Americana Motor Hotel
2650 E Route 66
Flagstaff, AZ
The Route 66 motor hotel where the Easy Rider crew stayed. Reimagined for Flagstaff's night sky.
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Americana Motor Hotel
The Americana Motor Hotel opened in 1962 on East Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1969, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda based the Easy Rider production out of the Americana, making this building part of the history of American independent cinema. The property went through ownership changes before California-based Americana Hotel Ventures acquired it in 2021 and commissioned a full renovation led by designer Andrew Alford through Practice Hospitality, reopening in August 2023. The design draws directly from Flagstaff: a dark-sky-inspired color palette, headboards referencing 1970s Arizona Snowbowl ski wear, and NASA Apollo references connecting to the astronaut training conducted in the crater fields outside town. The building sits on East Route 66, two miles from downtown Flagstaff, 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon.
What Americana Motor Hotel Is Known For
The Americana earned Most Innovative Hotel Design 2024 from the Independent Lodging Congress, LuxLife Motel of the Year 2024, and recognition from Sunset Magazine and USA Today. The critical achievement behind that list is the renovation itself: the investment in a 1962 motor hotel on Route 66 that ownership had let decline, rebuilt into a property whose design draws from what Flagstaff actually is. The Easy Rider crew stayed here in 1969. The design knows that. The Dark Sky City designation is unique to Flagstaff. The design knows that too. The headboards reference ski culture; Arizona Snowbowl is seven miles away. The original motel structure is still here: two stories of exterior corridors, parking at the door, a neon sign that echoes the original 1962 installation. The renovation preserved the bones and built something specific on top of them.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- EV Charging
- WiFi
- Year-round heated pool
- Fire pits with seating
- Telescopes for stargazing in Flagstaff's International Dark Sky City
- Bicycle rentals (connects to Route 66 bike path)
- Barkyard fenced pet area with dog wash station
- Two EV charging stations (included with resort fee)
- Far Out Food on-site restaurant and craft cocktail bar
- Lobby coffee service
- Yard games (cornhole, bocce ball)
- Hammocks
- Beverage welcome on arrival
- Parking accommodates toy trailers and motor coaches
What Guests Love
- The 1962 motor hotel where Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper stayed during the production of Easy Rider: one of the most specific pieces of film history attached to any American motor lodge
- Telescopes for stargazing in Flagstaff, the world's first International Dark Sky City: the backyard faces a night sky protected by municipal dark-sky ordinance
- Year-round heated pool, fire pits, hammocks, yard games, and a fenced dog area: a backyard designed for people who travel to actually be outside
- 80 miles from the Grand Canyon, 7 miles from Walnut Canyon cliff dwellings, 3 miles from Lowell Observatory: one of the best-positioned base camps in northern Arizona
- Dogs welcome with no fee: fenced Barkyard and dog wash station on site
- EV charging included, parking large enough for toy trailers and motor coaches: a Route 66 motor hotel that has not forgotten what motor hotels are for
Worth Knowing
- A nightly amenity fee covers pool access, fire pits, hammocks, bicycle rentals, telescopes, lobby coffee, EV charging, and yard games. The fee is charged per room per night; confirm the current amount when booking.
- The property is 2.5 miles east of downtown Flagstaff on the Route 66 alignment. The Route 66 bike path connects the hotel to downtown; bicycle rentals are on site. A short drive or rideshare handles the rest.
- This is a larger property than most Boutels. The exterior corridor layout and expansive backyard preserve the motor hotel character at scale, but expect a more active property than a inn.
- Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet and runs 25 to 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix year-round. Summer afternoons are mild; mornings and evenings can be cold. Bring layers even in July.
- The Far Out Food walk-up restaurant is the on-site dining option. Hours are seasonal: confirm availability for your stay when booking.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
Rooms on two stories with exterior corridor access in three configurations: Mini Full, Medium Queen, and Large Two Queens. Every room has a 43-inch 4K television, mini-fridge, walk-in shower, premium linens, blackout shades, and a disco ball: a signature design element that guests consistently call out in reviews. The design language throughout the rooms draws from Flagstaff's actual identity: astronomy-driven color palette in warm desert reds and deep nighttime blues, geometric graphics, headboards inspired by 1970s ski wear, and Carl Sagan astronomy references woven into the artwork. WiFi throughout. The exterior corridor layout means your door opens directly to the walkway with the backyard and pool visible below: the rooms are designed to push you outside rather than keep you in.
The Grounds
The property is centered on an expansive backyard behind the two-story exterior corridor building. Year-round heated pool. Fire pits with seating. Hammocks. Yard games including cornhole and bocce ball. Telescopes available for stargazing: a deliberate amenity in Flagstaff, the world's first International Dark Sky City, where the night sky is protected by municipal ordinance and genuinely dark compared to most American cities. A fenced Barkyard with a dog wash station serves the property's no-fee dog policy. Two EV charging stations are included with the resort fee. Bicycle rentals connect to the Route 66 bike path toward downtown. Parking is directly outside every room door and accommodates toy trailers, motor coaches, and large vehicles. The Far Out Food walk-up restaurant and craft cocktail bar handle on-site dining. Lobby coffee service runs daily.
The Experience
The Americana is set up for people who are moving through or based in Flagstaff for a stretch: bikes to ride the Route 66 alignment into downtown, telescopes for the backyard after dark, an afternoon in the pool, fire pit evenings with other guests, and then back on the road in the morning with direct parking access and space for whatever you are towing. The location is genuinely useful as a northern Arizona base: Walnut Canyon's ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings are 7 miles east, Lowell Observatory is 3 miles into town and runs evening viewing programs, and the Grand Canyon South Rim is 80 miles north, about a 1.5-hour drive through Coconino National Forest. Flagstaff itself rewards a slower pace. The downtown historic district has a legitimate independent coffee and restaurant scene, a university town arts calendar, and the old Route 66 alignment with neon signs intact. Arizona Snowbowl 7 miles north offers skiing from late November through April on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks, the sacred mountains of the Navajo, Hopi, and other Indigenous nations. At night the dark-sky ordinance does its work and the telescope in the backyard faces a sky that most American guests have not seen in years.
Details
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Americana Motor Hotel have EV charging?
Yes, Americana Motor Hotel has EV charging on site.
Does Americana Motor Hotel have WiFi?
Yes, Americana Motor Hotel has WiFi.
What is there to do near Americana Motor Hotel?
Lowell Observatory: 3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Walnut Canyon National Monument: 7 miles, about a 15 minute drive. Grand Canyon South Rim: 80 miles, about a 160 minute drive.
How far is Americana Motor Hotel from Lowell Observatory?
3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Americana Motor Hotel from Walnut Canyon National Monument?
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is Americana Motor Hotel from Grand Canyon South Rim?
80 miles, about a 160 minute drive.
Is Americana Motor Hotel pet friendly?
Yes. Americana Motor Hotel welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Is the Americana Motor Hotel connected to the film Easy Rider?
Yes. In 1969, when Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda were filming Easy Rider in and around Flagstaff, the cast and crew stayed at the Americana and used it as their production base. The property was operating as a motor hotel then, as it is now.
What does the amenity fee cover?
The nightly amenity fee covers the heated pool, fire pits, hammocks, bicycle rentals, telescopes for stargazing, lobby coffee service, EV charging, the Barkyard dog area, and yard games. It is charged per room per night; confirm the current amount when booking.
What is Flagstaff's Dark Sky City designation?
Flagstaff was designated the world's first International Dark Sky City in 2001, a recognition of its century-long effort to control light pollution in order to protect the night sky for Lowell Observatory and for the community. Municipal ordinances limit the type and direction of outdoor lighting throughout the city. The Americana's design, lighting, and paint choices reflect this designation directly, and the on-site telescopes are a practical expression of it.
How far is the Grand Canyon from the Americana Motor Hotel?
The Grand Canyon South Rim is approximately 80 miles from the hotel, about a 1.5-hour drive north on US-180 to AZ-64. Many guests use the Americana as a base for a day trip to the canyon. The drive through the Coconino National Forest and past the San Francisco Peaks is worth doing slowly.
What is the best way to reach downtown Flagstaff from the hotel?
Downtown Flagstaff is approximately 2.5 miles west on the historic Route 66 alignment, easily reached by bicycle (rentals available on site), a short drive, or rideshare. The Route 66 bike path connects the hotel to downtown. Lowell Observatory, the Flagstaff Arts District, and the historic train depot are all within the downtown core.
Does the Americana Motor Hotel serve breakfast?
Breakfast is not included in the room rate. The on-site lobby coffee service is covered by the nightly amenity fee. Flagstaff's independent breakfast scene is strong: Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery, Proper Meats and Provisions, and Macy's European Coffee House are all within a short drive in the downtown core.
Does Americana Motor Hotel have a pool?
Yes. Americana Motor Hotel has a pool on-site.
Is parking available at Americana Motor Hotel?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Americana Motor Hotel. If arriving with a large vehicle, contact the property in advance to confirm space availability.
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Things to Do Near Route 66 in Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Founded in 1894 on a hill above downtown Flagstaff, Lowell Observatory is where Pluto was discovered in 1930 and where the Apollo astronauts studied the lunar surface in preparation for moon landings. The observatory runs nightly public viewing programs through the original 24-inch Clark telescope and modern instruments. In a city with a dark-sky ordinance protecting the night sky, this is the institution that started it: Lowell Observatory lobbied Flagstaff to control light pollution in the 1950s, creating the policy framework that made Flagstaff the world's first Dark Sky City.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
Walnut Canyon preserves the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people, who built more than rooms into the limestone ledges of this canyon roughly 800 years ago and farmed the canyon rim above. The Island Trail descends 185 feet into the canyon and passes directly in front of the dwelling rooms. The Rim Trail stays above for a panoramic view of the canyon and the surrounding ponderosa forest. One of the most accessible and undervisited archaeological sites in northern Arizona.
Grand Canyon South Rim
80 miles, about a 160 minute drive.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is 80 miles north of the hotel, about a 1.5-hour drive on US-180 and AZ-64 through Coconino National Forest and past the San Francisco Peaks. Many guests use the Americana as a base for a day trip to the canyon. The drive north from Flagstaff through the ponderosa forest, past the cinder cones and volcanic fields of the Colorado Plateau, is as much a part of the experience as the rim itself.