El Trovatore Motel’s grand re-opening starts Thursday

The grand re-opening of El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, Ariz., begins Thursday and ends Sunday with special room rates of $7.66 a night on a no-reservations, first-come, first-serve basis, plus other specials. According to the motel's news release: We reached this room rate of $7.66 since originally when the El Trovatore was first opened in … Continue reading El Trovatore Motel’s grand re-opening starts Thursday

Route 66 News, catch-up edition

I've been out of town for about 10 days traveling Route 66 and more. Here are the stories from the Mother Road that broke while I was away ... --- The biggest news was the announcement that the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., would undergo extensive renovations with its new owners, reported the Monrovia … Continue reading Route 66 News, catch-up edition

Bridge detour in Carthage concerns Boots Motel owners

Next Wednesday, repair work begins on a bridge on the northeast side of Carthage, Mo. It will take virtually all summer on this project. The owners of the recently reopened Boots Motel and other businesses along the Route 66 corridor in town are worried the marked detour will potentially keep travelers away. According to a … Continue reading Bridge detour in Carthage concerns Boots Motel owners

Motel 6 wants “correspondents” for a Route 66 trip

This seems to be a glass half-full, glass half-empty situation. The Motel 6 chain is looking for "Open Road Correspondents" this summer to journey down several classic highways, including Route 66 from Amarillo, Texas, to Santa Monica, Calif. The catch is these road reporters will have to stay at Motel 6's throughout the trip. From … Continue reading Motel 6 wants “correspondents” for a Route 66 trip

De Anza rehab will begin in July

The long-awaited rejuvenation of the long-closed De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque will begin in a matter of weeks, reported the New Mexico Business Weekly today. Several developers of the historic Route 66 property have come and gone. But the latest, Rob Dickson, reportedly has set a construction start for July with the $4.3 million … Continue reading De Anza rehab will begin in July

Boots Motel reopens

The historic Boots Motel of Carthage, Mo., reopened Tuesday to overnight guests after a decade-long hiatus. A few reports and videos have popped up, but this one by KOAM-TV in nearby Pittsburg, Kan., is the best so far: UPDATE: KY3 News also posted a story and video about the reopening.

Boots Motel reopens for overnight travelers on Tuesday

The Boots Motel of Carthage, Mo., a Route 66 landmark once endangered by redevelopment, at last will reopen for overnight stays starting Tuesday, reported the Joplin Globe. The motel already has its five rooms available for guests booked for that night. The property isn't fully restored,  but the new owners -- sisters Deborah Harvey and Priscilla … Continue reading Boots Motel reopens for overnight travelers on Tuesday

Preservationists concerned by Aztec Hotel’s impending renovations

The historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif.. is closed for renovations. Ordinarily, this would be good news for a distinctive structure built in 1924 and probably needs the work. However, preservationists fret that the work will endanger the hotel's listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported: The work is … Continue reading Preservationists concerned by Aztec Hotel’s impending renovations

Miami seeing big boost in tourism-related revenue

The Joplin (Mo.) Globe today published a story about how towns in the region are preparing for Route 66 tourism season. One of the most striking parts of the story came out of Miami, Okla.: “We’re anticipating this to be a record travel season,” said Amanda Davis, director of the Miami (Okla.) Convention and Visitors … Continue reading Miami seeing big boost in tourism-related revenue

From the precipice to revitalization

This new Cronkite News Service video explains how El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, Ariz., went from the brink of foreclosure to rapid revitalization: https://vimeo.com/40966348 For more about the motel's sign restorations, go here and here.