One of the earliest motel referral services was United Motor Courts. This association was based in Santa Barbara, Calif. and was made up of “a friendly group of independent owners of motor lodges…” During the 1930s and 1940s, United Motor Courts produced some dazzling motel guides, most with pictures of each court. This 1933 guide [...]
Most everyone can remember the magnificent signs that signaled a Holiday Inn. These signs are extinct now. But postcards, brochures and matchbooks carried the symbol for decades. This postcard, from the early 1960s, is from the Holiday Inn in Clinton, Okla. The motel was located along U.S. 66 and offered all the amenities found in [...]
Franchise motels, like Holiday Inn and TraveLodge, began to appear along Route 66 in the late 1950s. TraveLodge was started in California and crept eastward. Mrs. Ruth J. Brockmiller, Helen J. Hougland and Alice G. White were in charge of this early TraveLodge motel in Kingman, Ariz. Sleepy Bear was (is) the mascot of this [...]
Remember Gaines Burgers? They were a popular dog food at one time. Well, the makers of those hamburger-looking dog treats was the The Gaines Dog Research Center. They published this directory in 1954 to let travelers know what motor courts and motels allowed dogs as guests. The inside of the guide is pretty plain, listing [...]
Based in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Tourinns Inc. offered lodging at six motels. Many of this chain’s units were located along America’s new interstates and turnpikes, especially in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Tourinns offered motorists reliable and familiar services, including an onsite restaurant, service station and TV lounge. This colorful brochure, probably from the late 1950s, [...]
