Western Motel

If you’re making your way down Route 66 and need a solid place to rest in Shamrock, Texas, the Western Motel is always a reliable stop. The motel has been around since the 1960s and still offers exactly what a road tripper needs: clean, comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.

While many motels in town lean into Shamrock’s Irish roots, this one is all Texas. Look for the terracotta-colored building decorated with western stars, horses, horseshoes, and outlines of the state. A brightly-lit yellow sign beckons travelers from the road (and hints at a long-gone restaurant that once also thrived within its walls).

This two-story motel sits right across the street from the iconic Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café, one of the most photographed spots on the Mother Road. You can even upgrade your room to one with a view to watch the neon lights flicker on at dusk.

The updated rooms are clean and straightforward, with all the basics you’d expect: free WiFi, cable TV, coffee makers, hair dryers, and complimentary parking (some spots are even right outside your door, which is always a bonus when you’ve been driving all day).

Set at the corner of Route 66 and Main Street, the Western Motel puts you close to everything you want to see in town, like Blarney Stone Plaza, the Fake Blarney Stone, the Pioneer West Museum, and the Shamrock Water Tower. As for dinner, you won’t have to wander far. There’s Grif’s Steakhouse right next door and Rusty’s on 66 just across the street. I grabbed a pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza (yes, I do think pineapple belongs on pizza) and some teriyaki wings from Rusty’s, took them back to my second-story room, and ate them while watching Food Network in bed, one of my favorite ways to end a day on the road.

Western Motel in my favorite place to spend a night in Shamrock, but if you’re looking for something different, you can also spend a night at Shamrock Country Inn.

Photos of Western Motel in Shamrock, Texas