Whiting Brothers Motels
Like the Whiting Brothers gasoline stations, the motels were targeted toward budget-minded travelers. I am not sure how many motels the Whiting Brothers owned but I think it was 16 or maybe 17. All but two were on Route 66, although one of these was just a long stone’s throw from the old road. Postcards, AAA Tour Books, and other paper documents exist that provide information about some of the motels.
Most of the old Whiting Brothers motels have been sold to other owners and continue to operate today under different names and signage. Some re-branded motels appear to be for nightly tourist rentals and some motels appear to be for local long-term renters. Just three of the old Whiting Brothers motels (Barstow,CA; Yucca, AZ; and San Fidel, NM) have been razed. Interestingly the latter two locations of these three are where the traveler today can still see the original Whiting Brothers signs. Also look for original signage at the Continental Divide in New Mexico.
Here is my compilation of Whiting Brothers motels from west to east (California to New Mexico). All of the pictures are vintage photochrome postcards:
California
The Barstow motel was razed in the 1990s
Barstow: This Whiting Brothers motel was a single story motel and was next door to the still-operating Desert Lodge Motel which is at 1701 West Main Street in Barstow on Route 66. The Whiting Brothers motel was razed and replaced by the Holiday Inn Express which today has an address of 1861 West Main Street. Across the street from the site of the Whiting Brothers motel is the Bun Boy restaurant.
Arizona
The Yucca motel was razed in about 1997
Yucca: Route 66 came to Yucca in late 1952 when Oatman and the Black Mountains of northwest Arizona were bypassed in favor of the lower elevation route that followed the Santa Fe Railway between Kingman and Topock. The Whiting Brothers motel was a single story motel and a gasoline station shared the site. When I was there in 1996 the motel and gasoline station were abandoned and some squatters were occupying one of the rooms. When I visited the next year both the motel and gas station had been completely razed. Visiting the site is simple since as of January 2009 the Whiting Brothers signs were still standing. Leave Interstate 40 at the northern Yucca exit called Proving Ground Rd. and go east for a very short distance to the frontage road that heads south. About 1000 feet farther south is the Whiting Brothers motel and gas station site. A bit farther south is an interesting abandoned motel and cafe.
The Kingman motel operates today as the Frontier Motel on West Beale Street (US 93)
Kingman: One of two Whiting Brothers motels not exactly on Route 66, this small one story motel had an adjacent Whiting Brothers gasoline station. The motel is located at 1250 West Beale Street which is US Highway 93 in west Kingman. It is only about ¼ mile north of the US 66/93 junction. The Whiting Brothers sold this motel in 1986 and it now operates as the Frontier Motel. The early Whiting Brothers gasoline station seen in the distance beyond the motel was razed and replaced by a modern gasoline station which is operating there today.
The Williams motel operates today as the Arizona 9 Motor Hotel
Williams: This Whiting Brothers motel was a single story motel on the south side of the major thoroughfare that was for decades named Bill Williams Avenue and served as eastbound Route 66. Bill Williams Avenue has been re-named “Route 66” and this motel is now operating as the Arizona 9 Motor Hotel with a street address of 315 West Route 66.
The Flagstaff motel operates today as the Royal Inn
Flagstaff: The Whiting Brothers initially operated just a gasoline station on this site and then added this one and two story motel at the same street address of 2136 East Santa Fe Avenue, which was Route 66 of course. (The one story building in the rear and the two story building that reaches forward to the roadside clearly exhibit different architectures so I would guess that the buildings were built at different times.) The motel was eventually sold and the gas station razed. Santa Fe Avenue has been renamed “Route 66” and this motel is now operating as the Royal Inn but has an adjusted street address of 2138 East Route 66 today. (By the way, I have seen references for the street address for this motel at various times as 2136, 2138, and 2140.)
The Gray Mountain motel on US 89 is boarded up
Gray Mountain: This Whiting Brothers motel is the only one that was far from Route 66 or Interstate 40. Gray Mountain is southeast of the Grand Canyon National Park and about 45 miles north of Flagstaff on US Highway 89. This motel is a one and two story motel on the east side of the road. It was closed by January 2005 and boarded up in June 2007.
The West Winslow motel is for long-term rentals today
West Winslow: As a result of my research, I believe that this motel was the very first Whiting Brothers motel. Originally named the El Hopi Motel, the listing ad in the 1949 Winslow telephone book actually states that it was "Operated by the Whiting Brothers". It was eventually re-named the Whiting Brothers Motor Hotel and a gasoline station shared the site. Very easy to overlook today, this small one story motel is now operating as the Suncrest Motel at the corner of 2nd Street and Alfred on the south side of eastbound Route 66. The motel appears to be for long-term rentals only. The old Whiting Brothers gas station just to the east has signs stating variously that it is a welding shop and a truck repair business. Many vehicles were parked on the site that last time I was there.
The Winslow motel is now the LZ Budget Motel
Winslow: According to the builder’s family, a 16-unit motel, originally named the 66 Motor Court, was built for Mr. Adam Mace in the 1940s by Mr. Lee Elzey who owned an adjacent tire shop. Mr. Mace ran into financial problems so Mr. Elzey became a partner in the enterprise. But by about 1950 Mr. Elzey had full ownership and re-named it the LZ Motor Court (get it?). The tire shop was converted into a manager's residence. With increased traffic Route 66 was divided onto one-way 2nd and 3rd Streets and the LZ Motel was expanded with 5 more units out to 3rd Street. After the Elzeys sold the motel 7 more units were added. The Whiting Brothers acquired the motel in either the late 1960s or early 1970s and operated it for at least another decade. The motel was sold in the early 1980s to someone not related to the Elzey family (it may have since passed through multiple owners) but the early name ("LZ Budget Motel") was basically restored. The motel, located at 1102 E. 2nd Street today, operated for another twenty years principally for long-term rentals but it closed in 2007.
The Holbrook motel on Hopi Drive operates today as the Economy Inn
Holbrook (Hopi Drive): This motel was once referred to as the Whiting Brothers West Highway 66 motel in Holbrook. It is a one and two story motel at 612 West Hopi Drive just two blocks east and across the street from the famous Wigwam Motel. This motel operated as the Golden Inn for many years but it was renamed the Economy Inn in 2008. It is painted a rather strange pinkish color now.
The Holbrook motel on Navajo Blvd operates today as the Sahara Inn
Holbrook (Navajo Blvd.): This motel was once referred to as the Whiting Brothers East Highway 66 motel to distinguish it from the other Holbrook motel. This two story motel on the southeastern side of old Route 66 at 2402 Navajo Blvd. has a distinctive sawtooth-like gable roof. Note that this gable roof design is quite similar to the design of the two story portion of the Flagstaff motel including the sawtoothed entry canopy. This Holbrook motel is now operating as the Sahara Inn.
New Mexico
The Gallup motel is now the Budget Inn
Gallup: The two story design of the motel suggests that it was one of the more modern Whiting Brothers motels and may have been newly built by them in the 1960s or early 1970s. This motel now operates as the Budget Inn at 3150 West Highway 66 in Gallup.
The Continental Divide motel is now the Top of the World Motel
Continental Divide: This small Whiting Brothers motel stands along the north frontage road (old Route 66) off Interstate 40 at the Continental Divide. It is easily visible from the freeway. The roof overhangs seen on this postcard were removed sometime prior to 2005 at least when I first noticed that was the case. The tall Whiting Brothers sign is still there but a small sign in the office window identifies the business as the Top of the World Motel. The motel is occupied and rooms are advertised from $20 per night and weekly rates are available. (There used to be a famous place called "Top of the World" at the summit of the Continental Divide that included a hotel, cafe, and curio shop but it is long gone and had nothing to do with the Whiting Brothers.)
The San Fidel motel was razed but ruins of the gasoline station remain
San Fidel: This Whiting Brothers complex was on Route 66 west of the village of San Fidel and east and closer to the crossroads of McCartys. The complex included not only the motel but also a gasoline station and a small grocery store to the west, the latter built around an older structure called the Chief’s Rancho Café mentioned in Jack Rittenhouse’s 1946 A Guide Book to Highway 66. (Read more about the Chief's Rancho in Route 66: Romance of the West by Thomas Repp.) Apparently the owner of this old motel intentionally burned it in the mid-1990s to eliminate what he perceived to be a transient problem. The ruins were subsequently demolished. The Whiting Brothers signs remain as does the immediate front part of the original gas station structure. Today old Route 66 is the north frontage road (New Mexico state highway 124) and this site is visible from Interstate 40. It can also be reached from either the San Fidel or McCartys (exit 96) interchanges from I-40.
The Albuquerque motel is operating as the Americana Motel Inn
Albuquerque: The Whiting Brothers originally operated just a gasoline station at this Central Avenue location at the far western edge of the city. They built this motel in about 1970 and both businesses shared the same address. The motel was sold in about 1978 and now operates as the Americana Motel Inn at 5708 S.W. Central Avenue. The part of the motel in the right foreground of the picture has been razed so the appearance of this motel today is different from this postcard image. The gas station, which if visible would have been off to the right (west) of the motel in this postcard image, has also been razed. But the gas station foundation still remains and the Whiting Brothers gas station sign still stands and is recognizable today although it is covered in white paint.
The Santa Rosa motel is now the Sunset Motel
Santa Rosa: This one and two story motel is now operating as the Sunset Motel on the north side of old Route 66 at 929 Will Rogers Drive about one block east of popular Joseph’s. (Joseph’s, formerly known as the La Fiesta Cafe, acquired the famous "Fat Man" image from the closed Club Café.)
The Tucumcari motel is now the Americana Motel
Tucumcari: The State Motor Lodge was a U-shaped single-story auto court built in the style of paired rooms separated by double covered carports. The owners renamed the motel the Desert Air Motel and it was eventually purchased by the Whiting Brothers to become their Tucumcari motel. Most of the carport areas have since been enclosed but not all. This motel certainly added to the lodging availability for the town which once proclaimed "Tucumcari Tonight! 2000 Motel Rooms" on billboards east and west of the city. This motel, which still has some very nice neon signage, operates today as the Americana Motel at 406 E. Tucumcari Blvd. which is old Route 66.
Other Motels?
Whiting Brothers Bellemont 1992
Bellemont, Arizona: Bellemont, between Flagstaff and Williams, Arizona, at 7130 feet above sea level was the highest town on Route 66. Many guidebooks and documents cite Whiting Brothers “cabins” adjacent to their gasoline station in Bellemont. The story goes that wood from powder boxes acquired from the nearby Navajo Army Depot was used to build the cabins. The picture on the right from 1992 shows the long-abandoned gas station. The cabins are covered in a type of stucco. When I visited the site in the mid-1990s the gas station and cabins were barely intact but within a couple of years they had been knocked over. The little cabins appeared to me to be pretty primitive accommodations even by the standards of sixty years ago or so. I am unaware of any postcard of these units so I am pretty sure that the Whiting Brothers never promoted them.
A 1985 planning report on the Bellemont region published by Coconino County, Arizona, comments upon the old Whiting Brothers gasoline station and cabins but even the authors do not know when the establishment was abandoned. The planning report suggests that the “Use of these facilities may have been terminated when the Interstate 40 bypass was constructed and Old Route 66 was abandoned as the major east-west thoroughfare”. In the same report the county states that Interstate 40 was completed through the area in 1963.
Whiting Brothers Bellemont 2007
To visit the Whiting Brothers site leave Interstate 40 at the Bellemont exit 185 and head south of the Interstate and turn left onto East Bellemont Road (old Route 66) so you are going east. There is a Harley Davidson dealer about a half mile down the road on the north side with an old Santa Fe Railway caboose out in front. The Whiting Brothers site is a little more than another half mile beyond it, also on the north side. (See the picture on the right which was taken looking north from old Route 66. You can see the green and white Bellemont exit sign facing westbound Interstate 40 in the left background.) For many years now, and through the time that I was there in June 2007, all that was left was some debris from the main building and the cabins, the concrete island where the pumps stood, and the bent yellow metal frame that stood at the gas pumps and reached up to support the red and yellow Whiting Bros. signboard, as seen in the top photo. However when I visited in January 2008 I found that the yellow metal frame was gone! Since there was 8" of snow on the ground and I was unsure of my exact location, I was unable to verify if the concrete pump island still exists or if the wooden cabin debris is still present. If someone cleaned everything up in late 2007 it may be very difficult to get the exact location of this old gas station and its cabins anymore, although by using the picture as a reference you should be able to get very close. In any case, don't miss the famous Pine Breeze Inn about one-third mile farther down the same road also on the north side.
Amarillo, Texas: I know nothing about the whereabouts of this motel or if it really existed at all. Most of the Whiting Brothers motel postcards from the 1960s to the 1980s list the locations of other Whiting Brothers motels on their back sides, a common cross-promotional feature. My only clue that the Whiting Brothers ever had a motel in Amarillo is on the back of my postcard for the Albuquerque motel and on the back of one postcard from one Winslow motel. None of my other Whiting Brothers motel postcards or matchbook covers mentions an Amarillo location. Does anyone know about this motel or if it really existed?