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Last Updated on April 14, 2023
Roadside motels are often a little “rustic” for my taste. But along Route 66 you can find some very respectable throwbacks.
There are plenty of motels and hotels on Route 66 in Arizona. But a select few really kick it up a notch in the “atmosphere” department. If you’re taking a road trip in Arizona and you want the full “get your kicks” experience, check out one of these motels and hotels on Route 66 in Arizona.
Some motels have a vintage homey charm, where you half-expect someone’s grandma to pour you a cup o’ joe. Others are more traditional motels that have really taken the Route 66 theme seriously, with giant murals and lots of neon. A few are vintage buildings that have been converted to charming inns. One hotel on Route 66 is a luxury property that dates back to the mother road’s earliest days . . . when taking the train was as popular as a road trip! And then there are the tepees . . .
All of these motels and hotels on Route 66 in Arizona are on (or very near) Old Route 66. So when staying here, you can immerse yourself in that old midcentury experience of taking a classic American Road Trip!
NOTE: Where available, I’ve listed access from two different hotel reservation websites that we use regularly: Booking.com and Hotels.com. Some properties are aligned with one site and not the other. There are a few family-run hotels here that work with no websites at all–you have to call them directly to make a reservation. That’ll really give you the retro vibe!
The motels are listed from east to west below:
Motels on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona
Holbrook is the easternmost town on Route 66 in Arizona where there are cool retro places to stay. This town is about 20 miles west of Petrified Forest National Park and The Painted Desert. That makes Holbrook a great place to stay if you want to spend time exploring those two magnificent parks.
Brad’s Desert Inn
Brad’s Desert Inn is retro-chic with modern touches. This classic Route 66 motel was purchased by Peter Schmidt, an Austrian with hotel management experience who loves the American west 🤠. The outside is painted desert gold, and bedecked with all sorts of western paraphernalia. The rooms have thematic touches, such as full wall murals of trains or desert scenes, and cozy western blankets.
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
The Wigwam Motel
Rated 4.5/5 on Google
(not listed on major booking sites)
The uber-retro Wigwam has been family-owned and operated by the Lewis family since it was built in 1950. The rooms are in concrete tepees (not wigwams, go figure), and furnished with updated updated western-style hickory furniture. Classic cars parked outside of each unit give you that “midcentury feel,” even if you’re driving a boring old rental car.
Reserve direct with the hotel: 928-524-3028.
Looking for other places to stay in Holbrook? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Hotels on Route 66 in Arizona: Winslow
Long before Glenn Frey of the Eagles sang about “a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford” in the song Take it Easy, Winslow, Arizona was a natural stopping point on old Route 66. In addition to roadside motels, Winslow also boasts one of the best hotels on Route 66 in Arizona: La Posada. During your stay here, Be sure to allow time to visit “Standin’ on a Corner” park, which commemorates the famous song.
La Posada Hotel & Gardens
Arguably the grandest hotel on Route 66 in Arizona, La Posada opened in 1930 for guests traveling west on the railroad. It’s been renovated recently and is decorated in a traditional old southwest style, with lots of adobe and Mexican tile. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has galleries featuring southwestern art. If you want to treat yourself during your route 66 road trip, this is the place! Read more about our stay at La Posada.
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Earl’s Route 66 Motor Court
Rated 4.9/5 on Google
(not listed on major booking sites)
Earl’s has been locally owned since it opened in 1953. Current owners Blas Sanchez and Angela Archibeque both grew up in Winslow. (Angela worked at La Posada as a teen!) The atmosphere is a cross between retro-motel and grandma’s spare bedroom, which is just how the owners like it. Wonderful old two-tone tile bathrooms and handmade quilts offer a cosy stop in a true relic from bygone days.
Contact the hotel directly for reservations: (928) 224-0161
Looking for other places to stay in Winslow? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Flagstaff, Arizona Route 66 motels
Flagstaff is the largest of the towns with hotels on Route 66 in Arizona, an as such there are a lot of places to stay here. Over the years many of the wonderful old roadside motels that used to line Route 66 on either end of town have been replaced by modern hotels. They’re all nice places to stay, but they don’t have that retro vibe you might be craving. Fortunately, there are still a few spots that offer that “get your kicks” ambience.
Flagstaff makes a great base if your planning to explore some of the many fabulous Arizona National Monuments nearby, such as Sunset Crater Vocano, Waupatki and Walnut Canyon.
Super 8 by Wyndham Flagstaff
Although it’s a chain property, this motel on Route 66 has really gone the extra mile to provide some atmosphere. The well-maintained exterior of the building is clad with wonderful Tudor-style beams and the interior is freshly decorated in earth tones that will have you thinking the Brady Bunch are staying in the room next door. Massive Arizona-themed photos above the bed complete the, er, picture.
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Little America Hotel
A soaring peaked roof with beamed ceiling tucked among the pines give the Little America Hotel a feeling of a western wilderness lodge. The lobby has a chic midcentury design and the rooms have beautiful natural wood slab headboards. This full-service hotel is located just a few hundred yards off Route 66, and its got great atmosphere, so we felt it should be on the list. 😊
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Looking for other places to stay in Flagstaff? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Hotels in Williams, Arizona on Route 66
Williams is a wonderful old town on Route 66 that has a combination midcentury/old west feel. Williams is also the closest town to the main entrance of Grand Canyon National Park (which is a scant 50 miles away!). Of all the towns with hotels on route 66 in Arizona, Williams may have the most per capita. The proximity to the park, as well as the many tour operators nearby, making Williams a good stopover point on your Arizona Route 66 road trip.
The Lodge on Route 66
(not listed on Hotels.com)
This is a midcentury motor court that’s been updated with 2020s country charm. Rooms are decorated with wood and wrought iron details that would be right at home on a local ranch. The owners have created cosy “living room” in the center of the courtyard, complete with outdoor fireplace. Settle yourself in the bent willow chairs on the front porch alongside a few painted tin roosters and watch Route 66 roll on by.
Reserve on Booking.com
Rodeway Inn & Suites Downtowner
Come on, with a name like the “Downtowner” don’t you just have to check it out? (Or maybe more accurately, check in?) This classic old motor court on Route 66 is now part of the Rodeway chain, but still retains a lot of unique charm. Rooms have an updated 50’s vibe–think Marilyn & Elvis–and the exterior architecture is right out of “Leave it to Beaver” . . . in a good way.
Reserve on Booking.com
Reserve on Hotels.com
Grand Canyon Hotel
(not listed on Hotels.com)
Get a double dose of history when staying at the Grand Canyon Hotel. Opened in 1891, it’s the oldest hotel in Arizona, dating back to the days when Williams was a logging and mining town. It was revitalized when Route 66 became a popular route west. Rooms are furnished with period (mostly Victorian) antiques. Several rooms have lofts and/or bunks, which are great for families.
Reserve on Booking.com
Red Garter Inn
It’s not every day you get to stay in a former bordello 😱! The Red Garter was built for that purpose in 1895. The building on Route 66 went through several changes before it was reopened–this time as a respectable place of lodging!–in 1994. Victorian-style rooms are named for former “hostesses” and feature period touches, like clawfoot tubs. There is a bakery and cafe downstairs for breakfast and light meals.
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Looking for other places to stay in Williams? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Seligman motels on Route 66
No road trip on Route 66 in Arizona would be complete without passing through Seligman, Arizona. Said to be the inspiration for the fictitious town of Radiator Springs from the movie Cars, Seligman is a little slice of road trip nostaligia. Spend the night at one of these cool retro motels, and you might just meet Tow-mater (or a bruuther, or a cuuhzin . . ).
Historic Route 66 Motel
(not available on Hotels.com)
This traditional motel, right on route 66 in Seligman, Arizona channels “Radiator Springs.” The decor of the rooms is pretty classic “motel style,” with some Route 66, automotive, and Harley paraphernalia to spruce it up. Be sure to have a meal in the adjacent Road Kill Cafe (no judgement!)
Reserve on Booking.com
Deluxe Inn
Who can resist a place with such a swanky name? (Don’t you just wanna say “Dee-luxe”? 😉 ) With it’s geometric sign out front and 50s memorabilia in the rooms–not to mention a Route 66 bedspread–you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported back to 1956 . . . except now there’s A/C and wifi!
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Looking for other places to stay in Seligman? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Kingman, Arizona Route 66 hotels
Kingman is the westernmost town with motels and hotels on Route 66 in Arizona where there are places to stay. There are some cool Route 66 Attractions here, including the Arizona Route 66 Museum and the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum. Kingman is also only about 75 miles from Hoover Dam, making it a great place to stop for a night or two.
El Trovatore Motel
The El Trovatore is worth a visit just for its signage. Between the giant geometric marker out front and the neon-lit radio-style tower on the bluff behind the original 1937 building, you’ll have no trouble finding it. Themed rooms are decorated in a 50s-glam-hollywood style complete with gold brocade bedspreads. Wowza!
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Super 8 by Wyndham Kingman
A little more understated than some of the other hotels on this list, the Super 8 by Wyndham still manages evoke some Route 66 road trip atmosphere. Giant black-and-white desert murals over the bed serve as a reminder of the local terrain, while the neon-yellow color scheme transports you right into midcentury America.
Reserve on Booking.com or Hotels.com
Looking for other places to stay in Kingman? Check all the top rated area hotels on Hotels.com and Booking.com
Which of these fabulous motels and hotels on Route 66 in Arizona would YOU like to stay in on your next trip? It’ll really help get you in the mood!
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