The ‘50s and ‘60s throwback (hello, motor lodges!) is back in vogue. Only instead of pulling the station wagon up to your room’s exterior entrance or glass-walled tiny lobby, you may be hopping out of a Lyft and handed a cocktail while shown the way to the spa. These reboots and refreshes on properties dating back to the middle of last century are perfect pairings for a road trip this summer or fall.
The Dive Motel (Nashville, TN):
All 23 wood-paneled rooms at this 1956 motel (relaunched in 2019 under a new name) flaunt “party switches” activating a disco ball and music. Order tacos at the Dive Bar, snug in a vinyl booth, or chill at the pool.
The Flamingo Resort (Santa Rosa, CA):
The 170-room, 1957 resort’s interiors may be new but they’re true to the period, especially the lobby’s chrome bar-height stools, and the flamingo still twirls atop the neon sign out front. Kick back poolside with a Mai Tai and Hawaiian-inspired cuisine.
The Drifter Hotel (New Orleans, LA):
Petal-valance umbrellas by the pool and fine wines put this 2017 refresh—owner Jayson Seidman was inspired by Japan to add bamboo lamp shades— into high-design territory but pedestal sinks in the 20 rooms and a restored neon road sign are authentic.
The Starlite Motel (Kerhonkson, New York):
Vintage mini-Frigidaires and pour-over coffee in the eight rooms—each door’s sky-blue hue a cheery entrance—help you chill at this 1960s motel, as do hammocks and bonfires, plus a pool. Drop by the Canteen—in two former guest rooms—for a drink.
Modern Hotel (Boise, ID):
Ribbed lighting-pendant shades in the 39 rooms are definite nostalgic nods but locals come to this former 1960s Travelodge (open since 2007) for Tiki-fied cocktails.
