Circle K Motel (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Circle K Motel once welcomed travelers along West Van Buren Street with a tall roadside marquee. By the time of this photograph, the sign was faded and weather-beaten, although it was easy to imagine how much brighter it must have looked during the motel’s better days. 11-20
The property followed the familiar early motor-court plan, with single-story room blocks built close to the road. Its location near downtown and the Arizona State Capitol made it convenient for travelers entering Phoenix on U.S. Routes 60, 70, 80, and 89.
The Circle K name creates an interesting roadside mystery. The motel operated independently, and no definite connection has been found between it and the familiar Circle K convenience-store chain that later established its headquarters in Phoenix.
UPDATE: The Circle K Motel is closed and no longer accepts overnight travelers. Its old room blocks have survived in other residential uses, while the faded marquee remains standing along West Van Buren Street. 08-26
Pyramid Inn (Gone)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Pyramid Inn sign once stood tall above East Van Buren Street, topped with a shape that left little doubt about the motel’s name. Its large panels and glowing pyramid beckoned highway travelers to pull in, find a room, and relax for the night. 11-20
The motel was part of Phoenix’s famous Van Buren motel row, which served motorists following U.S. Routes 60, 70, and 80 before the interstate freeways redirected traffic. Each property needed an interesting name and an even better sign to stand out from the crowd.
Old postcards advertised the Pyramid as a comfortable desert stop with refrigerated air conditioning, color television, room telephones, a swimming pool, and native saguaro landscaping. That was a pretty complete package for a traveler crossing Arizona.
After the motel closed, its rooms and grounds found a new purpose. The property became part of the Family Housing Hub and the neighboring UMOM New Day Centers campus, providing intake, emergency shelter, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.
UPDATE: The Pyramid Inn is no longer in business, but its former motel buildings remain in active community use. The tall pyramid-shaped roadside sign was removed, and it is unknown whether any portion of it was saved. 08-26
Sandman Motel (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Sandman Motel had one of the most playful signs along Phoenix’s old Van Buren motel row. A little Sandman wearing a nightcap leaned over the top, tossing handfuls of sand toward motorists who might be ready for a good night’s sleep. This photograph was taken around 2000. 11-20
The motel officially opened on October 16, 1955, when Van Buren Street carried travelers following U.S. Routes 60, 70, 80, and 89 through Phoenix. With so many motels competing along the same road, a memorable sign could make all the difference.
The Sandman marquee was designed by Glen Guyett, the prolific sign artist responsible for many of Phoenix’s best mid-century commercial signs. His little bedtime character gave the motel a friendly personality while making a clever visual promise of rest to tired highway travelers.
Old postcards presented the Sandman as a comfortable desert oasis with air conditioning, a heated swimming pool, combination baths, native landscaping, and even a free coffee bar. A cool room, a swim, and a cup of coffee covered both ends of a traveler’s night. The motel eventually stopped operating as a conventional overnight property. Its single-story room blocks survived and were converted into small apartments and extended-stay housing.
UPDATE: The former Sandman Motel remains in residential use. Even better, its wonderful roadside sign and sand-tossing character still stand along West Van Buren Street, although the condition of the original neon is uncertain. 08-26
Relax Inn
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Relax Inn at 2922 East Van Buren Street is another survivor from Phoenix’s old roadside motel strip. Its oddly shaped marquee rises from the edge of the property with a combination of angles and curves that is difficult to describe but easy to remember. 11-20
The sign was interesting enough to bring the camera out, although photographing old motels along Van Buren could sometimes become an adventure of its own. This parking lot brings back the memory of being yelled at for taking pictures of the marquee.
That happened fairly often in the early RoadsidePeek days. Long before everyone carried a camera in a phone, someone standing near a motel with an actual camera could attract plenty of suspicion. Sometimes an explanation led to a friendly conversation. Other times, it was best to get the photograph and keep moving.
Relax Inn
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Relax Inn follows the familiar Van Buren motor-court plan, with single-story rooms and parking directly outside the doors. Its location near Sky Harbor Airport helped the property continue attracting budget travelers after most cross-country highway traffic moved to the freeways.
UPDATE: The Relax Inn remains open as an independent economy motel. Its unusual roadside marquee also survives along East Van Buren Street, still attracting cameras and perhaps the occasional suspicious look from the parking lot. 08-26
Super 7 Motel (Gone)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Super 7 Motel at 938 East Van Buren Street was built in 1962 as the Hyatt Lodge. Its sharp A-frame lobby made the motel easy to spot among the flat-roofed buildings along Phoenix’s old highway strip. 11-20
The property later became the Super 7 Motel, a name that occasionally confused travelers looking for a Super 8. It eventually closed and was demolished along with its roadside sign.
UPDATE: The Super 7 Motel is gone and the property remains a vacant commercial lot. 08-26
Sky Harbor Inn (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Sky Harbor Inn still stands alongside East Van Buren Street in Phoenix. Named for the nearby airport, it once served highway travelers, airline passengers, and flight crews looking for an inexpensive room near Sky Harbor. 11-20
The motel was part of the long neon strip that greeted motorists following U.S. Routes 60, 70, 80, and 89 into Phoenix. Its two-story, exterior-corridor room blocks faced an interior parking area, following a familiar mid-century motel layout.
The property eventually stopped accepting traditional overnight guests and was converted into residential and supportive housing. The original motel buildings survived the transition and remain in active use.
UPDATE: The former Sky Harbor Inn continues serving the community as housing rather than a roadside motel. Its vintage pole sign also remains along Van Buren Street, although the condition of the original neon is uncertain. 08-26
Sun Villa Motel (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Another empty lot. That is the best way to describe the spot where the Sun Villa Motel once stood along East Van Buren Street. Its eye-catching marquee featured a bright neon sunburst designed to capture the attention of passing motorists. 11-20
The property began during the 1940s as the Silver Dollar Court and later became the Sun Villa Court and Motel. Old postcards advertised 24 rooms and furnished kitchenette apartments.
The motel closed and was demolished in 2012. Fortunately, preservationist Michael Levine rescued its enormous sunburst sign before the property was cleared.
UPDATE: The former Sun Villa site remains a vacant commercial lot. Its neon marquee survives in storage with the Mesa Preservation Foundation, awaiting possible restoration or display. 08-26
Circle K Motel (Closed)
Pyramid Inn (Gone)
Sandman Motel (Closed)
Super 7 Motel (Gone)
Sky Harbor Inn (Closed)
Sun Villa Motel (Demolished)
