Motels in Oklahoma
Chelsea Motor Inn Chelsea, Okla. Located at the eastern end of Chelsea on Route 66, the six-unit Chelsea Motor Inn offers clean, quiet, comfortable rooms at reasonable prices. The friendly and attentive owners live in a historic farmhouse next door. Their pet American bison, Chelsea, lives in a pasture behind the motel, where she frequently poses for photos with tourists. For reservations, call (918) 789-3437.
Claremore Motor Inn Claremore, Okla. Immaculate rooms at reasonable prices. Friendly owners. Pets allowed (and there's a vet clinic next door, which I found very reassuring when traveling with my terrier). Not a historic property, but one of my favorites anyway. This is one of the few motels where I've had enough positive experiences to feel confident checking in without asking to inspect the room first. For reservations, call (800) 828-4540.
Desert Hills Motel Tulsa, Okla. The Desert Hills is a classic. The neon sign out front features a big cactus. The motel also features unique architecture (all the rooms are set at an angle, giving the building the appearance of a giant accordion) and one of the best perks on the road: For some reason, the tile floors in the bathrooms are always warm, so your toes never get cold when you step out of the shower or wander into the bathroom in the middle of the night. Well worth a stop ... and Tulsa is a great place to stay overnight, because it's well-blessed with great restaurants, stunning Art Deco buildings, interesting people, fantastic museums, and absolutely gorgeous neon signs. For reservations, call (918) 834-3311.
Skyliner Motel Stroud, Okla. One of the true jewels of the road. On our first visit, we stopped at the Skyliner just because we thought the neon sign out front looked cool (the "L" in Oklahoma on this page is from the Skyliner). We requested a nonsmoking room and received the key to Room 3. The next morning, the owner asked us how we liked the bed. I told him it was more comfortable than our own bed at home. He grinned as he explained that he had purchased the bed -- with a top-of-the-line mattress -- for an elderly family member, who didn't like it because it was "too tall" (it's an unusually large bed) ... so the owner just put the bed in a nonsmoking room for customers to enjoy. Bonus: The Skyliner is located about a block west of the famous Rock Cafe, which gives you a primo excuse to have dinner there and then return for breakfast the next morning. For reservations, call (918) 968-9556.
Lincoln Motel Chandler, Okla. The Lincoln Motel is a classic motor court, with well-landscaped grounds, a cool neon sign, and a driveway that sweeps in front of a row of neat brown buildings, each of which houses two units. Metal chairs out front are available for travelers who want to spend a summer evening watching the world go by on Route 66. Small pets allowed. For reservations, call (405) 258-0200.
Whitten Inn Oklahoma City, Okla. Whitten Inn is a small, regional motel chain. With five locations in Oklahoma and Texas, it might be a little bigger than your typical mom-and-pop, but all five motels are owned by Larry and Mary Ann Whitten, and the Oklahoma City location is exceptional: clean, quiet, newly remodeled, and loaded down with amenities at very reasonable prices. Some rooms have patios overlooking the pool area, which is beautifully landscaped, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Well worth a stay. For reservations, call (405) 528-7563.
Carlyle Motel Oklahoma City, Okla. A good option for the budget-minded, the Carlyle is a nice, basic, no-frills motel with neat rooms and a truly beautiful neon sign. At $32 to $38 a night, rates are substantially lower than those at many other OKC motels. (405) 946-3355.