Seaward Motel (Demolished)
Florida Keys, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The Seaward Motel added a splash of color to the Overseas Highway in Marathon. Even on an overcast day, the bright marquee stood out, welcoming travelers making their way through the middle Keys. It wasn't the biggest motel around, but it had the kind of sign that made you look twice.

Built during the heyday of highway travel in the Florida Keys, the Seaward Motel spent decades serving vacationers looking for an affordable place to stay near the water. Located across from the Marathon airport, it was a familiar stop for generations of visitors exploring the Overseas Highway.

Like so many older Keys motels, Hurricane Irma changed its future. The storm caused extensive damage in 2017, and the property was eventually demolished to make way for Seaward Landing, an affordable housing community that opened a few years later. The colorful roadside marquee disappeared along with the motel, bringing another chapter of classic Florida roadside history to a close.

UPDATE: The Seaward Motel was demolished following Hurricane Irma. The site is now home to the Seaward Landing affordable housing community. 07-26

Desert Inn (Gone)
Daytona Beach, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The Desert Inn looked like it belonged on the Las Vegas Strip instead of the sands of Daytona Beach. With its towering marquee and Middle Eastern-inspired design, it was one of the most distinctive motels on Atlantic Avenue. It certainly wasn't a sign you could drive past without noticing.

Built in the 1950s and expanded over the following decade, the Desert Inn became one of Daytona Beach's larger oceanfront resorts during the city's tourism boom. Inside were convention facilities, lounges, and even an indoor swimming pool, while outside the dramatic marquee welcomed beachgoers from miles away.

The years weren't kind to the old resort, and by the early 2000s it had fallen into serious decline. After the property was sold in 2013, nearly everything was stripped down and rebuilt as today's Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach. The famous marquee disappeared during the renovation, ending the run of one of Florida's more unusual roadside signs.

UPDATE: The Desert Inn closed in 2013 and reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach in 2018 following a complete renovation. The original marquee is gone. 07-26

La Mark Charles Motel (Gone)
Pinellas Park, FL
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Free continental breakfast may not seem like much today, but back when family road trips ruled Florida's highways, it was a pretty good way to get travelers to pull off the road. The La Mark Charles Motel had another advantage as well. Its tall roadside sign was hard to miss, giving motorists one more reason to stop as they made their way along busy U.S. 19.

Built during the 1950s motel boom, the La Mark Charles became a familiar sight in Pinellas Park for decades. It was one of those independent roadside motels that catered to vacationing families before the big chain hotels took over. The eye-catching sign and its promise of a complimentary breakfast made it feel like a welcoming stop after a long day behind the wheel.

Like many classic Florida motels, the La Mark Charles eventually faded with changing travel habits. The motel closed in 2012 and was demolished soon afterward, taking its distinctive roadside sign with it. Today, it's hard to imagine there was ever a motel here at all.

UPDATE: The La Mark Charles Motel was demolished following its 2012 closure. The site is now occupied by a Wawa convenience store and gas station. 07-26

Hawaiian Inn (Rem.)
Daytona Beach, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

That dramatic roof over the front entrance is enough to make you slow down for a second look. The Hawaiian Inn was built when Polynesian-inspired architecture was all the rage, and its sweeping entrance canopy looked like something straight out of a South Pacific postcard. Add the colorful roadside marquee, and it became one of the most recognizable sights along A1A.

The resort opened in 1965 during the height of Florida's tiki craze, welcoming beachgoers with plenty of island flair. From the tropical décor to the carved tikis and Hawaiian entertainment, it offered visitors a little escape without ever leaving Daytona Beach. Even if you weren't staying there, it was hard not to admire the architecture while driving past.

The years have brought plenty of changes. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole battered the coastline, and later storms claimed the motel's vintage roadside marquee. Fortunately, the building itself survived, including that unforgettable entrance canopy that still gives the Hawaiian Inn its unmistakable look.

UPDATE: The Hawaiian Inn remains open following extensive repairs, but its classic roadside marquee has been removed. 07-26

Silver Princess Motel
Ocala, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Silver Princess Motel has one of those signs that just looks right. The script lettering is clean, the neon still gives it plenty of character, and it's obvious someone has taken the time to keep it looking nice over the years. It's the kind of sign that's becoming harder to find along Florida's highways.

Built in 1955, the Silver Princess has been welcoming travelers along busy U.S. 27, 301, and 441 for generations. Back in its early days, the motel was part of the Superior Motels referral chain, and the sign even wore the familiar green shamrock that many road trippers looked for when searching for a place to spend the night.

The shamrock may be gone, but the motel hasn't lost its roadside charm. It's refreshing to see an old independent motel that's still open for business and still sporting the same classic sign that has greeted motorists for decades.

UPDATE: The Silver Princess Motel remains open, and its vintage roadside sign continues to shine along South Pine Avenue. 07-26