A few weeks ago, the High Country Motor Lodge boutique hotel in a former Howard Johnson and a Days Inn along Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona, held its grand opening.
The hotel was described in a lengthy story (plus lots of photos) by The Points Guy and MSN.com.
The rustic aesthetic was elevated by luxurious Malin + Goetz bath amenities (a personal favorite), soft bedding and plush furnishings, and the vintage vibes were bolstered by in-room tape decks and mixtapes and midcentury-inspired fixtures.
The guest rooms surround an inviting courtyard with a large pool, fire pits and lawn games to encourage families, friends and soon-to-be-friends to gather. The communal aspect — something that is becoming rarer in an age where you can check in to your hotel and order room service without interacting with a live human — turned out to be my favorite thing about the hotel. […]
In my opinion, all the best things Arizona has to offer are outside. High Country Motor Lodge encourages guests to get outside for activities and gorgeous mountain views, but also does an exceptional job of bringing the outdoors in with an earthy palette of blues and greens, camp-style mugs and big, bright windows inside the guest rooms.
Although it’s been fully renovated, you still get a sense of the hotel’s history and it’s easy to see how much care went into retaining the motor lodge feel. The draped exposed wire on the overhead lamp and vintage-style minifridge felt like they could have been there for decades, though I presume both are new.
The gathering area includes foosball, a pool and board games while offering craft beers in the lounge.
The writer also enjoyed the cassette player and collection of mix tapes in the room, plus The General Store in the lobby for breakfast.
The hotel at 1000 W. Route 66 offers 120 guest rooms and suites and three stand-alone “Cosmic Cottages,” with pet-friendly options.
Room rates range from $119 a night to $319 for a Cosmic Cottage.
As Route 66’s centennial approaches, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more of these boutique-type lodging options open.
(Image from the deck of the High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona, via Facebook)