How world’s first motel that opened in 1925 was a luxury spot loved by celebs like Marilyn Monroe

While motels are now considered budget-friendly places for motorists to lay their heads for the night, the original motel set out to be quite the opposite with movie stars even popping in for a pitstop. 

Designed by Californian architect Arthur S. Heineman at a cost of $80,000, the Milestone Mo-tel – a term Heineman coined by combining the words ‘motor hotel’ – was ideally located along Highway 101 just north of downtown San Luis Obispo. The hotly-anticipated spot opened its doors to paying customers on December 12, 1925. 

Vintage black-and-white photos and postcards from the time reveal the motel’s smart exteriors, which were modeled on a Spanish mission, complete with whitewashed walls, manicured gardens and a bell tower. 

According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, the motel evolved into a California hotspot with Marilyn Monroe and her then husband, Joe DiMaggio, booking out the accompanying steakhouse for their honeymoon lunch in 1954 and Ronald Reagan held campaign rallies there.

Designed by Californian architect Arthur S. Heineman at a cost of $80,000, the Milestone Mo-tel along Highway 101 just north of downtown San Luis Obispo opened its doors in 1925

During the mid-century, the motel inn advertised it had 60 modern units (pictured)

A later iteration also saw Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Clint Eastwood pass through its doors, KCET reported.

Up to 160 people could stay at the motel and, according to records, the units had modern conveniences like telephones, showers, central heating and carpet.

There were also garages next to the bungalows and stays cost motorists $1.25 per night, which is about $21 in today’s money. 

Other amenities included a laundromat and a playground. 

Marcella Faust, who worked as a waitress at the motel when it launched, told The Seattle Times that she had a smart Spanish-style uniform which included a vest and a ‘big hat with roses on it.’

Along with serving food, Faust said another one of her tasks included handing out brochures on the roadside to attract new customers.

She recalled: ‘We’d stand out there on the road in our big hats.

‘My girlfriend would work the cars going north, I’d work the ones going south. 

The gardens at the Motel Inn. It opened its doors to paying customers on December 12, 1925

It also boasted ‘fireproof bungalows,’ which had ‘moderate rates’

A wider view of the Motel Inn, which was ‘half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles’

Blank check pages from the Motel Inn’s restaurant and cocktail lounge, which was famous for its barbecue

Postcards from the time reveal the motel’s smart exteriors which were modeled on a Spanish mission, complete with gardens and a bell tower

The motel evolved into a California hotspot with Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (pictured here at another dining venue) booking it out for their honeymoon lunch in 1954

‘They were Model As and Model Ts back then, so they’d have to go pretty slow up the steep hill there. 

‘We’d just stand there and wave and hand them the booklets as they went past.’

Heineman originally set out to open a motel chain with 18 locations scattered across California. 

However, when the Great Depression hit in 1929, cash-strapped travelers looked for cheaper spots to stay and Heineman ditched his expansion plans. 

The Milestone – which was later renamed the Motel Inn – kept ticking along for several decades before it finally closed its doors in 1991.

According to Kostas Katsigiannis, who is a keen historian and a former employee at the Greek National Tourism Organization, the motel was used as office space after its closure.

Photos taken recently by tourists show that the majority of the original buildings have been torn down, with just a couple of the exterior walls remaining. 

Another remnant is the Motel Inn sign, outlining the ‘restaurant and lounge’ facilities to passersby. 

There have been various rumors of redevelopment plans over the years, but as of yet, the Motel Inn remains non-functioning. 

Up to 160 people could stay at the motel and, according to records, the units had modern conveniences like showers, central heating and carpet

The Milestone – which was later renamed the Motel Inn – kept ticking along for several decades before it finally closed its doors in 1991

Photos taken recently by tourists show that the majority of the original buildings have been torn down, with just a couple of the exterior walls remaining

Another remnant is the Motel Inn sign, outlining the ‘restaurant and lounge’ facilities to passersby

It was owned by Apple Farm Inn, which is located next door, before developers John King and Rob Rossi snapped it up for $3.6 million in 2000 before knocking down most of the motel’s remnants five years later, according to a 2017 report by KCET.

The only buildings that remained standing were the front office, which was used as an office space by Apple Farm Inn, as well as the restaurant.

There were plans to develop the property into a hotel and recreational vehicle park, but they appear to not have come to fruition just yet.

On social media, many former motel guests have reminisced about their time at the Motel Inn. 

Petengail Flores said: ‘I used to go there for dancing many years ago. It was a great place.’

While Betsey Smith remembered spending lots of time in the bar with a friend and listening to the band. 

And Callie Cat Fisher exclaimed: ‘I used to work there in the early 1970s! Started as a waitress in the bar and ended up as a bartender. Very nice place – AMAZING restaurant. 

‘That’s where I first had “mountain oysters” [a dish made of bull testicles]! Lots of cowboys from the King Ranch used to drink there after payday. Rowdy bunch but very respectful of the waitresses.’