Built as part of the Thunderbird Lodge motel chain, this is arguably the nicest remaining example. Guesses are that the neon thunderbird sign was inspired by the Thunderbird Hotel signage in Las Vegas.

Built in 1964. Walking distance to casinos and beach. Great pool and sign. Still looks pretty much like it did in ’64.

Following the opening of the Stardust Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas in 1958, numerous motels in the United States adopted the Stardust name and theme. The state of California once had over a dozen Stardust motel offerings. The Stardust Lodge in Lake Tahoe, however, is the arguably the best remaining example. Walking distance to Stateline, reasonably priced, and with the best midcentury motel sign left in the area, you won’t be gambling when you book your room.

Built in 1957, this is multi-story motel is located just on block from San Francisco’s “Motel Row,” i.e. Lombard Street. It’s nicely maintained, and it features multiple neon signs.

In 1987, Stanford Business School graduate Chip Conley took a dilapidated motel in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, fixed it up, and renamed it the Phoenix. He marketed the motel to traveling musicians and filmmakers.

The concept caught the attention of investors. With a surge of new capital, Conley purchased a number of neglected roadside motels and turned them into affordable “boutique” hotels. It was the beginning of the JDV Hotel chain. The Phoenix represented the resurrection of San Francisco’s Caravan Lodge, built in 1956. It is now part of the Bunkhouse Group.

Tropical-themed motels were once as ubiquitous as midcentury tiki bars.  Not so anymore. Palo Alto’s Tiki Inn is now the Stanford Terrace Inn. Costa Mesa’s Kon Tiki Motel is now the New Harbor Inn. Gone are Anaheim’s wonderful Kona Kai and Waikiki motels. This makes The Islander Motel in Santa Cruz all the more special. Not only is the 1963 motel building remarkably intact, but the owners opted to keep the original signage (a multi-colored striped tropical fish) and the original lobby furniture. Aloha!

The Sundown Motel opened in 1960. For the past 30-plus years, it has been owned and operated by one family. This is truly a mom and pop enterprise, just as most U.S. motels were in 1960. The Sundown is quaint and comfortable, with a blend of modern features (like new bathrooms) and vintage details (like built in vanities and nautical themed wallpaper). The motel even has a few Magic Fingers vibrating bed devices.

The iconic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo opened on Christmas Eve 1958. The inn features more than 100 hundred uniquely themed guest rooms styled by Phyllis Madonna, a wonderful coffee shop, a restaurant, and one of the last animated neon highway signs in the state. Staying here is an unforgettable experience.

Visitors from all over the country come to the Safari Inn in Burbank to photograph its whimsical neon spear sign. The motel dates to 1958, and many of the original design elements remain. The swimming pool follows the shape of the motel signage, and safari-themed metal sculptures adorn the buildings.

The last to be constructed in a nationwide chain of seven “Wigwam Villages,” Southern California’s Wigwam Motel represents the ultimate in Native American theme-based marketing. The motel property, which dates to 1949, features 19 30-foot tall concrete teepee rooms around a central teepee office. Wigwam Village #7 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

To date, there have been three names for this desert resort: The Bella Sari Lodge, Cactus Springs Lodge, and now Hope Springs. But there has been one constant—luxury. Nestled into the hills of Desert Hot Springs, this spa getaway features 10 rooms and two pools. The motel dates to 1963. Note: This place is the real deal. There is a natural hot mineral spring well on-site.

Designed by architect John Lautner (yes, that John Lautner), the Hotel Lautner began its days in 1947, as a relatively modest resort motel. Built with the intention that it was to be the start of a planned community in the desert, the motel initially functioned as a retreat for Hollywood stars. That planned community never happened, but the Hotel Lautner thankfully remains, respectfully restored to retain its original design integrity.

In the 1960s, developer Ken Kimes capitalized on the American fascination with the South Pacific and opened a chain of five Polynesian-themed motor hotels in California. The motels were called the Tropics, and they were located in the towns of Blythe, Indio, Modesto, Palm Springs, and Rosemead. Ironically, three of the five Tropics motels were built in the desert. Today, four of the former Tropics motels are still in existence. The Palm Springs Tropics, in particular, is remarkably intact.

San Diego’s Pearl boutique hotel began its days as the Sportsman’s Lodge, a 23 room, two-story motel designed by local architect Robert Platt. Located close to fishing and water sports, and just a short car ride to Downtown San Diego, today’s venue also offers fancy cocktails and “dine-in” movies. It was built in 1959.

Built in 1960, the Half Moon Inn features a jaw-dropping A-frame porte-cochere at its entrance. Arguably the best replica of native Polynesian architecture on Shelter Island, the port-cochere is said to emulate a fishing canoe, its hanging lantern a lure for fish. Shortly after the motel’s opening in 1961, the property was celebrated in a special issue of Life Magazine entitled “The Call of California.”