If you’re traveling on a budget and looking for a vintage 1950 motel on Route 66, book a room at the Sands Motel in Grants, New Mexico.
In its heyday Sands Motel was more than just lodging: the location also boasted a restaurant, cocktail lounge, and service station. Previously owned by Jim and Billie Shue and Leon and Cecile Koch, the roadside motel promised “Modern, New Carpeted Rooms, Restaurant, Cocktail Lounge & Service Station.” It also promoted free televisions and telephones in the rooms and a quiet and relaxing atmosphere off the highway. It even attracted the likes of Elvis Presley.
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Today the vintage Sands is a basic budget motel that offers free parking, cable TV, WiFi, a microwave, and a refrigerator in all guest rooms. With carpeted floors and dated wooden furniture, it’s not the most luxurious stay, but for travelers on a budget it offers a slice of history.
You can even stay in Room 123, the “Elvis Presley Room,” where you’ll find photos of the singer alongside his marriage certificate.
As you travel on Route 66 you’ll see a big sign for Sands Motel right on the Mother Road, but the hotel itself is tucked away about a half block off the road. The Googie-style neon sign is bright yellow with SANDS spelled out in white boxes topped with flags.
Sands Motel isn’t the most flashy motel on Route 66, but if you want to explore more of Grants it is convenient to most of the local offerings. Book a room at Sands Motel to be close to the New Mexico Mining Museum, the Route 66 Neon Drive-Thru Sign, and El Cafecito.
