TL;DR

Retro style: A 1960s Flagstaff motor hotel reborn with bold color and retro flair.
Unique vibe: Think Retro Road Trip Barbie, not quiet elegance.
Great value: Style and personality at accessible prices.
Check prices here

This Motor Hotel sits right outside Downtown Flagstaff just off of Route 66.

Once you get used to the idea that everything in Flagstaff can in some ways be related to Route 66, the highway loses a bit of its romance, but this has no effect on either the city or the hotels.

Indeed, the Americana Motor Hotel does a superb job maintaining the retro roadside mythology, polishing it off to an almost plastic-y sheen.

The exterior is a burst of color, the interiors full retro, but not in a pastel, vintage sort of way.

No, this decor looks like it was pulled off of Twiggy’s pantsuit in 1968 and hasn’t aged a day.

If you want a Vogue-ready kind of pristine elegance, we’ll send you somewhere else. If you want to live the Retro Road Trip Barbie experience, this is the (perhaps the only) spot.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 88
Small but stylish: Rooms start at 130 sq ft, larger Queens and Doubles available.
Retro decor: Geometric padded headboards, disco balls, and colorful accents.
Modern amenities: Blackout shades, 4K TVs, fridges, coffee makers.
See each room in detail here

We’ll level with you all, Americana Motor Hotel was originally built in 1962, and rooms start out very small.

Your Mini Full is a scant 130 square feet.

After that, though, things get fairly normal, with 190 square foot Queens, and 220 square foot Double Queens.

Nobody’s going to be doing cartwheels across the carpets, but there’s room for some seating and a pretty cute little desk.

The beds might be on the smaller side, but they’re supremely cute, with padded headboards in brightly colored geometrics.

Weathered-looking wood walls set off the bright colors of furnishings, rugs and the other decor perfectly. The disco ball especially.

All rooms include blackout shades, 4K TVs, fridges, coffee machines, and super-cozy linens and pillows.

All in all, it’s a simple arrangement, but done up in the utmost of style.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

On-site dining: Baja Mar Seafood offers Mexican favorites beyond seafood.
Welcome touches: Free welcome drink on arrival and morning coffee.
Facilities: Heated pool, fire pits, yard games, “barkyard” for dogs.
Extras: Board games, bicycles, and telescopes available for guests.

You’ll be treated to a welcome beverage on arrival at Americana Motor Hotel and coffee every morning.

A breakfast burrito can be grabbed at the on-site restaurant, Baja Mar Seafood, which thankfully does things besides seafood, so you’re not stuck peeling foreskin off clams at 9 in the morning.

Indeed, it’s primarily a Sinaloa-style Pacific Mexican joint, with a good smattering of shrimp, ceviche, and mahi-mahi in varying states of taco, quesadilla and burger.

Drinks are an all-can situation, everything colorful and casual and perfectly branded.

There’s plenty to do beyond snacks and beverages, from the heated pool to the yard games to the fire pits you can sit by in the evenings.

The “barkyard” has a washing station for any dogs that love a good roll in the dust.

The lobby at Americana features board games, and you can also grab one of the hotel’s bicycles or telescopes, which the hotel has available for loan.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Close to downtown: About 10 minutes east of Flagstaff’s center.
Plenty nearby: Cafés, Mexican restaurants, breweries, and boutique shops.
Local culture: Wheeler Park festivals and Riordan Mansion close by.
Nature access: Trails, observatory, Sedona, and monuments all within easy reach.

You’ll be about 10 minutes east of Downtown Flagstaff, a sweet little town with a lot of sweet things to do.

There are small event spaces, cute cafés, lots of Mexican restaurants, and enough breweries for a much larger city.

Check the schedules, and maybe you can catch a festival in Wheeler Park, right by the Public Library and in the heart of the strolling-around-and-boutique-shopping area.

Head south to catch the Farmer’s Market near the NAU campus. You’ll also find Riordan Mansion State Historic Park nearby, a great stop for anyone with an appreciation of architecture.

The rest of the area is basically a playground for outdoor activities.

In 15 minutes you can get to Lowell Observatory and the Pluto Telescope, for some serious night sky adventures.

It’s also an easy drive to the number of smaller parks and trailheads leading to easy walks.

For more eye-popping views or exhausting hikes, you’ll drive roughly an hour in basically any direction.

Head north for the mountain’s majesty and the red rocks of Lockett Meadow and the Wukoki National Monument.

Sedona is the perfect day trip, just 45 minutes from Americana Motor Hotel, full of hikes and adventure and fantastic art.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“Warm welcome at check-in included a welcome beverage, beds were very comfortable, cool retro-futuristic decor- 20 million dollar reno completed in 2023, fun outside amenities like heated pool, fire pit, corn hole, bocce ball. Fun vibe!…”

“An almost perfect motel, and top notch home away from home for dog owners! Cute rooms, comfy bed, warm blanket, quiet in spite of being on Route 66, and a dog park. Can’t ask for much more….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”During our stay the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash containers in the shower were all empty. They were able to provide shampoo and conditioner when I called, but said body wash was on back order. Also, I’d recommend staying on 2nd floor if you’re OK taking luggage up/down stairs so you won’t hear folks above you like our family did that stayed on 1st floor….”

”Very small mini bar, could not hold a half gallon bottle of milk….”

> Read all the reviews right here