Hacienda Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Hacienda Motel is a good-sized motor court along busy North Oracle Road in Tucson. Unlike many small roadside motels, the Hacienda has more than one vintage sign greeting traffic, including its familiar green neon marquee. 06-23
The 51-room complex was built in 1946 near the beginning of Tucson’s postwar motel boom. Its connected buildings and courtyard layout occupy a large corner at Oracle Road and Lester Street, along the historic Miracle Mile gateway into town.
About a decade ago, new ownership discussed investing in the property and upgrading it to attract modern tourists. Some improvements were made while the old signs and much of the motel’s roadside appearance remained in place.
The Hacienda was sold to a Los Angeles developer for $2.85 million in August 2022. Plans called for the old motel rooms to be converted into apartments rather than demolishing the entire complex.
UPDATE: The Hacienda Motel no longer operates as a tourist motel and has been converted to residential use. Both vintage roadside sign structures survive, although it is uncertain how often their neon is illuminated. 08-26
Frontier Motel (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the old roadside sign for the Frontier Motel on West Drachman Street in Tucson. Besides the usual television and telephone, the marquee advertised both air conditioning and “air refrigeration.” In the Arizona heat, apparently one cooling promise was not enough. 06-23
The Frontier was built during the 1940s in the Spanish Revival style, back when this part of Tucson was crowded with motor courts welcoming travelers from U.S. 80 and 89. The motel later became a contributing property in the Miracle Mile Historic District.
Pima Community College purchased the Frontier and neighboring Copper Cactus Inn in 2018. The buildings were fenced off while the college considered restoring them for new campus uses. Years passed, the properties continued deteriorating, and the possibility of demolition began looking more likely.
A close up of the Frontier Motel sign
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Preservation groups pushed for affordable housing, classrooms, and other possible uses for the old motels. The college ultimately decided that restoration was too expensive and voted to clear the properties. A court battle briefly delayed the work, but the college was eventually allowed to proceed.
UPDATE: The Frontier Motel and neighboring Copper Cactus Inn were demolished in April 2025, followed shortly by the Tucson Inn. Pima Community College promised to make every effort to preserve the old neon signs, but the final status of the Frontier marquee remains uncertain. 08-26
Frontier Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here is the towering roadside sign for the Arizona Motel on South Sixth Avenue in Tucson. The sign once advertised television and a swimming pool, and its old neon could still light up the street when this photo was taken. 06-23
The property opened in 1930 as the Arizona Tourist Court, making it one of Tucson’s early automobile courts. Its huge sign arrived in 1939 and originally carried the full Tourist Court name. It was later changed to Arizona Motel as the word “motel” replaced “tourist court” along America’s highways.
The motel closed to regular travelers in 2023. That September, Casa Maria purchased the 32-room property and its adjoining RV spaces for $3.075 million, with plans to keep the site available as affordable housing.
UPDATE: The former Arizona Motel is now used for residential housing at 1749 S. Sixth Avenue. Its landmark 1939 roadside sign remains standing, although its regular nighttime illumination is uncertain. 08-26
Blue Line Motel
Blythe, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here is the old roadside sign for the Blue Line Motel and Trailer Park along Hobsonway in Blythe. The tall stacked marquee once glowed with neon and helped light the main drag through town. Those were the days when motel signs were bright and a room could be had for around $20. 06-23
The Blue Line dates back to the early 1950s, when Hobsonway carried U.S. 60 and 70 traffic through the Colorado River desert. The property eventually grew into a combination motel and trailer park, with 24 motel rooms and 19 trailer spaces spread across the grounds.
The old sign still stands, although it is uncertain whether any of its neon remains operational. The property itself stays busy with a mixture of short-term lodging and longer-term residents.
UPDATE: The Blue Line remains open as a combined budget motel and trailer park. The entire property has also been offered for sale, while its weathered roadside marquee continues watching over Hobsonway. 08-26
Boots & Saddle Motel (Closed)
Casa Grande, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Remember when the Boots & Saddle Motel sign lit up the night in Casa Grande? The neon pointed tired travelers toward rooms offering television, a swimming pool, and a little rest after a long desert drive. 06-23
The Boots & Saddle opened in 1954 along the old Highway 84 route through town. After falling into disrepair during the 1970s, the motel was refreshed and eventually shifted away from overnight tourists toward longer-term accommodations. Through all those changes, its western-style roadside sign remained out front.
The motel even had a brief turn in the movies. Scenes for the independent thriller Coyote Requiem were filmed around the property and inside its swimming pool in 2012. The old motor court apparently made a convincing movie set.
UPDATE: The Boots & Saddle continues operating as long-term housing. Casa Grande is also moving ahead with a pilot program that would use several rooms as transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness. The vintage sign survives, although it may no longer light up every night. 08-26
Redwood Lodge (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The neon sign for the Redwood Lodge once lit up Benson Highway in Tucson. The marquee advertised RCA television, kitchenettes, and a row of accepted credit cards for tired travelers looking for a room. Quite a list of modern conveniences for an old motor court. 06-23
The Redwood Lodge opened in 1947 along U.S. Route 80, when Benson Highway was one of the main routes into Tucson. Its single-story rooms and roadside sign greeted motorists for decades before interstate traffic passed the old strip by.
The deteriorating 26-unit motel was eventually purchased and renovated by Phillip Fileccia and Lori Oien. Instead of returning it to overnight tourist use, they converted the rooms into permanent apartments exclusively for veterans. The project proved successful enough that the owners later renovated another motel across the highway for the same purpose.
UPDATE: The Redwood Lodge remains in use as a veteran housing community. Its old roadside sign still stands along Benson Highway, although it is uncertain whether the neon continues to light up at night. 08-26
El Rancho Motel
Globe, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The name El Rancho Motel appears on old motor courts all across the Southwest, but the sign at this Globe location is especially hard to miss. Its bright colors and glowing neon make a fine roadside display along U.S. 60. 06-23
The El Rancho is a classic single-story mom-and-pop motel where travelers can still park close to their rooms. Old postcards advertised cooled and heated rooms with private bathrooms. The motel was also promoted by AAA, Best Western, and even travel writer Duncan Hines, long before his name became better known on cake-mix boxes. Really!
Just down the road is the El Rey Motel, giving this stretch of highway a convenient little pair of “El” motels. Both helped welcome travelers passing through Globe during the golden days of the roadside motor court.
UPDATE: The El Rancho Motel remains open and continues offering rooms to travelers. Its colorful vintage marquee also survives, although it is uncertain how regularly the neon is illuminated at night. 08-26
Blue Line Motel
