Marco Polo Motel
Seattle, WA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Rising above Aurora Avenue is a marquee that's hard to miss. The tall sign for the Marco Polo Motel has been greeting travelers along Highway 99 for decades, and it's one of those familiar roadside landmarks that still looks right at home today.
Aurora Avenue was once lined with independent motels, each trying to outdo the next with eye-catching signs. While many have disappeared over the years, the Marco Polo has managed to hang on. Its vertical marquee remains one of the best reminders of what this stretch of highway looked like during the golden age of road travel.
I always enjoy coming across signs that have simply kept doing their job year after year. The Marco Polo's marquee doesn't need flashy animation or gimmicks. Its classic shape and glowing neon are more than enough to catch your attention as you drive by.
UPDATE: The Marco Polo Motel is still open, and its classic roadside marquee continues to light up Aurora Avenue. It's panels have changed. 07-26
El Dorado Motel (Demolished)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Chris Richey
That giant swooping neon arrow is the first thing you'll notice at the El Dorado Motel. It practically pulls you off Aurora Avenue, pointing the way to another classic roadside stop from Seattle's Highway 99 motel era. Standard or not, few signs used an arrow quite as dramatically as this one.
Aurora Avenue was once lined with independent motels competing for the attention of passing motorists, and the El Dorado certainly knew how to stand out. Its oversized marquee had all the ingredients of a great mid-century sign, with bold lettering, sweeping lines, and enough neon to light up the night.
UPDATE: The El Dorado located at 1136 Aurora Ave. N. in Seattle is no more. The sign was removed several years ago and an abandoned structure remains on site. 04-17
UPDATE: The El Dorado Motel has long since been demolished, and the site is now part of a Home Depot retail development. The distinctive neon arrow marquee was removed years before the property disappeared. 07-26
Pine City Inn (Gone)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Spencer
Before towering pole signs became the norm, rooftop marquees like this were a great way to catch the eye of passing motorists. The Pine City Inn took full advantage of that idea, placing its large sign high above the buildings where it could be spotted from quite a distance away. It's the kind of sign that probably reassured more than a few tired travelers that a room for the night was just ahead.
Located in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood, the motel was one of many independent roadside stops that served people traveling the old highway before the interstate changed everything. The motel itself wasn't flashy, but it didn't have to be. The rooftop sign did all the talking, giving the property an identity that could be recognized long before you reached the parking lot.
Pine City Inn (Gone)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Spencer
I've always liked rooftop motel signs because they seem to belong to an earlier era of road travel. Rather than stretching skyward on a tall pole, they became part of the building itself, almost like a crown sitting on top. They were easy to spot from a distance and gave each motel its own character, especially after dark when the neon came to life.
Today, very few of these rooftop marquees remain. As motels closed, were remodeled, or gave way to new development, the signs usually disappeared first. That's what makes photos like this so enjoyable. They preserve a style of roadside architecture that was once common but is now becoming increasingly rare.
Pine City Inn (Gone)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Spencer
UPDATE: Here are photos of the Pine City Inn motel building, as it stands in Seattle. 07-08
UPDATE: The Pine City Inn is gone. The rather sprawling building still remains but all signage from the former Pine City Inn are now gone. This place like many others in Seattle is now just a memory. 04-17
UPDATE: The Pine City Inn closed in the early 2000s and was converted into supportive housing now known as Martin Court. The rooftop marquee has been removed, although the former motel buildings still remain. 07-26
Value Motel (Gone)
Hazel Dell, WA Photo courtesy Jeff Raber
You couldn't miss the bright red arrow pointing the way to the office at the Value Motel. It was a classic piece of roadside advertising that did exactly what it was designed to do—catch the eye of passing motorists in Hazel Dell. Simple, bold, and memorable, it gave the motel a personality all its own.
Like so many independent motels from the highway era, the Value Motel depended on its sign to bring travelers through the front door. Long before GPS and online bookings, a colorful marquee was often the best advertisement a motel could have. This one certainly made an impression.
Today it's the sign that stands out most in old photos. The motel may have been fairly ordinary, but that sweeping red arrow made it anything but forgettable.
UPDATE: The Value Motel closed in 2019 and has since been converted into a sober living facility. During the property's renovation, the familiar red arrow sign was removed. 07-26
Ashland Motel
Ashland, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Sometimes the simplest roadside signs are the most inviting. The colorful marquee at the Ashland Motel has been welcoming travelers for years, adding a splash of neon to Siskiyou Boulevard just across from Southern Oregon University. 11-20
The motel has all the ingredients of a classic roadside stop, with rooms gathered around a central parking court and a sign that's easy to spot from the street. It's the kind of place that feels right at home in a town where road trippers, students, and Shakespeare festival visitors have all crossed paths over the years.
While plenty of older motels have disappeared or been transformed beyond recognition, the Ashland Motel has managed to keep serving travelers while holding onto its vintage roadside appeal.
UPDATE: The Ashland Motel is now named the M Ashland, as befitting it marketing as a boutique style motel. The motel even has a newly renovated pool. 04-17
UPDATE: The Ashland Motel remains open and continues to welcome guests. After a brief rebranding as "The M Ashland," the property has returned to its original name, and the classic roadside sign still survives. 07-26
El Dorado Motel (Demolished)
