The El Don Motel along Albuquerque’s Route 66 corridor soon will undergo an extensive renovation that will convert it from long-term rentals into a boutique motel.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported that native resident Randy Bowen recently acquired the 24-unit property at 2222 Central Ave. (aka Route 66).
“So the plan for it right now is to have 20 high-end, kind of like chic boutique hotel rooms. And then the two-story section that’s behind us here with the deck is hopefully going to be a cocktail lounge,” Bowen said.
Bowen purchased the property in October and plans to bring an operating partner on board. He is currently working with an architect on the design and the city to get everything up to code. “So currently, right now, it’s being used as an apartment. The initial pitch when it was brought to me was to try to keep it as an apartment. But unfortunately, with the amount of money that has to go in to get it to being safe and functional, it doesn’t pencil out with making it affordable housing,” Bowen explained.
The U-shaped motel needs a lot of work, according to Bowen. The 1950s-era plumbing will need to be updated along with the electrical wiring; the building also needs a new roof, HVAC system, windows, stucco, flooring, and more.
The renovations also include the motel’s iconic neon sign.
Route 66 Times reports that Dan Eitzen opened the motel in 1950. A postcard from the time stated it had a “Wall-O-Matic” heating system and free radios.
I recall trying to get a room there 20 years ago, but it had been changed to long-term tenants even then.
(Image of El Don Motel neon sign in 2013 by Thomas Hawk via Flickr)