The vacant Hiway House Motel in the popular Nob Hill area of Albuquerque will be changed into a boutique hotel, but its historic neon sign will remain.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that Josh Rogers and Kurt Browning of Titan Development in Albuquerque acquired the property at 3200 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) after wanting it for years.
The boutique hotel will consist of about 100 rooms, a rooftop bar and meeting rooms, according to the news release. A proposed underground parking structure is also being considered.
The Hiway House’s historic neon sign will be revitalized as part of the redevelopment. However, it has not been determined where the neon sign will be placed or if the property will retain the name Hiway House.
“I have no idea how it fits into the development,” Rogers said of the sign. “We’re just not that far along yet. But it’s such an iconic sign. It’s just really important to us to keep it somewhere on-site. Whether it becomes part of the rooftop bar or it remains exactly where it is, I’m not sure. I just know it’s really cool, and I think everybody knows that neon sign and it needs to be a little updated.”
Titan acquired the property in mid-April and is expected to break ground on the project sometime in 2025 after asbestos abatement, demolition of the old motel, city permits and other site preparation.
The Hiway House was built in 1959, but it deteriorated into a public nuisance in the past few years after a propane tank explosion in 2019. It once was part of a long-defunct motel chain that started in the mid-1950s.
(Image of the Hiway House Motel sign in Albuquerque by Albert Mock via Flickr)
What is a “boutique hotel”?
https://lesboutiquehotels.com/what-is-a-boutique-hotel-requirements