The new owners of the historic El Don Motel in Albuquerque told a local news outlet they hope to have it reopened as a boutique motel within six months.
Co-owner Randy Bowen recently told Albuquerque Business First (subscription only) that contractors are working on the facility’s plumbing.
Fair and Square Builders of Albuquerque is the general contractor for the $800,000 renovation project.
When finished, the 19-room motel at 2222 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) will include a lounge and coffee shop.
Rooms will run at an average of $130 a night, with seasonal rates.
Bowen and his partners acquired the motel in October 2024, citing Route 66 tourism and the motel’s iconic neon sign as key drivers of that move.
Route 66 Times reports that Dan Eitzen opened the motel in 1950. A postcard from the time stated it had a “Wall-O-Matic” heating system and free radios.
For many years, El Don had been used as long-term housing.
(Image of El Don Motel neon sign in 2013 by Thomas Hawk via Flickr)