Gadsden Hotel
Douglas, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Douglas, AZ is home to the Gadsden Hotel which first opened in the town in 1907. The tallest building in Douglas, the hotel experienced a fire then was rebuilt in 1929 when all but the staircase burned down. The hotel features a lobby that has a 42 foot Tiffany-inspired glass mural. Gadsden used to be a mining industry. 07-23
See more at Roadside Peek's Spotlight on the Gadsden Hotel.
Hotel Beale (Closed)
Kingman, AZ Photo and info courtesy Paul Bauke
High above Route 66 in downtown Kingman, the Hotel Beale rooftop sign once promised travelers a room that was “AIR COOLED.” That did not mean modern refrigerated air conditioning. In 1936, evaporative coolers and large blower systems were still a pretty exciting luxury in the Arizona desert. 08-06
The hotel was built in 1898 by William Harvey Hubbs, a local miner, cattleman and Mohave County sheriff. Thomas Devine purchased it in 1906 and remodeled the property a decade later. His son, future movie and television actor Andy Devine, grew up at the hotel before heading to Hollywood and becoming known for his unmistakable raspy voice.
Hotel Beale
Kingman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The enormous “Hotel Beale Air Cooled” sign was installed on the roof in 1936. It is believed to have been Kingman’s first commercial neon sign and soon became a familiar nighttime sight for travelers passing through town on Route 66.
After Interstate 40 shifted traffic away from downtown, the Beale fell into decline and eventually closed. The building remained standing, but its famous sign went dark for more than 40 years. Even without the glow, those huge letters continued to mark the old hotel for Route 66 travelers.
That changed in 2026 when Kingman Main Street and several preservation groups raised money to restore the sign. Craftsman Matt Phillips repaired its wiring and neon, and the letters were publicly relit on May 2 during the Route 66 Fun Run weekend. After four dark decades, “AIR COOLED” was once again glowing over Kingman.
Hotel Beale close look at sign
Kingman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The Hotel Beale was built in 1899 and has now become a historic though abandoned hotel. Actor Andy Devine is a well known figure in Kingman with a whole main thoroughfare named after him. His parents purchased the hotel in 1906. With the main railroad depot nearby, the hotel housed many travelers back in the day. Hopefully the Hotel Beale will see some restoration in the future though none appears to be planned at this point. 09-21
UPDATE: The Hotel Beale remains vacant and is not accepting overnight guests. Its restored neon sign now lights the Route 66 skyline, while a sidewalk display called the Hotel Beale Experience shares photographs and stories from the building’s past. 09-26
Weatherford Hotel
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Weatherford Hotel has been holding down this downtown Flagstaff corner since the days when travelers arrived by train instead of Route 66. Its local red sandstone, balconies, and old-fashioned storefront give the building plenty of turn-of-the-century character. 05-20
John W. Weatherford constructed the original two-story building in 1897, using the ground floor as a general store while his family lived upstairs. Anticipating more visitors with the coming railroad connection to the Grand Canyon, he added a third story and opened the property as a hotel on New Year’s Day 1900.
The Weatherford became one of Flagstaff’s leading hotels, welcoming guests such as Theodore Roosevelt, William Randolph Hearst, and landscape artist Thomas Moran. Western author Zane Grey stayed on the third floor while writing his 1922 novel The Call of the Canyon. The upper level now includes a ballroom and rooftop bar bearing his name.
Weatherford Hotel
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The hotel is also home to Flagstaff’s Great Pinecone Drop. Started for the building’s centennial celebration in 1999, the New Year’s Eve tradition sends a giant illuminated pinecone down from the rooftop as crowds gather in the chilly streets below.
UPDATE: The Weatherford Hotel remains open with historic guest rooms, restaurants, bars, and entertainment spaces. The Great Pinecone Drop continues as one of downtown Flagstaff’s biggest annual celebrations. 09-26
Tonto Hotel (Gone)
Globe, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
New Tonto Hotel once greeted downtown Globe visitors with a tall vertical neon sign hanging from the corner of its old brick building. The hotel opened in 1916 as the Murphy Hotel and was later renamed the Tonto Hotel, followed by the New Tonto Hotel. 07-23
Built during Globe’s copper-mining and railroad boom, the hotel became a familiar downtown gathering place. During the 1950s and 1960s, one of its street-level spaces housed the Globe Chamber of Commerce. The hotel eventually closed during the 1970s and has remained vacant for almost 50 years.
The old New Tonto Hotel sign survived long after the last guests checked out. Unfortunately, deterioration eventually caught up with it. The sign was removed around late 2019 or early 2020 after city code enforcement determined that its weakened structure could fall onto the sidewalk. Its present whereabouts are unknown.
UPDATE: Although the familiar neon sign is gone, the two-story hotel building still stands at Broad and Mesquite streets as a contributing property in the Globe Downtown Historic District. The long-vacant structure remains boarded up and in need of restoration. 09-26
San Carlos Apartments
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
San Carlos Apartments is a historic residential complex near Tucson’s Armory Park, complete with a restored neon sign. The property developed in stages, giving it a mixture of buildings from different eras. 07-23
Two houses date to the 1880s, followed by an apartment addition around 1910 and another building during the 1920s. The Lee family acquired the property in the 1940s.
A winter storm caused extensive damage in 2012. Renovations the following year included roofing, electrical work, insulation, and restored hardwood floors. The vintage ripple-tin neon sign was also rewired and returned to service.
UPDATE: The San Carlos Apartments remains open as a residential community and contributing property in Tucson’s historic Armory Park area. Its historic buildings and neon sign continue to survive. 09-26
Douglas, AZ is home to the 
Hotel Beale (Closed)
High above Route 66 in downtown Kingman, the Hotel Beale rooftop sign once promised travelers a room that was “AIR COOLED.” That did not mean modern refrigerated air conditioning. In 1936, evaporative coolers and large blower systems were still a pretty exciting luxury in the Arizona desert. 08-06
Hotel Beale
Hotel Beale close look at sign
Weatherford Hotel
Weatherford Hotel
Tonto Hotel (Gone)
San Carlos Apartments
