Van Hotel (Closed)
Willits, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

At the corner of Main and Commercial Streets in Willits, the old Van Hotel still has its big “Hotel” sign out front. The three-story brick building dates to 1924, while the sign appears to be a later addition. Together, they make it easy to picture the days when travelers could stop here for a room.

Gustav Van Cleemput built the Van across from his wooden Hotel Willits. He chose brick partly because he worried the older hotel might burn, and planned the new building as an extension of it. Inside were marble floors, wrought iron, and a grand lobby. Winston Churchill even spent a night here while passing through Willits in 1929.

The Hotel Willits is gone, and the Van no longer rents rooms. Its upper floors are vacant, but shops still use the street-level spaces. The sign remains, giving the corner a little of its old hotel character.

UPDATE: The former Van Hotel still stands in downtown Willits with its vintage sign in place. Whether the sign still lights up at night is unclear. 09-26

Hotel Oliver (Closed)
Santa Rosa, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The faded sign for the Hotel Oliver still hangs outside a brick building in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. It has seen better days, but that is part of its appeal. The old “Hotel” lettering gives passersby a clue that the rooms upstairs once had a very different purpose.

Built in 1910, the hotel has a Mission Revival look at the top of its facade, with textured brick below. It later became known as the Jacobs Building. Railroad Square has changed plenty over the years, but this building and its weathered sign have held their place on the street.

The former hotel rooms are now used as offices, while the ground floor has housed a succession of restaurants and other businesses. The Hotel Oliver name may be history, but the sign still makes it easy to imagine arriving here with a suitcase.

UPDATE: The Jacobs Building remains in use, and the old Hotel Oliver sign still projects from its facade. It is part of the Railroad Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 09-26

Hotel Rio Vista (Closed)
Rio Vista, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The old sign for the Hotel Rio Vista once stood along Main Street, welcoming travelers to the Delta town. The hotel opened with a banquet on September 26, 1914. Over the years, its ground floor also held shops and a restaurant.

When fire swept through downtown in 1917, the hotel’s exterior walls survived. The building was rebuilt inside and reopened in 1919. It continued to offer lodging for decades before eventually closing.

UPDATE: The Hotel Rio Vista is no longer open, and the current whereabouts of its streetside sign are uncertain. 09-26

Harrison Hotel
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

At the corner of 14th and Harrison Streets in Oakland, the blade sign for the Hotel Harrison projects from an old brick building. “HOTEL” runs down the sign beneath a little “HH” shield. It looks a bit weatherbeaten in this photo, but imagine the whole thing lit up in neon above the sidewalk.

The six-story hotel opened in the 1910s, and the sign was added in 1929. It gave people looking for a room an easy landmark in downtown Oakland. The building also hosted meetings and gatherings over the years, including members of the Oakland Business and Professional Women’s Club and the American Legion.

The hotel’s role changed in 1996, when it was renovated into affordable residential rooms. A separate marquee that once hung closer to street level is gone, but the tall corner blade survived. It has since been repainted, rewired, and refurbished, giving the old “HOTEL” letters another chance to stand out.

UPDATE: The building remains an affordable residential community, with the restored Hotel Harrison blade sign still marking the corner. 09-26

Menlo Hotel
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The old Menlo Hotel name still curls across the side of this Oakland building. The script letters look as though they may once have carried neon. Even without a glow, they make it easy to spot the building’s hotel past.

Built in 1911, the Menlo opened to guests in 1914. It later operated as a residential hotel under the name Empyrean Towers before closing in 2011.

UPDATE: The building has been renovated for apartments and shops, while the old Menlo lettering remains on the wall. Its neon history is uncertain. 09-26