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Manhattan Motel (Closed)
Glendale, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Rich red and blue colors make the Manhattan Motel marquee in Glendale an eye-catcher. Its layered design combines flowing script with a bold “MOTEL” panel, giving Colorado Street a colorful roadside greeting. 09-06

The property belonged to the motel row that developed along East Colorado Street as motorists traveled between Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena. Exterior room entrances and parking just off the street offered a convenient stop along the busy corridor.

The marquee supplied much of the personality out front. Its contrasting colors and neon accents made the Manhattan easy to remember, even for those continuing down the road. A later franchise change brought a different name and appearance. The rooms stayed in use, but the custom lettering gave way to a familiar corporate logo.

UPDATE: The former Manhattan at 1523 E. Colorado Street now operates as Motel 6 Glendale. Its vintage red-and-blue neon marquee was removed and replaced with standard illuminated Motel 6 signage. The lodging stop survives, though the old greeting is gone. 10-26

Paradise Motel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Purple neon gives the Paradise Motel in Los Angeles a nighttime appearance worth checking out. This is one of the signs that brought a colorful glow to the frontage along Sunset Boulevard, making the name easy to remember after dark. 09-06

Opened in 1946 by Harvey Hanson, the motel arranged its rooms around a central driveway in a horseshoe-shaped court. The low stucco buildings offered travelers a modest stop near downtown and Echo Park.

The property also appeared on television, with credits including Highway Patrol in 1955 and a later episode of The O.C., where it stood in for a Tijuana motel. Another Hollywood trip made without leaving Los Angeles.

UPDATE: The Paradise Motel remains open at 1116 W. Sunset Boulevard, with its historic marquee retained. Later neon maintenance introduced other colors alongside the purple remembered from earlier years. 10-26

All 8 Motel (Rem.)
Long Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s the old roadside sign for the All 8 Motel in Long Beach. A large stylized numeral “8,” angled metal framing, and bold motel lettering gave passing Pacific Coast Highway motorists something easy to spot. The original marquee and older court elements had disappeared by the time of this entry. 01-07

The motel belonged to the mid-century lodging strip along East PCH, serving coastal travelers, harbor workers, and visitors moving between Los Angeles and Orange County. Its two-story arrangement featured exterior walkways and parking close to the rooms.

Later rebuilding changed the property substantially, though the All 8 name returned. That explains why newer motel listings appear at the same address even after the old roadside scene was gone.

UPDATE: The original neon marquee and vintage motor-court elements at 2400 E. Pacific Coast Highway were removed in the early to mid-2000s. The site was rebuilt or extensively remodeled, with later lodging continuing under the All 8 Motel name. The name survived, but the old sign did not. 10-26

Colonial Motel (Rem.)
Azusa, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the old marquee for the Colonial Motel along Route 66 in Azusa. Its vintage neon once gave travelers a distinctive greeting, before a backlit plastic replacement changed the view from the road. 01-07

The motor court opened in the late 1950s around an older house built in 1918. Rooms were added in several buildings around the property, creating a lodging complex with a central swimming pool. The motel became the Colonial Inn in 1988.

UPDATE: The Colonial Motel is now the Colonial Inn. The sign is now a boring plastic sign. 11-20

UPDATE: The Colonial Inn at 534 E. Foothill Boulevard closed as a commercial motel in 2018 and shifted to private residential use. The historic main house survives, while the original neon marquee had been replaced during its lodging years. 10-26

Wigwam Motel Rialto, CA Photos courtesy Chris & Ginger Looking for a room with a different shape? The Wigwam Motel along Route 66 near Rialto offers its familiar pointed cabins and the old invitation to “Do it in a tee pee.” This roadside stop has been giving motorists something to talk about since 1949. 06-07 Opened by Frank Redford as Wigwam Village No. 7, it was the last location built in the Wigwam chain. Nineteen individual cabins stand in a broad horseshoe arrangement around the lawn and pool, making the accommodations an attraction in their own right.   The Wigwams Rialto, CA Photo courtesy Chris & Ginger Rumor has it that Cabin 11 has collected a few ghost stories, including televisions switching on by themselves, cold spots, and a child’s laughter heard outside at night. Those tales remain unverified, but have become part of the motel’s roadside lore. UPDATE: The Wigwam Motel remains open at 2728 Foothill Boulevard. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, it continues welcoming guests to one of Route 66’s most recognizable overnight stops. 10-26   More Wigwams Rialto, CA Photo courtesy Chris & Ginger Do it in a tee pee Rialto, CA Photo courtesy Chris & Ginger