Entre Apartments (Rem.)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

There was once enough color on the west side of Winslow to make any Route 66 traveler reach for a camera. The bright Entre Apartments sign stood near the equally colorful Entre Restaurant marquee, with the old Delta Motel just down the road. Between the signs, the faded motel buildings and the wide-open roadside setting, this little stretch of highway was well worth a stop. Unfortunately, both Entre signs disappeared not long after these photos were taken. 09-21

The story began with the Entre Restaurant, which opened in 1958 under Steve and Helen Sponduris. It started out as a roadside steakhouse serving prime rib, broiled lobster and other meals that must have sounded pretty inviting after a long drive across northern Arizona. In 1962, the owners expanded the restaurant by adding what was reportedly the first beer hall in Winslow.

Kenny Jue purchased the restaurant in 1972 and gradually changed its menu from steakhouse fare to Chinese-American food. The combination of colorful roadside signs, Chinese food and an adjoining motel gave the Entre a personality all its own. It was certainly different from the usual burger joints and motor courts found along much of Route 66.

Entre Apartments close up
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

In 1976, Jue built the 40-room Entre Motel next to the restaurant. Travelers could park outside their rooms, cool off in the swimming pool and walk next door for dinner. Advertisements promoted king-size beds, direct-dial telephones, color television with HBO, kitchenettes and an on-site laundromat. It had just about everything needed for a night or an extended stay on the road.

The motel later stopped accepting overnight travelers and was converted into the Entre Apartments. It was also known for a time as the Winslow Ponderosa Apartments. The swimming pool was eventually filled in and paved over, while the former guest rooms continued serving as residential units.

New Entre Restaurant sign in background
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

As the years passed, the property became increasingly weathered. The bright Entre Apartments sign was removed first, while the large restaurant sign remained for a time as little more than an empty metal frame. Eventually, that frame disappeared as well, taking away one of the most recognizable roadside scenes on the western approach to Winslow.

UPDATE: The former Entre Motel and apartment buildings are now vacant, and the colorful roadside signs have been removed. The neighboring Entre Restaurant remains open and continues serving Chinese-American food along Route 66. 09-26

Golden Inn Motor Hotel (Demolished)
Holbrook AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Golden Inn Motor Hotel had a look that could only have come from the late 1980s or early 1990s. Its large roadside sign used subdued desert colors, stacked rectangular panels and just enough geometric decoration to catch the attention of travelers passing through Holbrook. The motel buildings carried much the same color scheme and seemed to remain almost unchanged during several visits. 09-21

The Golden Inn stood on the eastern side of town near Northland Pioneer College. This was a busy lodging stretch where Route 66 travelers and motorists leaving Interstate 40 had plenty of motels to choose from. The Golden Inn may not have had the flashing neon of Holbrook’s older motor courts, but its oversized sign still made sure the place did not disappear into the desert background.

Golden Inn Motel street view
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The property was larger than it appeared from the road. Its 64 rooms were arranged in a low exterior-corridor layout surrounded by plenty of parking. Guests could pull up near their rooms, unload the car and settle in without wandering through a large lobby or an indoor hallway. That simple arrangement was still very much in the tradition of the old roadside motor court.

The Golden Inn also featured an outdoor swimming pool. After a long summer drive across northern Arizona, that little patch of blue must have looked pretty inviting. As the years passed, however, the pool was filled in and the motel received a number of updates. New paint, modern amenities and changes around the lobby gradually removed much of the appearance seen in these photographs.

Golden Inn Motor Hotel 1998
Holbrook AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Like plenty of independent Route 66 motels, the Golden Inn eventually turned to national branding to remain competitive. It became an Econo Lodge under the Choice Hotels banner, bringing another new color scheme and a more familiar name to the property. The distinctive Golden Inn sign was removed during these changes and replaced by standard corporate signage.

The motel later changed names once again and became the Greentree Inn Holbrook. By then, almost every visible reminder of the Golden Inn era had disappeared. Still, the long rows of rooms and much of the original roadside footprint remained in use.

Golden Inn Motor Hotel 2000
Holbrook AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

So the Golden Inn was not actually demolished as once believed. Its name, sign, swimming pool and muted 1990s appearance are gone, but the motel itself survived beneath several layers of new paint and branding. Sometimes a Route 66 motel disappears without the buildings going anywhere at all.

UPDATE: The former Golden Inn remains open at 2596 Navajo Boulevard as the Greentree Inn Holbrook. The 64-room motel survives in remodeled form, but the original Golden Inn sign and outdoor swimming pool are gone. 09-26