It all started at Skyview - an iconic 1959 motel named for its hilltop perch overlooking the one-street town of Los Alamos, California.
If you’ve ever driven the vineyard-flanked strip of Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, you might recognize the bright yellow marquee with bold black letters spelling ‘MOTEL’ standing out against the Santa Ynez valley skyline. It demanded our attention - ready to be rediscovered.
Nomada Hotel Group began the renovation process, intent on preserving all the history and character of the property’s mid-century architecture while elevating the experience for modern travelers. Think bespoke craftsmanship, luxury amenities, original artwork, craft food & drink - and most importantly - a vibrant landscaped courtyard in place of what used to be the central parking lot.
With all of the improvements, the marquee’s sky-high ‘motel’ moniker didn’t seem to accurately reflect the new reality we had created at Skyview. After all, ‘motel’ translates to ‘motor lodge’ which by definition, are those roadside accommodations where guests park their cars directly in front of their room. (You know the ones.)
While moving the parking *technically* changed our motel to a hotel, we weren’t going to let a one-letter difference keep us from embracing all the things there is to love about these funky motel signs and what they stand for – quirky architecture of eras gone by; that door-is-always-open spirit of hospitality; the allure of a nearby open road.
Our friends at Travel & Leisure put it this way: “Part of the realized nostalgia of these signs is the change in road culture… there are now standard signs made by corporate-owned motels that create an unexciting monotony along the highway. But the old signs all stand out independently of one another, representing a sense of freedom and the spontaneity of road trips.”
To us, motels are synonymous with casual travel. They may not be once-in-a-lifetime visits, but they are the places you stay when travel is your lifestyle.
And so it was decided - Nomada properties would exist in the in-between. Boutique by design, nostalgic by nature. Historic spaces that transcend expectation. Each with a neon beacon, winking at road trippers as if to say, ‘reality ends here.’
The Motel Collection celebrates Nomada’s modern take on the mid-century motor lodge. Since Skyview, we have completed two more retro restorations just off Highway 101 in Paso Robles: Farmhouse and River Lodge. We’d give you directions but we think you’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em.