Sandman Motel (Gone)
Holbrook AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

“Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.” Well, the Sandman Motel provided a place to rest for plenty of travelers passing through Holbrook. Its colorful sign featured large mid-century lettering topped by an arrow pointing motorists into the little Route 66 motor court. 09-21

The motel opened in 1956 as the 10-room Chief Motel. Before 1963, it became the Sandman after another Chief Motel opened farther down the highway.

The Sandman lasted into the 1990s, although its age was beginning to show. One photo caught the sign mostly complete, while another recorded its large arrow being removed. Fortunately, the main sign remained standing.

Taking photos along Route 66 back then was a blast. Many of those old roadside sights have disappeared, but returning to towns like Holbrook can still feel like visiting old friends.

The Sandman losing the arrow
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: The former Sandman Motel now serves as the Canyon Rock Apartments. Its original buildings and main roadside sign survive, although the large neon arrow is gone. 09-26

I gotta say taking photos back then and traveling the 66 was a blast. While the photo opportunities are much less these days since much has disappeared off the road, it's still good to visit these towns almost annually as where it almost feels like I'm visiting old friends. This old friend is now only a memory. 09-21

Sun n' Sand Motel (Gone)
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

That smiling orange face wearing sunglasses made the Sun n’ Sand Motel one of the friendlier sights along Route 66 in Holbrook. Perched above the motel name, the sun looked ready for a vacation even if the tired travelers passing below were only searching for a room and a few hours of sleep. It was a fun roadside sign with plenty of personality. 09-21

The motel started out in 1956 as Holbrook’s first Whiting Brothers Motor Hotel. It stood near a Whiting Brothers service station and the company’s regional offices, giving motorists a convenient place to fill the tank and stop for the night without wandering far from the highway.

Sun n' Sand Motel (Gone)
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Around 1960, longtime Whiting Brothers managers Albert and Helene Frycek purchased the motel and renamed it the Sun n’ Sand. The family operated the place for more than 40 years. Its small U-shaped arrangement included only about 10 rooms gathered around a courtyard, making it feel more like an old-fashioned motor court than a modern highway motel.

There was also a swimming pool surrounded by brick walls. Combined with the orange sun mascot, the pool helped complete the vacation theme. Of course, northern Arizona is not always sunny and warm, but that smiling face probably looked pretty convincing after a long summer drive.

Sun n' Sand Motel 1999
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The completion of Interstate 40 pulled traffic away from old Route 66, and the Sun n’ Sand gradually began to show its age. By the time these photographs were taken, the buildings needed plenty of attention, but the sign was still out front wearing its sunglasses. The Frycek family finally closed the motel in 2001.

The story took an unexpected turn the following year. During the enormous Rodeo-Chediski wildfire of 2002, the closed motel was briefly reopened as emergency shelter for evacuees. For a little while, the old rooms once again gave weary travelers a place to stay, although under circumstances nobody would have wanted.

Sun n' Sand Motel 2000
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

After sitting empty for nearly a decade, the motel was purchased in 2010 by Austrian travelers Peter and Mona Hoeller. They gave the little motor court a remarkable makeover, filling its rooms with handmade furnishings, European tile sinks and colorful retro touches. The restored property reopened as the Globetrotter Lodge and became a popular stop with Route 66 travelers.

The old Sun n’ Sand sign structure survived the transformation, but the smiling sun and original lettering were removed. New Globetrotter Lodge panels gave the sign a different look. It was great to see the weathered motel shiny and welcoming again, even if its sunglass-wearing mascot had headed off into the sunset.

Sun n' Sand Motel office
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Globetrotter was later sold to new owners in 2020 and continued operating for a time. It has since closed as a motel, while other portions of the property have been used as private apartments.

UPDATE: The former Sun n’ Sand Motel and Globetrotter Lodge buildings remain standing, but the property is no longer operating as a motel. The old sign frame survives with Globetrotter Lodge panels, while the smiling orange sun topper is gone. 09-26

Sun n' Sand side view
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Well, the Sun n' Sand Motel disappeared sometime in the 2000s. The motel had deteriorated and was in need of renovation and the reduced business did not help. In speaking with family members of the new owner of the property, the motel was to be renovated and refreshed. Sure enough the Globetrotter Motel appeared and looked shiny and new. So long Sun n' Sand. 09-21