"Motel culture" arose
In 2022, Lisa Lennox was visiting a friend in Stephenville, Texas, USA when she came across the Interstate Inn. The highway motel an hour west of Fort Worth has rooms that rent for $40 a night, where local police keep a close watch, requiring plumbing and wiring to be replaced. new electricity...
However, Lennox immediately fell in love with the home's funky design, which includes a giant sloping roof reminiscent of the space race. “These motels are very American. They have really unique designs. But they are all in disrepair and many motels are being demolished," she said.
No experience in the service industry but someone who has traveled a lot and understands the requirements of a good hotel room. Lisa Lennox bought the Interstate Inn that year, took an online hotel management course at Cornell and planned to reopen the 35-room Interstate Inn with her cousins after renovations at the end of September. .
Lennox and his siblings are not alone: America's motels are struggling. Kimberly Walker - founder and creative director of Nomada Hotel Group, which owns three motels in California - said she has seen a rise in "motel culture", including people interested in owning and renovating inns, as well as travelers - especially young people - who have a fondness for these inns.
In recent years, modest roadside inns that older generations might have considered old-fashioned have begun to attract a new group of young customers who enjoy adventure. Instagram pages celebrating unique motel designs have millions of followers. The award-winning sitcom “Schitt's Creek,” which takes place primarily in a boarding house setting, has a large public following.
And streaming services like Max have shows dedicated to motel renovations. These shows are especially popular during the pandemic , when the public during lockdown starts dreaming up their favorite projects. The pandemic has also changed the way travelers view accommodation. Ms. Walker shared that many people yearn for a place to rest after being locked down for so long, and motels offer much more privacy than hotels while also feeling safer for their health. The rooms face outward so guests don't have to walk through crowded hallways or share elevators like hotels. Many boarding houses built recently have private outdoor spaces.
Adapt to the times
Motels boomed after the US Interstate Highway System was built in the 1950s and 1960s. At its peak, in 1964, more than 61,000 motels operated in the US, says Mark Okrant - author of the book “No Vacancy: The Rise, Demise and Reprise of America's Motels” - said. Many small, family-owned motels, with 1 or 2 floors, tend to be stops for drivers. By the 1990s, more than half of small motels were owned by people of Indian origin. These motels offer convenience and comfort. Guests can park their car right outside their rooms, check in at the reception desk and recuperate before continuing their journey. The interior of a small motel is usually simple: A few beds, a table, a TV and one or two chairs. By 2012, there were only 16,000 motels left in the US, and many of them were struggling to stay in business. Lisa Lennox said descendants of immigrant owners often have little interest in what is considered a tiring business. Many small motels have been replaced by large hotel chains such as Motel 6 and Holiday Inn.
However, it is the unique beauty and charm of roadside motels that is causing them to revive. When Nomada Group bought Skyview in Los Alamos, California, for $1.9 million in 2016, the motel was already in disrepair. But this hostel has 360-degree views of the surroundings and a bright yellow road sign that stands out. Outside investors spent $3 million for Nomada Group to repair the 33-room facility. Renovations include opening the Norman restaurant, relocating the parking lot and creating a spacious common space with recliners and fire pits. The inn also has a rustic California feel, with a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and spiky American bromeliads. Inside, there are many MidCentury Modern features, such as turquoise chandeliers and record player cabinets. Skyview closed during the pandemic, but after California lifted COVID-19 regulations in June 2021, business was brisk, even on weekdays. Many guests are working remotely and looking forward to a break, Ms. Walker said.
In Saratoga Springs, New York, there is the Downtowner, a long-standing family-owned motel with an “elegant but old-fashioned” interior that attracts guests looking for a “basic” place to stay. ” and cheap, according to Rob Blood - CEO of Lark Hotels, based in Massachusetts, which operates nine Bluebird by Lark brand motels.
Mr. Blood's company, which operates former motels in places like Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Portland, Maine, bought the motel for $4.25 million in 2018. Business was initially good. gloomy and only had a breakthrough when the company turned this motel into a MidCentury Modern style hotel. The white walls of its galleries are decorated with artistic photographs of famous writers such as Alice Walker and Carson McCullers - who stayed at the nearby Yaddo artists' retreat. Downtowner changed its name to Spa City Motor Lodge to emphasize its motel roots. Mr. Blood believes that these changes have helped turn around business at the 42-room accommodation facility, attracting many young guests.
However, the New York Times notes, getting a motel look can be expensive. The old boarding house really has many maintenance problems. Many mid-20th-century motels had small rooms, with small bathrooms with showers, says Rod Clough, president of HVS Americas, a consulting firm for the hotel industry. Converting rooms into the type of interior that modern travelers want can entail removing or even moving walls. “When we see compact projects that are revitalizing something, there tends to be a group with extremely strong pockets behind them," he emphasized. In addition, the hostel has may need new roofs and electrical wiring. Many houses have single-pane windows that have to be replaced with double windows to block outside sounds. “A lot of roadside motels are built on busy streets During construction, it wasn't very crowded but now it's busier" - Mr. Clough noted.
