Couple buys and renames Royal Inn in Tucumcari

A couple from Dallas has purchased the Royal Inn motel along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and plans to restore its retro decor, reported the Quay County Sun newspaper, based in Tucumcari.

The new owners are David and Amanda Brener, who renamed the motel the Roadrunner Lodge. They hope to have it reopened by July after renovations. The Breners also have experience in the lodging business with a property in the artist colony of Marfa, Texas.

Apparently the complex once was two combined motels, one being the Leatherwood Manor and the other, La Plaza Court. Via 66Postcards.com, here’s an image of the Leatherwood Manor:

And here’s an old postcards of La Plaza:

The newspaper reported:

In addition, Brener said, he and Amanda plan restore the old La Plaza Court as a separate motel that will have more of a 1940′s feel.

“There is some beautiful tile work in the bathrooms in the west side of the building,” Amanda Brener said of the La Plaza Court. […]

The rooms of the Roadrunner Lodge will have 1960′s decor and fixtures but will feature modern amenities, including flat-panel TVs and wi-fi, David Brener said.

“We want people to get a true feeling of what it was like to stay in a motel of that era while enjoying the comforts of the present,” he said.

This is very good news for Tucumcari. The last few times we were there, the Royal Inn was closed and looking ragged.

The Breners were inspired by Route 66 and staying in Tucumcari’s other historic motels, including the Blue Swallow Motel. They had their eye on a property in Holbrook, Arizona, but weren’t able to close the deal. The Royal Inn came available at a lower price, and the couple is going to use the money savings from that for renovations.

The Roadrunner Lodge website is here. Its Facebook page is here; pop over there and say hi.

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