Western Hills Motel (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
The Western Hills Motel has one of the best remaining neon signs along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Its colorful display includes galloping horses and a covered wagon moving across a Western landscape. There is a lot going on up there, which is exactly how a roadside motel sign should be. 12-05
The motel opened around 1950 on the eastern approach to Flagstaff. Route 66 travelers arriving from Winslow and points east would see the big red, yellow, and green sign advertising a convenient place to stop for the night.
In early 2026, Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona acquired the former motel and began converting its rooms into 29 affordable apartments for local workers. Reusing the existing building allowed the old motor court to serve a new purpose without clearing another piece of Route 66.
UPDATE: The Western Hills Motel no longer operates as overnight lodging. Its former rooms have been converted into affordable workforce housing, while the landmark neon sign remains standing. The current condition of its animated lighting is uncertain. 08-26
Yuma Cabana Motel
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Here are a couple of shots of the great Yuma Cabana Motel sign along the old Highway 80. This motel along the main route through town may be worth a stop for tired travelers passing through. Here's the website for the Yuma Cabana. 05-06
El Rancho Motel
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Here’s a nighttime view of the old neon sign for the El Rancho Motel along South Fourth Avenue in Yuma. Decorative lanterns lined the top of the marquee, giving it a little extra Southwestern style. The nearby Yuma Cabana added even more motel neon to this busy stretch of highway. 05-06
South Fourth Avenue was once part of Yuma’s main roadside lodging corridor. Motels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses served motorists traveling through town on old US 80. The El Rancho offered 32 rooms and a swimming pool, a welcome combination during those scorching Yuma summers.
A night shot of the El Rancho Motel sign from the 90s
Yuma, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The motel became connected to a bit of Hollywood history when filmmakers came to Yuma for the 1994 remake of The Getaway. The crime thriller starred Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, and local accounts say some of its more risqué scenes were filmed at the El Rancho. Really!
Several other Yuma locations appeared in the movie, including Lutes Casino and the old Hotel Del Sol, which became the film’s “Border Hotel.” The city’s desert streets, older buildings, and highway motels provided a suitably gritty backdrop for the story.
UPDATE: The El Rancho Motel remains open at 2201 S. Fourth Avenue. Its original neon marquee was heavily altered, with the lanterns and neon removed and the sign face replaced by a modern backlit plastic panel. At least the old sign framework continues standing along the highway. 08-26
Hacienda Motel
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Across the street from the Yuma Cabana is the neon sign for the Hacienda Motel. The motel has been around since 1958. The couple that owns this place were proud of their sign and commented how expensive it is to keep it up and running. Many thanks to Bill Herzogfor info. 05-06
Here’s the roadside sign for the Hacienda Motel along South Fourth Avenue in Yuma. The marquee stands among a surviving cluster of old motor courts that once welcomed travelers along the city’s busy highway strip.
Hacienda Motel sign at night
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Before Interstate 8 carried traffic around town, Fourth Avenue was part of old US 80, the “Broadway of America.” Motorists traveling between Phoenix, San Diego, and the Mexican border passed directly through Yuma, creating plenty of business for roadside motels, restaurants, and gas stations.
The Hacienda sits directly across the street from the El Rancho Motel and near the former Yuma Cabana. At night, the signs from these neighboring properties once helped turn Fourth Avenue into a small strip of glowing motel neon. A tired driver had plenty of choices without traveling more than a block.
The Hacienda retains its traditional single-story, L-shaped layout with parking close to the rooms. This simple motor-court arrangement made it easy for travelers to pull off the highway, carry their luggage a few steps, and get back on the road early the next morning.
The Hacienda Motel at dusk
Yuna, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The motel also has a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. In a city where summer temperatures regularly climb well beyond 100 degrees, a pool was more than a decorative postcard feature. It could be the deciding factor when a family was choosing where to spend the night.
The old roadside sign has been changed over the years. Its original face and decorative details gave way to more ordinary backlit panels advertising the motel’s name, telephone number, and room rates. The supporting framework remains, but much of the old roadside personality has faded away.
Another shot of the neon sign
Yuna, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE : Here are more photos of the Hacienda motel sign at night. 06-23
UPDATE: The Hacienda Motel remains open at 2150 S. Fourth Avenue, continuing to offer simple budget lodging along Yuma’s former US 80 corridor. Its altered roadside sign still stands across from the El Rancho Motel. 08-26
The Hacienda Motel neon marquee still blazes on brightly as it greets visitors passing down the main drag of Yuma. 12-06
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