El Portal Motel (Demolished)
Superior AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The El Portal Motel had a cool double-sided sign standing beside the old highway through Superior. Large panels advertised “Refrigeration” and “TV,” two welcome promises for anyone traveling across the Arizona desert. 06-23
The motel stood along the old U.S. Routes 60 and 70 approach to town. This winding mountain highway carried tourists heading toward Globe, visitors bound for Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and workers connected with Superior’s copper mines.
Refrigerated air was one of the most important features a desert motel could advertise during the 1950s and 1960s. Television was another modern luxury, and the El Portal made sure both words could be read easily from the road.
The sign continued changing with the times. Later panels advertised HBO and Cinemax, replacing the earlier vacancy messages with another generation of motel-room entertainment.
UPDATE: The El Portal Motel closed and its room buildings were demolished. The old refrigeration and television sign was also removed, leaving another empty space along the historic highway into Superior. 08-26
Hacienda Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Hacienda Motel was built in 1946 and is a decent sized motel complex located off of busy North Oracle Road in Tucson. The motel complex has multiple roadside signs. I spoke to what I believe what a representative of "new" ownership about 10 years ago and the motel was going to be invested in and upgraded to attract the modern tourist. The motel was sold in 2022 and will be converted to apartments. 06-23
The Hacienda opened during the postwar travel boom, when Oracle Road and Miracle Mile carried motorists into Tucson on the old highway. Its 51 rooms were divided among several low-rise wings surrounding a central courtyard and swimming pool.
Those improvements never developed into the expected motel revival. The Hacienda eventually closed and was sold for $2.85 million in August 2022. Initial plans called for converting the rooms into conventional apartments. The direction later changed again. Rather than becoming a typical apartment complex, the property is being transformed into Crystal Hacienda, a year-round lodging, showroom, and trade venue serving Tucson’s international gem and mineral community.
The old motel rooms are being adapted into spaces where mineral, fossil, and gemstone dealers can stay and display their collections. It is an unusual new use, but one that fits naturally in a city famous for its annual gem shows.
UPDATE: The Hacienda Motel is closed, but its buildings and vintage green signs have been saved as part of the Crystal Hacienda project. The new gem-trade destination is scheduled to open in January 2027, giving the historic Oracle Road motor court yet another chance at a new life. 08-26
Larian Motel
Tombstone, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Larian Motel has been welcoming visitors to Tombstone since 1952. With only about a dozen rooms and an old roadside sign along Fremont Street, it remains a fine example of a small postwar motor court. 06-23
The unusual Larian name was reportedly created by combining the first names of its original owners, Larry and Ann, although some accounts identify the second name as Lillian. The property began with eight rooms and later expanded to 13.
The motel changed ownership only a few times over the decades. The Anderson family acquired it in 1980, and Gordon Anderson operated the property from 1990 until it was placed on the market in 2022.
Its location is difficult to beat. Schieffelin Hall stands next door, while Allen Street and the O.K. Corral are only a short walk away. The motel’s longtime slogan, “Clean, comfortable, and convenient,” appears to remain accurate according to many guest reviews.
Lariat Motel
Tombstone, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Larian was acquired by designer Lindsey Kurowski and received a major renovation in 2023. Updated floors, tiled showers, yellow doors, and Western decorations were added while the original low-rise motel layout was retained.
Here is another view of the Lariat Motel from the roadway
UPDATE: The Larian Motel remains open with 13 renovated rooms. Its vintage roadside marquee was also preserved, repainted, and relit, continuing to advertise “Large Clean Rooms” along old U.S. Route 80. 08-26
Frontier Motel (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Watch as the Frontier Motel stood near the entrance to Tucson’s old Miracle Mile, where its tall roadside sign advertised “Air Conditioning” and “Air Refrigeration.” Those promises must have sounded pretty good to travelers arriving in the Arizona heat. 06-23
Built in 1941, the Frontier featured Spanish Revival architecture and served motorists following U.S. Routes 80 and 89. It was reportedly known briefly as the Pioneer Motel during its earliest years, although that part of its history remains uncertain.
The motel eventually closed and sat vacant behind fencing. Pima Community College purchased the property in 2018 along with the neighboring Tucson Inn and Copper Cactus Inn.
For several years, the future of all three motels remained in limbo. Preservationists fought to save the historic buildings, which were included within the Miracle Mile Historic District, while the college considered clearing the properties for campus expansion and parking.
A court eventually allowed Pima Community College to proceed with demolition. The Frontier’s buildings were razed in early 2025, ending more than 80 years of roadside history on the property.
UPDATE: The Frontier Motel is gone, but its vintage neon sign was spared before demolition. Pima Community College voted to preserve the marquee for restoration and possible future display, saving at least one familiar piece of the old Drachman Street motel row. 08-26
Redwood Lodge (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Once glowing along Tucson’s old Benson Highway, the neon sign at the Redwood Lodge advertised just about everything a traveler might need. Kitchenettes, laundry, RCA television, and accepted credit cards were all displayed in separate panels. 06-23
The lodge opened in 1947 as a classic mom-and-pop tourist court along U.S. Route 80. Before Interstate 10 redirected traffic, Benson Highway was lined with motels, restaurants, trailer courts, and service stations welcoming travelers into Tucson.
The sign grew along with changing motel expectations. RCA television was once a modern attraction worth advertising in large letters, while the credit-card shields assured travelers that they would not need to pay for the night entirely in cash.
After decades of highway service, the Redwood became rundown and stopped operating as a conventional tourist motel. A veteran-focused investment group purchased the property in 2017 and renovated the rooms for homeless and low-income veterans.
UPDATE: The Redwood Lodge remains standing as long-term supportive housing for veterans. Its original motor-court buildings and towering multi-panel sign survive, although the old neon appears to be mostly or entirely dark. 08-26
Desert Edge Motel (Gone)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Back in the 1990s, the Desert Edge Motel still had a fine neon sign standing along Tucson’s old Benson Highway. “Kitchenettes” and “Air Conditioned” were displayed prominently for travelers looking for a comfortable stop along U.S. Route 80. 06-23
The little motor court was built sometime between the late 1940s and late 1950s. It consisted of eight motel units and a manager’s residence, making it one of the smaller mom-and-pop properties along the highway.
After Interstate 10 pulled away most of the tourist traffic, the Desert Edge gradually shifted from overnight lodging to modest residential rentals. By 2019, part of the property was vacant and deteriorating.
A suspicious fire broke out around 2:00 in the morning on May 3, 2019. Two units in the abandoned front section were badly damaged before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
UPDATE: The Desert Edge no longer operates as a motel, but surviving portions of the property have been used as apartments. Its battered neon sign was removed sometime between 2018 and 2022, and it is unknown whether any part of it was saved. 08-26
Desert Sands Lodge (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old sign at the Desert Sands Lodge, located at 1435 East Benson Highway, featured the stacked panels and channel lettering once commonly found outside Southwestern motor courts. It gave passing travelers plenty to read before deciding where to stop. 06-23
Built in 1948, the Desert Sands contained about 22 single-story units arranged around a central parking courtyard. Its location along U.S. Route 80 placed it directly in the path of motorists entering Tucson from the southeast.
When Interstate 10 pulled travelers away from Benson Highway, the lodge gradually moved out of the overnight motel business. Its small rooms were converted into apartments, allowing the original buildings to survive.
UPDATE: The former Desert Sands Lodge remains in residential use as an apartment complex. Its motel buildings are still recognizable, but the multi-panel roadside sign was removed many years ago and no trace of it remains on the property. 08-26
El Portal Motel (Demolished)
Larian Motel
Desert Edge Motel (Gone)
Desert Sands Lodge (Closed)
