The tacky motels appreciation thread

[Ricman]

Pics are virtually a must, since usually the sign is the worst offender.

We stayed at this place last night: The Golden Door - I had to, it looked so tacky. Wasn't disappointed.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/123202473_873a48b78f_z.jpg?zz=1

Room had two rooms divided by a short hallway with the bathroom in the middle. Odd layout for a motel room.
The doors of the motel are a bright gold (natch) and the insides of the door are as padded (rolled and button tucked) as an old Kustom amp. I guess that was the height of cool in the early 60's when this place was built.

[telecopter]

Did you check the sheets for anything that crawled?









or pubes?

actually it does look kind cool: http://www.goldendoormotel.com/

The coolest motels I ever stayed at are/were on the old Route 66.

[Flyin' Brian]

I once did a late night pop up flight to Wichita KS. The first warning we got was when the cab driver laughed when we asked about the hotel. Got in in the wee small hours and there were only a couple of rooms left. First we took an elevator that required an operator (!), then I opened the room door:

Gold wallpaper flocked with red, jacuzzi for two in the bathroom, 4 poster bed with red satin sheets and the 4 posts swerved up to form a big crown over the bed, which of course had a mirror in it. An ultra tacky honeymoon suite.

[Stike]

http://www.desertlavender.com/texas/images/austin_motel.jpg

[FFTT]

I always appreciated it when other bands would warn you about
certain band accommodations.

At Deep Creek Lake MD, we were warned to not sit on anything
unless we brought along a bottle of A-200 for crabs.

Now you have to worry about bringing home crabs and bedbugs.

[Ricman]

this place was actually impeccably clean. just a tacky mom-n-pop place.

[Sensible Musician]

the interstate era motel (post ww2) is one of the top few iconic vestiges of that era that remains in sincere use

many of them are now boutiques, simply because of demand. and of course because hipsters love nothing more than antique manifestations of bad taste LOL

stephen shore documented the whole interstate aesthetic just as it was disappearing in the 1970's. his work "uncommon places" is of great interest to anyone who is attracted to these old motels. even if you're not into high-falutin' artsy concepts and whatnot, get the book and skip the essays. you will definitely get a feeling from it

also james lileks has a section of his website on this era of motels

http://lamblegs.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/stephen-shore-breakfast-trails-end-restaurant-kanab-utah-1973.jpg

[Ricman]

Yes, Lileks documents the tacky motel with rare class... love his website!

[Frankee]

Yes, Lileks documents the tacky motel with rare class... love his website!

Have you checked out the recipe books?

What a hoot! The guy can write caption like no-one's business.

[Ricman]

Have you checked out the recipe books?

What a hoot! The guy can write caption like no-one's business.


Oh, yeah. I've been a Lileks fan for years. Have his books. I think he even knows about Peenut Guy. Seriously.

[Trandy]

The Munger Moss Motel located in Lebanon, Missouri.

I actually lived here for about three months one time.

It was your classic "Motor Court".

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v301/timbascom/mm2.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v301/timbascom/MMVintageAutoCourt.jpg

[Amp360]

When I moved to LA in the late 90s I lived at this place called the King Edward Hotel.

It's on E 5th if anyone is in LA - way down in the 100s. Not sure if it still there.

It looked like (could have been) the place Angel lived at on The Rockford Files and something nuts was always going on. There were a bunch of people that had been paroled and there were a bunch of crazies walking around.

Still, it was a big hotel with a decent bathroom with a shower and great windows.

It was like living in 1972 LA though - cool experience but these days I don't think I could do it.

[DC1]

http://kendalnite.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/wigwam-arizona.jpg


We have a nicely restored one just a few miles away up on Rt. 66


dc

[DC1]

http://route66motorcycletour.com/images/BlueSwallow.jpg

[Jiffy_Jeff]

Complete with WaWa bed option!!


http://i.pbase.com/u12/jwalk/large/38183150.notel.jpg

[EricPeterson]

If you are ever in Great Falls Montana, stop and stay at the sip and dip, complete with tiki bar and mermaids.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5097772007_0c9dfbca2a.jpg
http://blog.seattlepi.com/eastsideuptown/library/sip.jpg

[tonedaddy]

There are old motels up and down the coast down here near Clearwater, FL.
They fall all over the tackiness scale, but the tourist trade
has kept them up pretty well over the years, at least from the outside.
The really small (maybe 20 rooms), super tacky ones are inland a few miles, but I can't find pics of any.

Here's a pretty typical look:
http://www.getmoreoffers.com/photo_RETS/pinellas/703/7439703-1.jpg

This lawn ornament is still at one:

http://image.pegs.com/content/H/H9N/H9NB/H9NB8/fountain1_j.jpg


And someone took this photo at a local place about 10 years ago:

http://www.greeklish.org/galleries/misc/heated-poo.jpg

[The Golden Boy]

Yes, Lileks documents the tacky motel with rare class... love his website!

Lileks Gobbler site is the cat's pajamas.

And the Gallery Of Regrettable Food.

eek.

[toddinjax@yahoo]

There's nothing tacky about Martha Davis!

[Scott Miller]

Summer road trips, tacky hotels... and the joy of "HIGH COOL."

[dbeeman]

BAtes Motel in Coure d'alene

[Whiskeyrebel]

Who scouts locations for Supernatural? they always hole up in some motel that looks like it was redecorated when Tony Orlando was on TV.

[teleman55]

I did a gig in Mississippi where they put us up in a place in Tunica that looked like it used to be THE PLACE, before the Casinos came. Now it was like a leftover. Not bad, just kinda seedy.