Retro Motels in the Northeast

Ala Kai Motel

Wildwood Crest, NJ

Six decades of summer and the 1963 Polynesian Doo-Wop bones still intact, with ocean-view verandas and two pools. Towel sculptures appear in the room. Someone here still does that.

Colony House Motor Lodge

Roanoke, VA

A 1959 Googie design on the National Register of Historic Places, fully renovated in 2025 with the original neon, folded-plate rooflines, and pool intact. Mid-century roadside architecture at its most specific.

Miami Motel

Canandaigua, NY

A 1952 Miami-inspired frame where rooms have been restored one by one over a decade, each with its own color scheme, furniture, and layout. Drive-up parking at the door and a cult following earned over time.

Reclaimed Motel

Red Hook, NY

A 1960 roadside stop rebuilt almost entirely from salvaged tiles, doors, and vinyl, so every room tells a different Hudson Valley story. Private decks face west to sweeping Catskill views, and evenings settle into a record on the turntable and a fire pit out back.

The Nevada

York Beach, ME

Completely restored in 2024, with every room having a private wraparound terrace and direct ocean views. Art Deco interiors, pop-art murals, and Lulu's tiki bar on site.

The Starlite Motel

Kerhonkson, NY

A 1960s roadside relic reborn in pink, aqua, and mint, where original tiled baths meet hardwood floors and a pour-over coffee waits in every room. Days run out to the Shawangunk trails and back to a saltwater pool ringed with retro loungers, with the ridge glowing at dusk.

Cape Motel

Cape Charles, VA

A vintage-modern motor lodge just minutes from downtown Cape Charles, where a poolside bar built from a shipping container, a nightly fire pit, and resident chickens and bunnies turn a stopover into a hangout. It feels less like a place you sleep and more like a little Chesapeake yard party you were lucky enough to book.

The Springs Motel

New Ashford, MA

Restored to 1960s prime by a local designer, with a kidney-shaped pool and vintage trailer bar. Nine acres of natural spring water and trail access.

The Verb Hotel

Boston, MA

A 1959 motor court beside Fenway Park, rebuilt as a shrine to Boston rock and roll, with a record player in every room and vinyl waiting in the lobby. The preserved courtyard pool stays warm through winter, and the walls hold rare posters and passes from the city's music years.