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7 Retro Motels I Can't Wait To Road Trip to This Fall
This old-school accommodation style is enjoying a serious comeback.
I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I didn’t understand the beauty of a road trip until my late 20s. As a city-dweller, I relied on public transportation—and genuinely enjoyed doing so—to get me everywhere I needed to be. (In fact, I once got from my downtown DC apartment to Hudson, New York entirely on foot and by train.) But once I met my nature-loving husband and moved South, it became clear that a) sometimes, the best destinations are the ones most tucked away and b) it sure is nice to be able to pack an extra bag just for your shoes. So we are road-trippers now!
During the Golden Age of American car travel in the 1950s and 60s, there were plenty of charming roadside motels and motor lodges to pull off into once you’d sped through enough miles for the day, but rates drastically declined with the introduction of corporate hotel chains and interstate highways. Per Smithsonian magazine, 61,000 motels were operating in 1964, but that number woefully dropped all the way to 16,000 in 2012.
Thankfully, though, the motels and motor lodges dotting the old backroads and byways have been undergoing a serious glow-up over the past few years. Gone are zero-frills barracks-style square buildings. In their place: personality-packed interiors directly inspired by their surroundings, with gathering spaces ranging from fire pits and spas to (finally!) bars and restaurants where you can chat with fellow travelers. If you're feeling the call of the wide open road this fall, here are 7 totally charming renovated motels where you can stay roadside in style.
Need another excuse to pack your bags? Here are more of our favorite fall travel ideas:
High Country Motor Lodge
Flagstaff, Arizona
Arizona is one of the few states where you can still drive long stretches of the original Route 66, and this pull-off motel seriously sets the bar high when it comes to roadside accommodations. Whether you book a dog-friendly “Classic” or a standalone Cosmic Cottage, each of the rooms is beautifully blanketed in vintage Americana. The General Store bar and restaurant is open for service from 6 AM to 10 PM daily, and the Nordic hot-cold spa experience will soothe sore muscles after a long day outdoors. Also important to note: Flagstaff is the world’s first International Dark Sky Place, so you’re gonna want to make time for stargazing around the patio fire pits.
RELATED: The Best Route 66 Attractions to Stop At On Your Road Trip
Rhode’s Motor Lodge
Boone, North Carolina
Whether you’re drawn in by the hiking, the alpine coaster, or the antique malls, Boone and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains make a wonderful fall getaway. And this 54-room drive-up inn is the coziest place to pull into after a leisurely ride along the Blue Ridge parkway. (All those rooms, by the way, are southern-facing and filled with beautiful natural light.) Though the onsite bar and restaurant is currently closed following Hurricane Helene, the indoor and outdoor fire pits offer a cozy end-of-day respite, and several rooms come outfitted with an extra daybed—perfect if you’ve got a kiddo tagging along for the trip.
New South Motor Inn
Madison, Georgia
CL photographer Becky Luigart-Stayner and I recently loaded up Country Living's roomy Kia Carnival with photography equipment and an assortment of outfit changes and headed to Madison, Georgia for a special assignment. Our lodgings for the trip? Two rooms at the cheekily retro New South Motor Inn, which was originally built in the 1950s. The owner’s suite, which used to be the check-in office, boasts a spacious wallpaper-wrapped living room, separate eat-in kitchen, and a covered parking spot directly outside the front door. With Athens just under an hour away, I can’t wait to bring my UGA-loving husband and our newborn son back for a weekend.
Farmhouse Paso Robles
Paso Robles, California
Like many of the rest of Nomada Hotel Group’s stylishly retrofitted motels, including The Skyview in nearby Los Alamos, Farmhouse is dog-friendly, has a front porch on every room, and encircles a central courtyard dotted with fire pits. Eight minutes further outside of town, sister property River Lodge hangs hammocks in each of its partitioned front yards, and the 21-and-over heated pool is anchored by a poolside cocktail bar. If there’s a more enjoyable way to stay while exploring the Golden State’s central wine region, I do not know what it is. (Oh, and, as an added bonus, you can shop the interiors at each of the properties.)
The Wayback
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Traveling to Pigeon Forge or Dollywood? Nestled right in the heart of the action, this spunky Tribute Portfolio property invites you to “take a walk on the weird side” with palomas served poolside and pops of pattern and color around every corner. Their dedicated “Kooky Concierge” will help you build an itinerary for visiting all the oddities around town, and almost every single space, including the guest rooms, makes for an ideal Instagram backdrop.
Sound View Greenport
Greenport, New York
Long Island’s North Fork shines in most all seasons, and fall is an especially wonderful time to go winery hopping, visit farmstands, and shop the many independent boutiques and antique shops of the area. In the region’s unofficial capital, Greenport, is the rare East Coast motel that is also waterside. Originally built in 1953, the 65-room Sound View Greenport offers sunset yoga, a private beach, and cedar-clad hot tubs outside certain rooms.
Amigo Motor Lodge
Salida, Colorado
Originally built in the 1950s and situated just over a mile down the road from downtown Salida, one of our favorite small towns in the U.S., the Amigo Motor Lodge retains much of its original motel character but with a stylish Southwestern update. The open courtyard is dotted with swing chairs hanging from trees, there’s a hot tub to relax in post outdoor adventuring, and, if you’re interested in accommodations beyond the standard guest room, opt for one of the five retro airstreams parked on site.
Special Thanks to the Kia Carnival
Special thanks to the spacious Kia Carnival, The Official Road Tripping Vehicle of Country Living, for helping our editors hit the byways and backroads in comfort and style. (Stay tuned for the Kia Carnival hybrid coming in 2025!)
Sarah Zlotnick is the Lifestyle Director at Country Living, where she covers a little bit of everything—small towns, life in the country, and, her favorite, antiques. A research buff at heart, she loves a deep dive into the history of vintage finds and uncovering the reasons behind old-as-time traditions.
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