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You might stay at the legendary pink palace that is the Madonna Inn. Or Surfrider Malibu, where you can borrow a Mini Cooper and cruise along PCH. There’s Sea & Sand Inn, which clings to a breathtaking Santa Cruz clifftop. And Pioneertown Motel, a charming desert outpost with Old West vibes.
In this guide, we jangle our room keys to explore the greatest motels across the state. Along the way, we stop to discover cool vintage history, iconic restaurants and essential roadside attractions.
Ready to hit the road?
The Madonna Inn, Skyview in Los Alamos, San Francisco’s Hotel Del Sol, Trixie Motel in Palm Springs. This state has no shortage of great motels, many of which mix nostalgia with modern design.
The roadside motel, an innovation conceived in California, turns 100 this year. Travel writer Christopher Reynolds went looking for its birthplace — and its future.
From historic saloons to local breweries and steakhouses, here’s where to stop for food on your next California road trip.
Merch Motel’s Barkev Msrlyan took his obsession with midcentury motels and turned it into a retro-lover’s dream.
Gargantuan pink Champagne cakes, cocktails and oak-grilled steaks: a behind-the-scenes peek at the Madonna Inn’s restaurants, bars and bakery.
This strawberries-and-cream cocktail is the most ordered at the Madonna Inn’s Silver Bar. Here’s how to make it at home, with or without alcohol.
These road trip stops between San Diego and San Francisco offer you history, photo ops and, yes, a bathroom break.
Thousands of motels once advertised coin-operated vibrating mattresses and other phenomena from last century.
A must-have guide for fans of Midcentury design, iconic restaurants, vintage history and unforgettable adventures.
Motels in the 1950s and ’60s gave away matchbooks as a way to market themselves amid competition. Collectors say motel matchbooks are a connection to the not-so-distant past.
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