10 vintage motel matchbooks that light up nostalgia

Denise McKinney says she has probably somewhere close to half a million matchbooks tucked away inside her Riverside home.

She’s been collecting for years and will typically pick up whatever strikes her fancy, no pun intended. She has specialties now, like matchbooks with animals on them or matchbooks that advertise radio and TV stations, but she says her biggest collection by far is books from Southern California, including vintage motel matchbooks.

The motel turns 100. Explore the state’s best roadside havens — and the coolest stops along the way.

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The president of the Angelus Matchcover Club says she likes matchbooks because of how they reflect a region’s history. She’s grabbed books that tout Route 66 attractions or places from her Orange County hometown.

Matchbook collectors Olivia Frescura, Robert Donnelson, Denise McKinney and Cheryl Crill.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the motel, a concept that originated with the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo (later renamed the Motel Inn). Though it didn’t become widely known until after World War II, “motel” is essentially a portmanteau for “motor hotel,” or a lodging place where the rooms could be entered through the parking lot rather than through a central lobby.

To get travelers in the door, motels used gimmicks to stand out among the stiff competition, like neon signs and themed decor, but also promotional materials like free postcards and pocket-sized matchbooks. With the 100th anniversary in mind, we wanted to look back at some of Southern California’s motel history as seen through collectors’ matchbooks. These books represent just a small fraction of the thousands of motels that have operated in the region but are a great place to start.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

Collector: Cheryl Crill, Pasadena

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? From the book itself, we know very little, only that it was on Hollywood Boulevard between Western Avenue and Vine Street and that it was allegedly both fire- and earthquake-proof. From postcards that appear online and information gathered by amateur historians, though, we know that the Town was a two-story brick motel located at 5756 Hollywood Blvd., and it was built in 1940 for about $40,000, site included. Each room had a kitchen and many guests rented by the week or on a long-term basis.

What the collector says: A matchcover collector for over 35 years, Crill says she was drawn to the Town Motel book because of its modernist look and location. An L.A. County native, who’s also the editor, treasurer and membership secretary for the Angelus Matchcover Club, Crill has around 2,000 matchcovers from Hollywood hotels and motels alone.

What’s there now? The Fusion Hollywood/Alta Ink apartment complex.

(Chester Crill)

Collector: Crill

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? The book lets us know that the motel was located in the “City of Stars,” at 2010 N. Highland Ave., just “2 blocks north of Hollywood Blvd. or 2 blocks south of the Hollywood freeway.” According to vintage postcards, it had 30 “lovely units,” all of which were fully carpeted.

What the collector says: The Bowl Motel appealed to Crill because of its location, and the artwork goes across the entirety of the cover.

What’s there now? The site is slated for a 62-unit affordable housing complex for the homeless.

(Chester Crill)

Collector: Crill

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? Located at 8585 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, the Tropicana was purchased by Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax in 1962. He sold it a few years later, but in the meantime the hotel started to become a hot spot thanks in part to its proximity to the Sunset Strip. The 74-room joint became especially popular among rock ‘n’ rollers, over time hosting luminaries like Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett and Sly Stone. Both Jim Morrison and Tom Waits were long-term residents, holding down rooms at the Tropicana for years.

What the collector says: While Crill says she collected this matchbook because of where the hotel was located, she notes that it also would appeal to Koufax or baseball collectors or those who collect matchbooks from businesses owned by “VIPs.”

What’s there now? The Ramada Plaza by Wyndham West Hollywood Hotel & Suites.

(Chester Crill)

Collector: Crill

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? Offering “resort living,” according to a postcard, the Algiers was located at 445 N. Rossmore Ave. It had a cocktail lounge and a dining room, as well as expansive green vistas from its pool deck thanks to its proximity to the Wilshire Country Club. Those who chose to stay at the Algiers also got complimentary tickets to TV show tapings at nearby studios, an amenity more than a few Hollywood motels offered back in the day.

What the collector says: Calling yourself something like “the Algiers,” Crill says, could make visitors choose to stay there just because they thought it sounded exotic.

What’s there now? The Windsor at Hancock Park Apartments.

(Amanda Villegas/For The Times)

Collector: Olivia Frescura, Beverly Grove

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? The book gives us relatively little to go on, saying just that the motel was located at 3019 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, along Route 66. It also names the then-owners, George and Corinne Macklem, which matchbooks of the era often did in order to make staying there feel like a more personalized experience. From old postcards online, though, we can see that the Clark was built sometime in the early ’40s and had 22 cottages on-site, 16 with kitchenettes, as well as a heated pool. It went through some renovations and at times advertised that patrons would have access to private telephones, full tiled baths and “free hi-fi music.”

What the collector says: A relative newcomer to the matchbook game, Frescura started collecting just seven or so years ago, in part because she was working as a social media manager for a hospitality company at the time. Now, the content creator collects both old and new matchbooks, posting them on her @MatchesInLA Instagram account. She says she was drawn to the Clark Motel book in part because she grew up in South Pasadena but also because she liked the color, which she says is close to one of the colors she uses in her own business logo.

What’s there now? The Ganahl Lumber Yard’s parking lot.

(Amanda Villegas/For The Times)

Collector: Denise McKinney, Riverside

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? A Riverside institution since the 1950s, the Farm House was located at 1393 8th St. Each little barn-shaped bungalow suite offered a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen, and the book says patrons could come “for a night … or a vacation.” Operated for about 32 years by Isidore and Marie Claire Camou, the Farm House’s design paid tribute to the area’s agricultural heritage, including the dairies that once filled the countryside. In 2019, the structure — which has always kept the same barn-shaped neon sign — was designated as a city of Riverside Historic Landmark, in part because it was one of the last remaining examples of a motor court in the region.

What the collector says: As a local, McKinney has known about the Farm House for years. She calls the Farm House “charming” and “country-western-looking,” hailing it as a “very good relic of roadside architecture.”

What’s there now? The Farm House Collective, a restaurant and shopping center that opened in March.

Collector Denise McKinney’s matchbook from the Pioneer Motel.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

Collector: McKinney

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? Located in Buena Park, the Pioneer Motel was one of many that popped up in Orange County in the 1950s and ’60s in the wake of the Disneyland tourism boom. According to vintage postcards, the ranch-style motel had two pools, TVs in most rooms and was close to other restaurants and theaters.

What the collector says: McKinney grew up in Orange County, “right there on Beach Boulevard,” she says. She’s always liked the string of motels and attractions along that strip and says that in both Buena Park and Anaheim, motels often would be designed around a theme, whether it was pioneers or knights or something fantasy-related. “They had to do their best to get people to stay there,” McKinney says, “so they had to advertise what they had versus the hotel next door, because they literally were all right next to each other like boom, boom, boom.”

What’s there now? An empty lot owned by the city of Buena Park.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

Collector: McKinney

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? A 54-unit structure located at 2711 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, the Red Apple Motel was the sister property to the nearby William Tell Motel and Apartments. The Red Apple attracted Route 66 tourists and beach bums alike who could avail themselves of the Red Apple’s in-room radios and kitchenettes.

What the collector says: Like Orange County, Santa Monica has always attracted a lot of tourists. That’s why, McKinney says, motels like the Red Apple and William Tell chose to brand themselves so distinctively. “If you look through all the other motels that were in Santa Monica at the time, they’re all very beachy themed or trying to be glamorous,” McKinney says. “I think the Red Apple’s look makes it stand out. [The Red Apple and the William Tell] did a great job with all their graphics and postcards and other matchbooks, which just goes to show you that people knew their competition. They knew, ‘We’ve got to get people to stay here somehow.’”

What’s there now? A Chase Bank.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

Collector: Robert Donnelson, Azusa

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? Located at 12059 Wilshire Blvd., the Don Lowell advertised itself as being “30 minutes to downtown LA and 5 minutes” from the beach. Each cottage had a kitchen and a garage, and the facility touted its AAA approval. According to postcards, it was a relatively small establishment, with just 12 structures, “all with tile showers, innerspring mattresses, radios, [and] wall heaters.”

What the collector says: Looking at the Don Lowell’s structure makes Donnelson, an amateur historian and longtime matchcover collector, think that it was more of a “motor court” than what we might think of as a motel, with a carport essentially wedged between each unit. Donnelson says he grabbed this matchbook purely because he loves SoCal matches, with about 5,100 L.A. books along with 10,000 New York City and 5,000 San Francisco books in his collection.

What’s there now? A Ralph’s grocery store.

Collector Robert Donnelson’s matchbook from the Pasadena Motel.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

Collector: Donnelson

Where was the motel and what do we know about it? Advertised as being “typically Californian,” the Pasadena Motel was a mission-style building located at 2131 E. Colorado Blvd., along Route 66. Operated, according to a postcard, by “Mr. and Mrs. A.H. King,” the motor court-style motel offered patrons views of Mt. Wilson.

What the collector says: Donnelson loves the bold blue-and-white graphics on the book’s exterior, as well as the handy map inside.

What’s there now? The Travelodge by Wyndham, a popular place to stay during the Rose Parade due to its route proximity.