Alamo Apartments
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A colorful neon blade sign marks the Alamo Apartments at Tucson’s historic Five Points intersection. Built in 1937, the property offered apartment living with several motel-like conveniences for early automobile travelers. 06-23
Its ten original units featured air cooling, refrigerated kitchens, twin beds, maid service, and what advertisements called “Complete Automobile Service.” This may explain why the building sometimes feels like an early motor court despite always carrying the Alamo Apartments name.
Local neon craftsman Isadore Posner designed the distinctive sign in 1937. Its vertical lettering and colorful neon made it a familiar landmark along Stone Avenue and the old U.S. 80 and 89 corridor. The sign was restored in 2008.
UPDATE: The Alamo remains open as affordable housing managed by the Primavera Foundation. Its restored neon sign still hangs from the building, while the ground-floor commercial space is now home to Ugly But Honest Pizzeria. 08-26
Casa Linda Motel (Gone)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Standing just off Oracle Road, the Casa Linda Motel once had an eye-catching neon sign welcoming travelers near Tucson’s Miracle Mile. A hinged “NO” box could be switched above “VACANCY,” providing a wonderfully simple way to announce when every room was taken. 06-23
The motel and sign were built in 1951 during the height of Tucson’s postwar roadside boom. Its location along Flores Street placed it close to the neon signs and motor courts serving travelers on U.S. Routes 80 and 89.
After the motel became the Casa Linda Apartments, the word “Motel” was painted over on the marquee. The sign received a partial restoration in 2016, with fresh paint and some of its upper neon returned to service.
The property later suffered from neglect, fires, and squatting. Tucson condemned the units in 2021 and ordered the most structurally dangerous building demolished, while the remaining portions were secured behind fencing and plywood.
UPDATE: The Casa Linda no longer operates as either a motel or conventional apartment complex. Part of the property was demolished, and its distinctive roadside sign has disappeared. It is unknown whether the sign was saved or lost during the clearing. 08-26
Bucking Bronc Court (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Travel along Tucson’s old Benson Highway and you can still find traces of the motor courts that once served U.S. Route 80. The Bucking Bronc Court was one of the more colorful, with a roadside sign showing a cowboy trying to stay aboard a bucking horse. 06-23
The Western theme was a natural choice for attracting out-of-state travelers looking for a little Arizona atmosphere. Even after the original neon disappeared, the hand-painted cowboy and bronco gave the weathered sign plenty of personality.
The property even appeared in a 1952 Arizona Supreme Court case involving a complicated real-estate deal. The Bucking Bronc Court had apparently been traded for a local cafe and its fixtures, proving that roadside motels could change hands in some interesting ways.
After Interstate 10 pulled traffic away from Benson Highway, the court stopped accepting conventional overnight guests. Its rooms were converted into apartments, and the property later evolved into a residential trailer and mobile-home court.
UPDATE: The Bucking Bronc Court no longer operates as a motel, but parts of the old property remain in residential use. Its wonderful cowboy-and-horse sign also survives along the highway, although it is badly faded and the original neon appears to be gone. 08-26
Villa Motel (Closed)
Globe, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Villa Motel featured a great old roadside sign promising “Complete Comfort” to travelers passing through the Globe area. The motel once went by the slightly fancier name Rose Villa Motel and advertised itself as the “Best for Rest.” 06-23
The property appears to date from the 1940s, when U.S. Route 60 was carrying a growing stream of motorists between Phoenix and Arizona’s mining country. Its single-story rooms followed the simple park-at-your-door motor-court plan.
Old postcards showed the Rose Villa as a clean and comfortable stop beside the highway. The “Best for Rest” slogan was easy to remember and gave tired travelers one more reason to pull off the road for the night.
Rose Villa Motel
Globe, AZ
Postcard courtesy Chet Wilson
A nearby Shell station at Country Club Manor helped make this little section of Route 60 a convenient roadside stop. Travelers could fill the tank, find a room, and continue toward Globe or the Valley the following morning.
The motel eventually dropped “Rose” from its name and altered the marquee to read simply Villa Motel. It later closed, leaving the room buildings vacant beside the highway.
UPDATE: The Villa Motel remains closed and no longer accepts travelers. Its weathered double-sided marquee continues to stand along U.S. Route 60, although most or all of the original neon appears to be dark. 08-26
Western Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Western Motel stood along old Benson Highway, once one of the main routes carrying travelers through Tucson. Even during the 1990s, its roadside sign was already faded and weather-beaten from years beneath the desert sun. 06-23
The old marquee still advertised “Kitchenettes” and “Pool,” two features that could make a big difference to travelers crossing southern Arizona. Kitchenettes were useful for longer stays, while a swimming pool offered a welcome escape from the heat.
Benson Highway carried U.S. Route 80 traffic before Interstate 10 bypassed much of the old roadside strip. Motels, trailer courts, restaurants, and service stations that once depended on passing motorists were left trying to find new ways to survive.
Western Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Western eventually stopped operating as a conventional overnight motel. Its single-story rooms were adapted for extended stays, apartments, and other budget residential uses.
UPDATE: More than 25 years after the first RoadsidePeek visits, the Western Motel sign is still standing beside Benson Highway. It is now even more faded and battered, but the old “Kitchenettes” and “Pool” panels remain visible. The buildings survive in residential use, although the condition of the swimming pool is uncertain. 08-26
Motel
Douglas, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
This unidentified Douglas motel was photographed in 2002 during a pass through southeastern Arizona. Its low roadside buildings had the familiar appearance of an older motor court, but no readable motel name could be found, even in the original photographs. 06-23
Douglas once had several small motels serving travelers near the Mexican border and along old U.S. Route 80. Without a sign or confirmed address, this property is difficult to match with old directories or modern maps.
UPDATE: The name and location of this motel remain unknown, and it has not been determined whether the buildings still survive. Perhaps someone familiar with old Douglas will recognize the place and help solve the mystery. 08-26
Alamo Apartments
Casa Linda Motel (Gone)
Bucking Bronc Court (Closed)
Rose Villa Motel
Motel
