is one of Chicago's grand old institutions. It's a beautiful building with a magnificent lobby and several fine restaurants on site and a dozen more in walking distance. You're only a block from Lake Michigan and rooms on that side have incredible views. Today, Route 66 is split between Adams Street and Jackson Avenue. Jackson is one way coming in Eastward. Adams is one way heading West. So from the Congress Hotel, all you have to do is pull around the block to Michigan Avenue, head North, cross Jackson, drive one more block, turn left on Adams, and head West. If you're coming in from the West, on Jackson, turn right on Wabash and go one block to the hotel entrance.

The Wagon Wheel Motel. Cuba, Missouri. 573-885-3411. Beautifully restored and maintained Missouri sandstone classic, although the rooms are quite small. During the recent renovation the owners installed flat screen TVs in each room. Everything is very clean, the beds are comfortable, and there's plenty of hot water. One room is a jacuzzi suite. Spotless bathrooms. Hardwood floors. Parklike grounds, set back from Route 66, with plenty of grass and trees. Hicks' Barbeque next door is a great example of old fashioned Barbecue. Historic neon sign still intact and functioning. About five minutes off I-44. The Pixar crew stayed here and recreated it in their film Cars. Connie Echols is a warm and gracious hostess. This is a good motel to stay at for your last night on the road coming home. It's 422 miles from here to Lexington or Cincinnati, meaning about a 6.5 hour drive.

The Boots Motel in Carthage, Missouri, is not only in the middle of a thorough restoration but is the home of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce. The rooms that have been restored are beautiful. In 1930s tradition, they include integral carports. Boots was one of the original Route 66 motels and has its share of Clark Gable, Gene Autrey, Guy Lombardo and other stories with photos to prove them. The five rooms that have been restored are in the 1946 wing but have air conditioning, wifi and new beds. In a bid to nostalgia, they also feature state of the art 1939 Crosley radios on every bed table. The Boots opened in 1939 and added the back wing seven years later. The original building, seen here at right, had linoleum floors. The 1946 rear wing rooms featured beautiful oak floors, which have been retained in the restoration. Sisters Deborah and Priscilla estimate that the entire restoration will take three years. Deborah has a masters degree in historic preservation and is making every effort to make sure the motel is restored accurately. The front office has been fully restored to its original appearance. Ron Hart's Route 66 Chamber of Commerce Office is in one of the original 1939 rooms but will eventually be moved to another building on the property. This is one of the most famous motels on Route 66 and with only five rooms available you MUST call for advance reservations : 417-310-2989.

The Colcord Hotel. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 866-781-3800. In 1910 the Colcord with 12 floors was the first skyscraper in Oklahoma City and the first building in the state with an elevator. Also on the National Historic Register, The Colcord has always been known for its large rooms and magnificent black and white marble lobby. When Oklahoma City embarked on its massive downtown renovation project, the Colcord was the only building not demolished. Renovated in 2006, it will be the centerpiece of the downtown. The in house Flint Restaurant is a cutting edge, three meals a day eatery. Downtown renovation continues, so there's construction noise during the day. But since most Route 66 travellers arrive at night and leave the next morning, this should not be an issue.

The La Fonda Hotel. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 800-523-5002. The La Fonda is the grand dame of Route 66 lodging. When the Spanish founded Santa Fe in 1607, they built La Fonda, or The Inn. The Santa Fe Trail ended here, and through the 1700s and 1800s trappers, soldiers, cattlemen, prospectors, businessmen and politicians mention in letters, diaries and journals staying at La Fonda. The hotel in 1925 was bought by the Santa Fe Railroad and turned over to Fred Harvey. In 1968 Sam Ballen bought it and the Ballen family still runs it. Staying here is quite an experience. You're right on the square. The La Fonda itself contains shops and restaurants, and up and down the street are a hundred more. La Plazuela Restaurant (photo top right) specializes in New Mexico cuisine, and La Fiesta Lounge offers a daily lunch buffet. The fireplace photo third from top shows one of the rooms.

The Sandia Peak Inn. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 505-831-5036. Located on Route 66 just West of the central city, only a few blocks from the historic "Old Town" district and the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens. Beautifully renovated 1950s motel with plenty of hot water, comfortable beds, squeaky clean rooms and warm hosts in Pat and Kay, who live on the premises. In a gesture to the 21st Century, they have installed flat screen TVs, fridges, microwaves, WiFi, coffeemakers and hair dryers. Great neon sign out front. Heated indoor pool, good continental breakfast. Tasteful but interesting paint job and traditional Mexican and Native American statuary placed around the parking lot. There's a Jacuzzi Room at a slightly higher price. Route 66, which as it runs through Albuquerque is Central Avenue, is heavily travelled, but the rooms here are quiet. If you stay here, the Route 66 Diner two miles through downtown is a must stop.

El Rancho Lodge, Gallup, New Mexico. El Rancho long held its own with the other elite hotels of Route 66. R. E. Griffith built it on the high desert in 1937 to host Hollywood stars filming Westerns. His brother, famous director and producer D. W. Griffith, filmed here and eventually all the studios followed. Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, John Wayne, William Holden, Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey, and every other major Western actor, including Ronald Reagan, stayed at El Rancho. They were a demanding clientele, and the hotel, bar, rooms and services were elite. But Westerns lost popularity and Hollywood moved to other locations. The town of Gallup grew up around El Rancho, so it lost its isolated desert ambience. The hotel has changed ownership several times, and it's showing its age. Services are adequate but no longer elite. The hotel is overdue for renovation. Still, it's worth a stay. Rooms are spacious with flat screen TVs and free WiFi. Bathrooms are small and there are few electrical outlets. The lobby is still beautiful with its huge stone fireplace. The restaurant and bar are still very well run. Food is good at reasonable prices. You can spend two hours wandering the halls and lobby looking at the three thousand photographs of famous guests.

Rio del Sol Motel, Needles, California. 760-326-5660. One block from the Colorado River on Route 66, this is the most modern of the classic Route 66 stops but still qualifies for our list because it's been there since 1955. Renovation in 2005 updated and refreshed rooms and amenities. There's an outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna, but temperatures in Needles hover between 100 and 120, averaging around 111 at sundown, so this may be one of the few places in the world where it's too hot to swim. Rooms have WiFi, but it's the slowest connection on Route 66. You can keep up wirh your email and check Facebook, but don't expect to conduct any serious business or upload any photos. By the time they built the Rio del Sol, motel expectations were rising so these rooms are a bit larger than those in the 1940s era places further East. The renovation added fridges, coffeemakers and microwaves to the rooms. They advertise a continental breakfast but we've never been there when one was actually available. It doesn't matter, though, because the Wagon Wheel Restaurant down the hill is one of the great road houses on Route 66 and serves oustanding breakfasts and dinners. The rooms here are squeaky clean. There are 60 rooms, making this the largest motel we list, so the staff is obviously stretched, but customer service is outstanding.