A chat with Kumar Patel at the Wigwam Motel

The Genuine Route 66 Life series points the camera at Kumar Patel, whose family bought the historic Wigwam Motel of San Bernardino, California.

The Patels have owned the Wigwam for about 10 years, and have received several awards for the restoration of the property. Before then, the Wigwam had declined into a seedy place where few travelers wanted to stay.

This particular Wigwam opened in 1950. There are two surviving other Wigwam Motels — one on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona, and the other in Cave City, Kentucky.

(Image of the Wigwam Motel by Chuck Coker via Flickr)

2 thoughts on “A chat with Kumar Patel at the Wigwam Motel

  1. Two years ago, I was picking up a new motorcycle in Rialto. Spent the night at the Wigwam. Great place. Great people. Price is right.

  2. We just stayed here in May 2014. Seven families with seven cars… Everything was perfect!! Since we got in at 5 pm after a long day of driving (15 days in a row), we decided to order Pizza for everyone. Ate it while sitting around the swimming pool at 6:30 pm… Fantastic location. We highly recommend it for small groups. Don’t let the neighborhood scare you off. We felt completely safe for ourselves – and our cars. Kumar is a fantastic owner!!! Led us on a local tour the next morning on our way out of town… Absolutely one of the highlights of our trip.

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