The World's First-Ever Motel

Milestone Motel: If you find yourself traveling that divine distance between L.A. and San Fran, perhaps do as the 1925 automobile drivers did and stop at the Motel Inn, formerly known as the Milestone Motel.  It’s the O.G. of all motels.  Literally, the first of its kind. Arthur Heineman methodically set the “motor hotel (motel)” at the exact halfway point between the two major CA cities, in a beautiful beach town called San Luis Obispo.  The year was1925 and it was necessary for people and their automobiles to rest on that long treck.  It’s located right off the 101 freeway.  

Back when..: A night’s stay was a mere $1.25, California was a promised land with ripe fruit falling off vines, and a “mobile” was only short for automobile and meant high status and ample income.  Guests were issued a two-room bungalow with a kitchen and private adjoining garage.  Look outside the motel windows and you’d have seen a pool in the middle of a central courtyard and picnic tables to mingle with other travelers.  But, sad to say, nothing good lasts forever…

Hard times:
In 1999, the Motel Inn was abandoned and since then, most of the building has been torn down.  In case you were planning on booking a stay to experience what it’s like to stay in the world’s first-ever motel, you might want to tweak your plans a bit.  By all means, please stop by to say you’ve seen it—you know how into bragging rights we are—but the motel has been shut down for quite some time.   There is currently no word of what will become of the Motel Inn, but that just means the sooner a trip, the better.

 

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