Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Aqua Terrace Motel - Ormond Beach, Florida


Fun in the Sun for Everyone at the AQUA TERRACE MOTEL
599 So. Atlantic Ave. (Hwy. A1A)
 Magnificent oceanfront motel, offering superb vacation accommodations year 'round...rooms or apartments; fresh water pool, surf bathing on "the world's most famous beach", shuffleboard, all units centrally air conditioned and heated; free TV, daily maid service, Village Shopping Center adjacent.

Mailed from Ormond Beach, Florida to Mrs. J.C. Wessling on July 19, 1960:

Mon. 7/18/60
Hi Folks
Just spent 10 days here in Florida. We needed a rest. Hope you are feeling well. We are fine and going home tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed Agnes' visit. - Edmund

Plastichrome by Colourpicture
P34629

STATUS: Now known as Ocean Front Inn & Suites.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Apalach Motel - Apalachicola, Florida


On Hwy. 98, West
Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Modern, Carpeted. Large Rooms back from noisy highway, TV, Individual Heat & Air-conditioning.

STATUS: Probably gone. May also be modified as the Best Western Apalach Inn.

Antlers Hotel - Colorado Springs, Colorado


Gracious elegance. Fabulous white wrought iron staircase in the famed Antlers Hotel lobby, leading up to the ultimate in luxurious accommodations. Colorado Springs, Colorado.

STATUS: The Antlers is still going very strong. I doubt the lobby looks like this anymore. That carpet is a confusing fit for that room.

Antler Motel - Spearfish, South Dakota


Kenneth & Glenna Johnson
24 Modern Units - TV & Air Conditioning - Coffee - 2 Blocks from Passion Play Ground - Quiet, Comfortable - Open Year 'Round
Straight West from Exit 12 on I-90
Spearfish, S.D.

Photo by Smithson
Thos D. Murphy Co.
116839

STATUS: Can't find it on the map. I just now noticed the animal in the yard. Is that a goat?

Apache Land Lodge - Globe, Arizona



Located on Highway 60 and 70
Globe, Arizona
28 miles from Coolidge Dam on Highway 70 and 40 miles from Roosevelt Dam on the Apache Trail. All year climate, units either single, twin or double. Air cooled - Panel ray heat, Beauty Rest mattresses and telephone in every room. Apache Land Cafe across the street.

This is the restaurant that was located across the street.


Monday, June 27, 2016

Andy's Double Decker Motel - Virginia, Minnesota


Located south edge Virginia, Minnesota on the "Border Trail" - Highway 53. A 15 unit AAA inspected motel. Radio and Television available - 9 electric kitchen units - open four seasons.
"A fine place for fine people"
Edna and Andy Larson, owners
SHerwood 1-6212

W.A. Fisher Co. Virginia, Minn.

STATUS: Was a Budget Inn as of 2012

Anderson Motel and Restaurant - Murfreesboro, Tennessee


On U.S. Hi-Way 41 - South, 4 Blocks South U.S. 231, 7 Blocks from downtown. Excellent Restaurant serving Southern food at its best. Steaks, Tennessee Country ham, fried chicken and pork chops. 32 Rooms Air-Conditioned, wall to wall carpeting, TV, and Electric Heat. Restaurant open 24 hrs. a day. AAA Approved.

STATUS: Gone

Anderson Motel - Cullman, Alabama


U.S. No 31
Cullman, Alabama
47 Units. Air Conditioned. TV in All Rooms. Restaurant Nearby. Telephones in Rooms. Music by 'Muzak". Cullman's very best Motel. Swimming Pool. Hiway Host. AAA Approved.

Scenic South Card Co., Bessemer, Ala
A Koppel Card
86275

STATUS: Bleak. It's now known as the Economy Inn. It looks like a pleasant place to be stabbed.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Americana Motor Lodge - San Francisco, California


121 Seventh Street at Mission
San Francisco 3, California
Telephone MA 6-0200 TWX SF-1109
Located only one block from shopping, theaters, the Civic Center, and opposite the main Post Office. Featuring elevators, heated pool, sun decks, restful fountain area, TV, radio, background music, dialamatic telephones, ample sheltered parking, complimentary freshly brewed coffee, City Tours and complete 24 hours service. Reservations suggested. Member of the Best Western Motels

Natural Color by Mike Roberts
Number: SC7005

STATUS: Still there. It gained an I somewhere along the way and is now the Americania (which sounds like a patriotic flower). It looks duller than dull now.

Americana Motor Inn - Jackson, Tennessee


Located on U.S. 45 South
2 Minutes from Heart of Jackson, Tenn.
Air Conditioned - Pool - TV - Diners' Club - Carte Blanche
AAA Approved

STATUS: Can't find it anywhere. It appears to be gone.

American Hotel and Restaurant - Freehold, New Jersey


August Daesener, Ownership-Management
Freehold, New Jersey
Ample Parking Area in Rear of Hotel

STATUS: Still going. It looks like a nice place.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Ambassador Motel - Manchester, Tennessee


I-24 Exit 22 - Manchester, Tennessee 37355
Tiled baths, combination tub and shower - wall to wall carpets - electric heat - 100% air conditioned - TV and telephone in every room - Swimming pool - Restaurant adjoining.
American Express, Master Charge & Bankamericard Accepted.

Color King Card
A Koppel Card
130638

STATUS: Still there as of 2013 street view.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ambassador Motel - Cave City, Kentucky


U.S. 31-W Cave City, Kentucky
Main Entrance to Mammoth Cave National Park – Convenient to all Caves. Accommodations for 120 Guests. Swimming Pool. Fully Air Conditioned – Hot Water Heat – Tile Baths – Simmons Beautyrest Mattresses – Free Radio – Television Optional. Young's Restaurant in Connection – Specializing in Sizzling Steak's Country Ham and Hot Biscuits. Mr. & Mrs. Dick Mouser – Co – Owners and Managers. Mr. & Mrs. Harry D. Young Restaurant Operators. Telephone Prescott 3-7301 or Prescott 3-3721

STATUS: I cannot seem to find it anywhere in town. If the building is still there it has been modified to an unrecognizable extent.

Ambassador Hotel - Los Angeles, California

The Ambassador - Los Angeles, California

Published by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee
Number: 27057


A Twenty-Two Acre Playground in the Heart of a Great City
Offers endless opportunity for healthful recreation - tennis, gold, and the wonderful Lido with it Sun-Tan sand bathing beach and crystal clear plunge, and the home of the world famous Cocoanut Grove.

The Ambassador Hotel - Los Angeles, California

A Twenty-Two Acre Playground in the Heart of a Great City
Offers endless opportunity for healthful recreation - tennis, golf, and the wonderful Lido with its Sun-Tan sand bathing beach and crystal clear plunge, and the home of the world famous Cocoanut Grove.


Ambassador Hotel - Los Angeles, California

Home of the World Famous Cocoanut Grove

Benton Operated Hotels in California
World Famous Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador - A Benton Operated Hotel



Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel - Los Angeles, California

Schine Hotels

The Cocoanut Grove at the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel - A Schine Hotel



Mailed from North Hollywood, California to Mrs. Blanche Lewis on August 20, 1969:

Dear Blanche: We are her to see my family again. We did not get out last winter. My 2 little grand children are adorable. We have been here 2 week & leave on the 28th for S.F.My sister & brother-in-law have a 25th anniv. on the 26th. We came by train & will leave by train - Drive to S.F. & leave from there. Hope you are well. - Gerturude & Morris

Mitck & Sons
Plastichrome by Colourpicture

Ambassador Hotel and The Cocoanut Grove - Los Angeles, California


STATUS: Torn down in 2005.

From Wikipedia:
In the pantry area of the hotel's main kitchen, soon after midnight on June 5, 1968, and after a brief victory speech in the Embassy Room ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel, the winner of the
 California Democratic presidential primary election, Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), was shot along with five other people. Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan was arrested at the scene and later convicted of the murder. Kennedy died one day later from his injuries, while the other victims survived their wounds. During the demolition of the Ambassador Hotel during late 2005 and early 2006, portions of the area where the 1968 shooting occurred were eliminated from the site. The portion of Wilshire Boulevard in front of the hotel has been signed the "Robert F. Kennedy Parkway".
The death of Robert F. Kennedy coincided with the beginning of the hotel's demise, hastened by the decline of the surrounding neighborhood. By the 1970s, the gang and illegal drug problems in the area near the hotel were already becoming severe, and worsened. Despite a renovation of the Cocoanut Grove in the mid-1970s, with the creative control of Sammy Davis, Jr., the property declined.
The Ambassador Hotel was closed in 1989 to guests, but remained open for filming and private events. A liquidation sale of the hotel's contents was conducted in 1991 by National Content Liquidators Inc. based in Ohio.

Amarillo Hotel - Amarillo, Texas

Hotel Amarillo - Amarillo, Texas

Mailed from Amarillo, Texas to Miss Marnie Young of Valley Park, Missouri on September 5, 1906:

Sep. 4th. Your card just received. You may expect a letter soon - Ada.

Publisher and number not found

Hotel Amarillo - Amarillo, Texas

16527




Hotel Capitol
Amarillo Hotel
Hotel Herring

STATUS: The Capitol was razed in the 1970s. The Amarillo Hotel is gone. The Hotel Herring is still standing.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Am-Can Motel - Rouses Point, New York


Twin or Double Beds - Tub & Shower Bath
Open year around
500 ft. from Bathing Beach
Ingalls & Wright, Proprietors
AAA Approved

Mailed from De Ruyter, New York to Mary Tripp of Jacksonville, New York on August 7, 1961:

We went to the seaway. Stayed at this place. On to Plattsburg and down the entire length of Lake Champlain and Fort Ticonderofa. Then to S. Springs, Balson Spa,  776 miles trip. C & G

H.H. La Fontaine
Lake Shore Road, Plattsburgh, New York
Dexter Press
12489-B

STATUS: Unsure. Can't find it anywhere.


Friday, June 10, 2016

Alvir Ocean Apartments - Palm Beach Shores, Florida


Ocean Avenue and Linda Lane
Palm Beach Shores, Florida
One bedroom apartments with living room. All electric kitchens, tile baths. Ocean bathing, private beach, fishing, Shuffleboard. P.O. Box 491, Riviera Beach, Florida. Telephone 4-1098

Mailed from Riviera Beach, Florida to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Durfee of Ventura, California on January 13, 1958:

Jan 13, 1958
This is the cute motel we are in. It is owned and operated by a Selie couple.
On Dec. 16 I was operated for a cut in (?) of thyroid gland. I never knew I had it until it suddenly became infected and filled with pub & blood. Am coming along good. Love, Ray

Camera Center - Riviera Beach, Fla.
9134

STATUS: Building still standing. Looks pretty much the same.

Altier's Inn & Motel - East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania


Star Rt., E. Stroudsburg, Pa.
Pocono Mts.
Tel.: Stroudsburg 2543
Wm. J. and Gertrude S. Altier, Owners
Located on Route 209, 6 miles NE of Stroudsburg. Picture window dining room overlooking our new swimming pool. Lake nearby. Delicious home-cooked meals. Open all year to the public. Private banquet room. American or European Plan.

STATUS: Gone. Can't find anything.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Aloha Motel - Bellingham, Washington


315 Samish Way RE 3-4900
New, Quiet, Soundproof. 24 Hour Switchboard, Beautyrest, Individual Thermostats. Free Coffee, Radio & TV. Paradise of the Northwest. AAA Approved. Mr. & Mrs. F.S. Baird, Your Hosts.

STATUS: The Aloha seemed to hold out until 2015 with a modified version of the original sign, It appears to have met its end.

Allerton Hotel - Chicago, Illinois



Chicago's after-the-theatre Rendezvous...for Midnight Chats
THE LOUNGE in new TIP TOP TAP
Comfort and glamour, 23 stories above famed Michigan Avenue.
ALLERTON HOTEL
Michigan Avenue at Huron
Harding Hotel Management


CK-167 - The Allerton Hotel
Located at 701 N. Michigan Avenue
on Chicago's Near North Side

Mailed from Chicago, Illinois to Mr. & Mrs. P.C. Clavio of San Bernadino, California on July 22, 1957:

Hi -
Well I made it and had a nice trip. Cool when I got here, but 90 degrees today. Expect to go to top of this building tomorrow and love over town. Lake Michigan is like an ocean. Be seeing you, Fanchon


Chicago's Near North Side
On the shores of Lake Michigan, in the heart of the "Magnificent Mile", has many points of interest indicated on the reverse side - all within walking distance.

Allerton Hotel - Chicago, Illinois


Chicago's Most Famous Landmark - The Water Tower on North Michigan Avenue in the heart of the city's smart "Magnificent Mike". It survived the Great Fire in 1871. The view shows the 1,000 room Allerton Hotel. This skyscraper commands a breathtaking view of downtown Chicago, the Gold Coast and nearby Lake Michigan.
THE ALLERTON
Michigan at Huron

Cub Products

STATUS: Still there. Still the Allerton. Here's some history about the Allerton for their website:

The landmark Allerton Hotel opened in 1924 as a residential “club hotel.” It was a prosperous, exciting time in the heart of Downtown Chicago. The roaring 20’s saw Michigan Avenue open as a chic boulevard of clubs, shops and hotels as developers sought to transform the area into the Champs Elysées of the United States. The building was constructed at a cost of $4 million in 1923 by The Allerton Hotel Company as a club hotel for men. The Chicago Allerton was the sixth club hotel built and operated by the company. Club hotels catered to single young men moving to large cities for white-collar jobs. In addition to their living quarters, residents could enjoy libraries and lounges, as well as a private dining room, grille room, barbershop, pharmacy, solarium, miniature golf course and gymnasium with squash courts.
Original two story entrance with stone staircases and stained glass ceiling
Original-Entrance
The Allerton was one of the first high-rises on North Michigan Avenue. Designed to be seen from all sides, the hotel was the first Chicago Building to feature the pronounced setbacks and towers later repeated in the cityscape. Murgatroyd & Ogden, a New York architectural firm, designed the building. The Allerton’s Northern Italian Renaissance architecture contrasted with the Georgian Revival and Tudor Revival styles popular at the time. Located in a neighborhood of 19th century row houses, The Allerton was designed to look like a home. Its exterior featured dark red brick walls in projecting courses, round-arched windows and arcades and a sculptural rooftop. In later years, as other high-rises popped up along the Magnificent Mile, the hotel’s red brick exterior was a standout among its gray concrete neighbors.
Post card of the Tip Top Tap Lounge in the 1940's
Old Postcard
By 1930, the hotel was accepting women, but management went to great lengths to avoid mixing men and women inhabitants. Residential floors and elevators were segregated by gender, with certain elevators designed to stop only on floors occupied by ladies. The women who lived there were, like their male counterparts, white-collar workers, most of whom worked in clerical jobs for Chicago’s large corporations. In the 1940’s, The Allerton established itself as one of the city’s most exciting social hot spots. The Tip Top Tap, a cocktail lounge with striking views of the skyline, replaced clubrooms on the 23rd floorand was open to the public. A sign advertising the lounge was added to the top of the building, and the hotel became a popular after-hours entertainment spot for professionals who worked on North Michigan Avenue. Chicago-area singers and musicians, as well as touring bands and orchestras, performed in the lounge regularly throughout the coming decades. Along with the Tip Top Tap, the hotel’s restaurant L’Escargot was considered the city’s best choice for French cuisine. The Tip Top Tap gained nationwide recognition when radio personality Don McNeil broadcasted his show from the lounge in the 1950’s. Airing on the ABC Radio Network until 1968, “The Breakfast Club with Don McNeil” was heard on over 400 radio stations across the country. The hour-long programs featured celebrities, songs, music and, above all, humor.
1954 Life Magazine
1954 Tip Top Life Mag
During the 1990’s, landmarks up and down the Magnificent Mile, including The Allerton, received extensive makeovers as older high-rises and historic buildings were returned to their previous grandeur. In 1998 the City of Chicago designated The Allerton a historic Chicago landmark. The hotel closed in August 1998 for a multi-million dollar restoration project and re-opened in May 1999. Today, after a further renovation in 2008-2009, the landmark Allerton is once again one of Chicago’s premier hotels. Its reinvented interior reflects influences from a classic era translated into a current and modern interpretation.
In February 2014 Warwick International Hotels purchased the hotel and changed the name to Warwick Allerton Hotel Chicago.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

All States Inn - Gaithersburg, Maryland


Route 250, Gaithersburg, Md. Completely modern cottages, recommended by AAA. Featuring steak and chicken dinners in our restaurant. Located on Hwy. U.S. No. 240, 12 miles from D.C. Line and 26 miles from Frederick, Md. Managed by Latonas and Moyers. Phone Gaithersburtg 18 for reservations.

C.H. Ruth, Washington, D.C.
Colorcraft by Dexter Press
34023

STATUS: Unsure. Almost assuredly gone.

All States Auto Court - Portland, Oregon

All States Auto Court - Portland, Oregon

New Modern Units, Panel Ray Heat
De Luxe Twin or Double Beds- Showers and Tubs - Reservations - Kitchens - Laundry - TV in Rooms - Close to Shopping - Bus to City Center
"The Court You Will Recommend"
Entering Portland on Sandy Boulevard
11814 N.E. Sandy Boulevard
Lincoln 9127

Christian's Color Card Service
A Koppel Card
7710

STATUS: Now a car lot.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Albion Hotel - Miami Beach, Florida


Pool and Cabana Club
LINCOLN ROAD AND JAMES AVENUE
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
Fireproof - Modern in every detail - Radio and steam heat in every room - Private Swimming Pool - Cabana Club - Cocktail Lounge - Air-Conditioned.

Mailed from Miami Beach, Florida to Mr. & Mrs. H. Buten & Family of Merion, Pennsylvania on February 13, 1958:

Greetings from the sometime sunny Miami.
- Grandma Kleine

STATUS: Still there. Still the Albion.

Albert Pick Motor Inn - Washington, D.C.



12th and K Streets, N.W.
Atop the new Airline Bus Terminal
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005
250 Air-conditioned rooms, all with color TV, automatic-dial phones. Penthouse swimming pool and sun deck. Delicious food and beverages in Hemisphere Room and Travelers Tavern. Ideal meeting facilities. No room charge for children under 12. Parking in lower level garage. AAA Approved.

Here's a 1965 invoice from the Albert Pick to B. Herschenshom from the Pepperdine University website.




STATUS: Gone. The building has been renovated and modernized, which is a shame.

Albert Pick Motel - Montgomery, Alabama


205 North Goldthwaite Street
In the Heart of Downtown
Montgomery, Alabama
Phone: AMherst 5-0541 - Teletype: MG-6079
Completely air-conditioned. All rooms have radio and television. Swimming pool. Dining Room. Bar and Bench Lounge. Ideal meeting facilities. Free parking. Children free under 12.

Curteichcolor Card
8C-K1175

STATUS: So far this is the only Albert Pick Motel building I have found that is still standing. It has been painted and has fewer bells and whistles but it is still there. It is now known as the Capitol Inn Motel


Albert Pick Motel - Mobile, Alabama



1119 Government Street
Mobile, Alabama 36604
125 air-conditioned rooms, all with television, (many with Color TV); 24-hour telephone service. Heated swimming pool. Restaurant. Free parking. No room charge for children.
Curteichcolor Card
9C-K2131

STATUS: The building is gone. It's a little hard to tell exactly where there was actually located but this appears to be the place.

Albert Pick Motel - Chattanooga, Tennessee


3210 South Broad Street
U.S. 41-11-64-72 and State Highway 58
175 Air-conditioned rooms. Television, 24-hour telephone service. Restaurant, Heated swimming pool. No room charge for children under 12. AAA Approved.

A 1968 receipt showing the properties in the Albert Pick Hotels family


STATUS: Long gone.

Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts - Nashville, Tennessee



450 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, Tennessee
One block from I-24 and I-40. 112 Rooms - Tile Baths -  Carpeted floors - Phones - 24 hour service - Electric heat - Free TV - 100% air-conditioned - Radio and FM - Heated swimming pool -Putting Green - Two restaurants adjacent.

Alamo Plaza Courts - Nashville, Tennessee

South Suburbs, U.S. 41 and 70S
Nashville, Tennessee
118 Rooms, Tile Baths, Carpeted Floor, 24 Hour Telephone and Bell Boy Service, Electric Heat, Free TV, 100% Air-Conditioned, Heated Swimming Pool, Putting Green. Howard Johnson Restaurant Adjacent. AAA Approved.

Earl W. Hughes
Dexter Press
11483-B


STATUS: Gone. WKRN Studios are located at this address.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts - Beaumont, Texas



"Catering To Those who care".
Dallas, Texas. Beaumont, Texas. Houston, Texas. Tyler, Texas. Oklahoma City, Okla. Baton Rouge, La. Shreveport, La (2)
New Orleans, La. Jackson, Miss. Gulfport, Miss. Charlotte, N. C. Raleigh, N. C. Savannah, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Columbus, Ga. Memphis Tenn. Chattanooga, Tenn. Nashville, Tenn. Knoxville, Tenn. Little Rock, Ark. Indianapolis, Ind.

STATUS: The Alamo Plaza, as you can probably tell, was a small chain of motels across the South. They appear to have been around for the early part of the 1950s and then gone very quickly. This is a stock card for the chain, therefore I have no idea where this was located or if the building still stands.