How the world’s first motel opened in 1925 was a luxury place loved by celebs like Marilyn Monroe
While motels are now considered budget friendly places for motorists to lay their heads, the original motel was quite the opposite with movie stars even stopping by for a pit stop.
Designed by California architect Arthur S. Heineman at a cost of $80,000, the Milestone Mo-tel—a term Heineman coined by combining the words “motor hotel”—was ideally located off Highway 101 just north of downtown San Louis Obispo. The long-awaited place opened its doors to paying customers on December 12, 1925.
Vintage black-and-white photographs and postcards from the era reveal the chic exterior of the motel, which is modeled after a Spanish mission, complete with whitewashed walls, manicured gardens and a clock tower.
According to the San Luis Obispo Grandstandthe motel grew into a California hotspot with Marilyn Monroe and her then-husband, Joe DiMaggio, booking the accompanying steakhouse for their honeymoon lunch in 1954 and Ronald Reagan holding campaign rallies there.
Designed by California architect Arthur S. Heineman at a cost of $80,000, the Milestone Mo-tel off Highway 101 just north of downtown San Luis Obispo opened its doors in 1925
Mid-century motel advertised it had 60 modern units (pictured)
A later iteration also saw Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Clint Eastwood pass through the doors, KCET reported.
The motel could accommodate up to 160 people, and records say the units were equipped with modern conveniences such as telephones, showers, central heating and carpeting.
There were also garages next to the bungalows, and lodging cost motorists $1.25 per night, which is about $21 today.
Other amenities included a launderette and a playground.
Marcella Faust, who worked as a waitress at the motel at the launch, told the story The Seattle Times that she was wearing a neat Spanish-style uniform, including a waistcoat and a “big hat with roses on it.”
In addition to serving food, Faust said one of her duties was also handing out roadside brochures to attract new customers.
She recalled, “We stood there on the road with our big hats on.
‘My girlfriend worked on the cars going north, I worked on the cars going south.
The gardens of the Motel Inn. It opened its doors to paying customers on December 12, 1925
It also boasted “fireproof bungalows,” which had “moderate rates.”
A wider view of the Motel Inn, which was “halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
Blank check pages from the Motel Inn’s restaurant and cocktail lounge, which was famous for its barbecue
Postcards from the era reveal the handsome exterior of the motel, modeled after a Spanish mission, complete with gardens and a clock tower
The motel grew into a California hot spot with Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (pictured here at another eatery) booking it for their honeymoon lunch in 1954
“It was Model As and Model T then, so they had to go up the steep hill pretty slowly there.
“We just stood there and waved and handed them the booklets when they came by.”
Heineman originally planned to open a chain of motels with 18 locations across California.
However, when the Great Depression hit in 1929, cash-strapped travelers sought cheaper places to stay, and Heineman abandoned its expansion plans.
The Milestone – which was later renamed the Motel Inn – survived for decades before finally closing its doors in 1991.
According to Kostas Katsigiannis, an avid historian and former employee of the Greek National Tourism Organization, the motel was used as office space after its closure.
Photos recently taken by tourists show that the majority of the original buildings have been demolished, with only a few of the exterior walls remaining.
Another remnant is the Motel Inn’s sign, which indicates the “restaurant and lounge” facilities for passers-by.
There have been several rumors of redevelopment plans over the years, but so far the Motel Inn is not functioning.
The motel could accommodate up to 160 people, and the units are reported to have modern conveniences such as showers, central heating and carpeting
The Milestone – which was later renamed the Motel Inn – survived for decades before finally closing its doors in 1991
Photos recently taken by tourists show that most of the original buildings have been demolished, with only a few of the outer walls remaining
Another remnant is the Motel Inn’s sign, which indicates the ‘restaurant and lounge’ facilities for passers-by
It was owned by Apple Farm Inn, which is next door, before developers John King and Rob Rossi snapped it up in 2000 for $3.6 million before tearing down most of the motel’s remains five years later, according to a report from KCET. 2017.
The only buildings left standing were the front office, used by Apple Farm Inn as office space, as well as the restaurant.
There were plans to develop the property into a hotel and recreation park, but they don’t seem to get off the ground yet.
On social media, many former motel guests reminisce about their time at the Motel Inn.
Petengail Flores said, “Many years ago I went dancing there. It was a great place.’
While Betsey Smith remembered spending a lot of time in the bar with a friend and listening to the band.
And Callie Cat Fisher exclaimed, “I worked there in the early 1970s! Started as a waitress in the bar and ended as a bartender. Very nice place – AMAZING restaurant.
‘That’s where I had “mountain oysters” for the first time [a dish made of bull testicles]! Many of the King Ranch cowboys drank there after payday. Rowdy bunch but very respectful of the waitresses.’