Connie Echols, owner of the historic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, announced in a news release today that she is putting the Route 66 landmark on the market.
Echols, who renovated the property extensively after buying it in 2009, stated is selling the motel and plans to retire.
“As authentic Route 66 motels are recognized as endangered properties, this sale represents a rare opportunity,” the release stated.
The sale would include its 19 rooms and its original service station and cafe building — all constructed with stone.
Interested parties can contact Echols through the motel’s website. An email and phone message to Echols, asking about the asking price, were not returned.
I shot this video of the Wagon Wheel Motel on Christmas Eve in 2010, not long after it was renovated and reopened by Echols:
Robert W. and Margaret Martin bought the land on which the motel would be built in 1934. They hired Leo Friesenhan to construct the cabins from native stone, hauled in local farmers.
Pauline and Hallie Roberts ran the motel from 1963 to 1980, when Hallie died. Pauline married Harold Armstrong, and they ran the Wagon Wheel until her death in 2003. Harold died in 2008. The Armstrongs, right up to the last day of their tenure, charged less than $20 a night for their rooms.
UPDATE 10/13/2022: Echols said in an email Thursday that the asking price would be $1.75 million.
(Image of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, by Jim Grey via Flickr)
I hope the new owners appreciate the business they get, because it’s a special place. And they appreciate the type of person who likes these kind of places. Last time I stayed there Connie was downright rude as was her husband. They seem to expect their guests to accept anything just to stay there.
We’ve stayed there 4 times now and she’s always been very nice. When we stayed there last October you could tell that she’s tired and worn out. She told us then that she was looking for new caretakers for the place. It’s hard running a small seasonal business like that so don’t be too critical until you walk in her shoes. Everybody has a bad day or more in their life.