Due to storm damage in my condo I. 2021, I stayed at a Motel 6 in Oakland for 2 weeks. The beds were comfortable, room was clean. I liked that they have laminate floors instead of carpet. I was able to get my stay on average to $80 per night. It was easy enough to have a food delivery or the nearby grocery store had a daily buffet for take out.
@@ThePeterDislikeShow Things were changing. I didn't smoke, but remember ashtrays in some of the rooms. I know they did have non-smoking rooms and restaurants often had no-smoking sections.
Nia the Gulf Gypsy+ That sounds really cute:)!! As a Child, I would have LOVED to have seen that:)!! Did Super 8 sell the Teddy Bears as Souvenirs as well?
I liked Super 8's better back when they were all still decent. They atleast had coffee and continental breakfast. Super 8's also catered alot to the big contracting and construction companys and always gave lodging to local trade schools and trucking company training centers. I felt better being in a building full of professional, but tough blue collar guys who had to go to bed early. Never had too much trouble and riff raff at Super 8's back then. 😁
I remember when Travel Lodge was still pretty decent too. Its the Travel Lodges and Comfort Inns that have become the crack motels in my area. We still had a couple of decent Knights Inns up until the 90's.
When I traveled in the back seat of a 1952 Plymouth Cambridge sedan or 1959 Rambler Cross Country station wagon with my parents and older sister from LA County to the Canadian border, typically we stayed at a Travelodge. The properties were always clean and well kept and as you might imagine, as kid I liked the sleepy bear mascot. Sometimes staying at a Travelodge was not possible when we spent the night in small towns like Pismo Beach, California, Astoria, Oregon, and Bellingham, Washington. In those locales we'd get a room at a mom and pop motel, but they were nice too with a sense of homeyness. Of course, this was eons ago in a reality that no longer exists. I can imagine what my relatives born in the early 20th century must of though about the changing world. Sometimes when I take a look around now i just shake my head, and not in a good way. What I see leaves me speechless.
I’ve stayed at many motel 6 locations during driving trips. My default was usually one of those or a Super 8. Nothing fancy but generally easy to find near the interstates and almost never without a room for the night. For a place to sleep overnight and get back on the road, it’s hard to beat.
I think the demise of a lot of relatively cheap motels is due to the fact that new management allowed monthly rentals to people who couldn't afford regular housing. Unfortunately it led to a downward slide in quality and service. There's a motel near me that charges $68 a nite and you need to be careful that you don't take unwanted "guests "(bed bugs)home with you. Things have changed a lot in the past and not always for the better. But at least we have our memories.
@James Doolittle I'm ready to harpoon a hammock between the walls. Doesn't matter how nice the property 50/50 chance I'm getting bit by something. Then I remember these places Allow people's Pets.
@@jimconaty6218 I am from the Netherlands, i stayed in motel 6 Carpenteria ones in 1986. I started to look at the history of motel 6 and saw they started with 6 dollars a night. So thats way i joked about 6.80. Greetings from the Europe.
@@brmmrb5780 now I get your response. Yes I remember traveling many years ago (east coast of the US) and how cheap the rooms were then. Of course my income was a lot less too. So I guess it's all relative. Greetings from America
I remember staying at motel 6 a few years back while traveling. The motel was clean, well maintained, comfortable beds, and friendly staff. In today's date, motel 6 lost its luster and the few places that are still open conduct business for something else such as extended stay for low income families, something else, and something else depending on the area.
@@jackandrews7878 I would be embarrassed to stay to motel 6.. at least Holiday Inn are better At the end Marriott are the best hotel I have ever been to Motel 6 more like Motel Sick Super 8 more like Super Ache
Did a cross country road trip w/ a buddy in 1986 or so...he was a big Motel 6 fan, and we stayed in more than a few when we could. I remember the one in Needles, CA for some strange reason. Thanks for the vid.
I'm 62 and in the 60's our family of 6 always stayed at the Motel 6 when we traveled due to the price and I still do today because all I ever need is a clean comfortable room.............
I went to one of these in 2015. It reminded me of a pre-school play area! It was totally horrible and I will never go back again! This was in Fredericksburg, VA!
Stayed at a Motel 6 near Knoxville TN last night. Pretty rundown inside rooms but very clean and quiet. I'll definitely stay there again next time I'm in area.
Only problem with Motel 6's is that there weren't enough of them. A good night's rest for a good price is all anyone should want before getting back on the road.
As a labor union organizer I stayed in them for years...they were always good enough for me and I never really had any problems or complaints....it was either there or Days Inn..or even Best Western well within my budget..
I don't recall ever staying at a Motel 6 during all the times we did road trips in the '60s and '70s.. was mostly Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn and a mom and pop place here and there when the other two were all booked up.
My parents kept a AAA Motel Guide in the car, and my sister and I would browse through the book and STRONGLY suggest we should stay at the places with a pool. My dad was insistent that he was NOT going to pay more then $20 a night ANYWHERE. We usually ended up at Best Westerns. LOL- Good memories.
@@88KeysIdaho LOL!! awesome!! Love stories like this because my dad was EXACTLY the same way! "I'm not ABOUT to pay $20 a night for a room we're only going to spend ONE night in!" .. but, then mother, in her calm way, would reason with Dad and he'd eventually give in.. and if calm reasoning didn't work, she NAG him to death.. and then if that didn't work.. the tears would start.. that ALWAYS worked LOL!!!
I took a 3,800 mile road trip five years ago and stayed in Motel 6's every night but one. The one and only complaint I have is there isn't a coffee maker in the room. There's coffee available in the office , but that can sometimes be a long walk from your room, and I drink a lot of coffee. I should have brought my own coffee maker. For a 1 or 2 night stay, they're practical and (for the most part) comfortable.
When I was old enough to travel by myself on trips, late 1970s, I used them. The cost was $9.99 for the room and to get a key to turn on and use the black and white TV, cost an additional 75 cents. A chain of the old era's, the last one I stayed in was in Pocatello, Idaho, and it cost $49.95, in 2010. I haven't stayed in one since due to the issues mentioned in other posts about crime and prostitution at many that still exist. However, often well over $100.00 a night for many motels now a days is insane! Many don't offer much more than a Motel 6 did anyway! I always wondered where the name Motel 6 came from. That's also what I like best from this channel, learning the background story of these iconic companies!
i think its like the same, just different economy. and crime and prostitution doesnt really happen much when i stayed. if it does, well it was probably worse in the 70s since everything was less looked after
Once upon a time in America. Motel six was a great deal. It was clean and tidy. You brought a picnic basket and a cooler of food for the family. Hung out sight seeing all day and had a good day of traveling on a shoe string budget. And you felt like you were doing pretty darn good once a year on minimum wage pay. At saving of 2.00 a week for vacation in a piggy bank or coffee van at home.
Great comment. Yes I recall much of that sentiment from back then. Buddy told me you could buy a house and have kids working cashier at the grocery stores in So California 60-70s.
Back in the early 90s, I stayed in one near the Oakland Colisseum while on a business trip. That was, uh, interesting. On my next trip to the area I stayed in Hayward, a huge improvement!
I love Motel 6! When I was little I thought their sign looked like a 6 in a cloud. Then in the 90's I noticed their signs were just a red 6 against a blue background with no cloud. What? More recently they changed the design of the 6 to what it is now. Still a red 6 against a blue background, but not as cute. When I close my eyes and imagine Motel 6, I still think of their old logo.
I stay at Motel 6 whenever and wherever I can. I always leave a tip for housekeeping that is more than $6. Ha. It's still worth it considering the savings.
When, we traveled in the early 2000s we always stayed at a Motel 6 or a Days Inn, both then, were still very decent for the price. When, we would be on the road we happened to meet a young guy in his late teens to early 20s said, him and his friends would stay there usually at night after they got off of work from a late night shift, rather than take a 45 minute or so commute back home that late just to be safe and, so, there parents wouldn’t worry about them end up being in a accident or hit by intoxicated driver. They felt the hotel six was cheap and safest place for them to stay back then.
At 1:35, that picture brings back memories, down the street from where I grew up, the old style Motel 6 on Colorado Pl, Arcadia, CA, across the street from Santa Anita Race Track. Still there today, same building, still a Motel 6!
I still have a few brochures from 1971. Still in nice shape and a single room is advertised at $6.95 per night. I always wondered if the Motel 6 Company would be interested in these old brochures for their history. I have them wrapped in plastic.
$6 in 1962 is $53 in 2021. Which I guess is kind of cheap compared to other road side hotels. To me Motel 6 was the ultimate roadside stop for the night while on a road trip. If there was a pool, even better. Things changed alot after Accor took over. Higher prices, pool hours were cut. That's the corporate life I guess.
Did a cross country trip in 1985 on our honeymoon and Motel 6 was all we could afford. A lot of locations still had the coin operated TVs and some you had to buy a key to turn the tv on for an additional fee. The second hubs and I did a cross country trip from Georgia to Arizona in 2018, and stayed in the updated Motel 6 mainly because they take pets. Still a nice, clean room with everything you need, nothing you don’t.
I went to inflation calculator, and $6 in 1962 would be worth $53.06 in 2021. It would be very hard to find a decent motel room now for $53. Today, the tax on a motel or hotel room is more than the rate was back in 1962.
When I was 13, I worked at a Motel 6 for $3.00/hr. That was in the early 80’s sometime. Back then, the customers were good people, I never ran into a person who was violent, or substance user... I didn’t know what those were either. My mom was more cautious about women hygiene items, and those sorts. A couple of years ago, I was pretty certain it was a good place to stay the night.... WRONG! It was scary!!!
The first time I ever stayed at one, the room was fine , but I had to scrunch down when showering because the shower head was so low. I have stayed in better ones since.
The Motel 6 by me is always full since it's by the freeway on/off ramps and the industrial park area of town so gets a lot of truck drivers staying there but the look of truck cabs parked in the rear. A classic Denny's is next to it and is always busy also.
I love Motel 6! M6 started in 1962 as a budget motel chain, and started "Click 6" web bargains in 2002. They added the Studio 6 brand to our portfolio in 1999. They nicknamed the third generation Motel 6 logo: the dotted 6, from 1996 and 2002.
If it not for Motel 6 this past year many families wouldn’t have had an option. But, I don’t think anyone has any idea how many people are living out of hotels right now. I traveled the country all year and have been in California the past 2 months ; there are working homeless living and working from hotels all over the country - not just California .
No kidding! What kind of jobs do people have now, that allows them to afford these kind of "economy" prices?! Klamath Falls, Oregon: Starting at $175.00/1 person. Grants Pass, Oregon: Starting at $250.00/1 person. This is the cheap motel.. How much are people paying in these locations for a Best Western room.. -Holy Jesus.. This is insane! I don't see how a society can function with this kind of seriously absurd high prices.. What's a simple hamburger going for in Klamath Falls? $30.00?!
@@zuutlmna yeah that’s why we’re pushing for wage increases. Everything is more expensive and no one is making any money off of it except for one guy at the top.
As I write this I am staying in a Studio 6/Motel 6 in San Angelo,Texas.$51.99 nightly and $301 weekly currently.Pretty nice,friendly staff.First stayed at a Motel 6 in Santa Rosa,New Mexico,in the summer of 1980.It was either $10.95 or $11.95 a night then
Stayed in these many times, with my grandparents while traveling cross country. We just needed an inexpensive place to crash for the night on our way to our destination. They filled the bill.
The way I judge a motel room is if I can walk across the carpet in my motel room in my white socks and they don't get dirty then that's fine with me. Motel 6 is ok in my book. No frills and a low price is perfect.
@@captainamericaamerica8090 ...Thats a good question. I haven't stayed at a overnight hotel in years. I stay in motels for days at a time now. Vacation and pleasure.
Motel 6 used to be my motel of choice while traveling, until I became a rather severe diabetic. With the need of being able to refrigerate my insulin and the majority of them not having refrigerators, I had to search for cheaper alternatives. They're still in my top 3 of preferred chains to use as they're still good in a pinch.
@@lelawilkerson4299 Briefly meet PHarvey Forgot years earlier he did a national radio cometary on my step brothers friend: Jim J.... of MN has gotten his 13th DUI. Had no idea about any of that. Then to hear it during a radio news break.
@@monkeywkeys3916 WOW, i do not what to say to that! Other than i "Use" to knw a guy that had 8 D.U.I/his parents owned a large restaurant here in Pittsburgh and i think they musta paid off the Judges caz he kept getting out of it, or house arrest n then kept driving, albeit suspended. Thts Scary. I grew up listening to Paul Harvey n just was always intriqued by his stories, and of course the ending And now you know the rest of the Story". 💛
I DONT recommend staying there, i am abt to leave for Fla vacation n was gona stay a few nites @ Daytona Motel 6, they jus had a breakin n the guy in the room shot the intruder in the buttocks. Obviously wht ive read bout drugs etc must b true. Be SAFE ppl. Pay the few bucks xtra n stay elsewhere.
I've never stayed in one, but in the early 70's, I worked as night clerk and bookkeeper at one. Their craziest thing was having an electronic box attached to the switchboard that kept track of how many local calls were made from a room and charging ten cents each for them. I truly don't think it could have been cost effective to add that to the record keeping and bookkeeping just to stiff someone for a dime for using the phone. People reading here may not be aware that managers are only hired as couples, and are sent in from outside the area, and must live in the manager apartment beside the office. Traveling manager couples come through periodically to stay for a few days and give the resident manager couple some time off.
I remember stopping at the one in Gallup, NM. When I and my young wife first got in, we switched on the light. About 30 roaches 🪳 ran under the furniture! We were so tired, it didn’t matter.
I didn't stay in my first Motel 6 until five years ago, when I stayed in one for a convention that was incidentally fixed up in the aforementioned Phoenix Project.
Motel 6 catered to the traveling salesman - on the road all the time - from one city to another - all this guy wanted was a clean bed - a sink to wash his mouth out - and a shower to clean himself off - if he had the time to partake of food or a hooker in the nearest town - so be it - but the motel didn't have to supply him with that - he had a car - he could find it for himself
When I travel I prefer, whenever possible, locally owned and operated mom-and-pop places. If none then its Motel 6, Super 8 or Travel Lodge. I don't want fancy, just a clean room to sleep in. No pools, etc. Wifi is commonplace. There are usually restaurants nearby and many are locally owned (don't care for chains). I have never had a bad experience with any of the above. Well, one or two were kinda dodgy... :)
I never knew what the "6" stood for. Why would any business ever build a brand around a price point they knew was gonna change? "$5 footlong", "Everything's a Dollar" etc. The business model is still valid though, at least it was pre-COVID. I don't need a health club, concierge etc., I just need a clean, safe place to lay my head for a few hours and I don't want to buy the place. Good God, I sound like my Dad! Just for laughs, in the pool scene at 5:37 there doesn't appear to be any water in the pool the boy is jumping into...hope he landed safely!
I'll never stay at a Motel 6 again...last time..we had reservations..had been on the bike for 8 hours it was hot..got checked in went to our room..AC did not work..we told them in office..manager says...well if you dont like it you can just leave..and was not nice about it...plus for the price..the room had nothing..no microwave..refrigerator..nothing..this was in San luis obispo calif..we contacted Motel 6 main corporation...they did nothing..AND YES WE DID LEAVE..had to go 2 more hours to find a room..because of some state fair going on...so that's that
I have stayed at many Motel 6's and enjoyed the experience , I have also stayed at most of the best hotels in the world and truthfully in reality you just shower and sleep there , never been impressed by the hype and glitter of the marketing . Thank you Motel 6 .
Caveat Emptor: watch out for that one in Lone Pine, CA just off the edge of Death Valley...I caught a severe case of bed bugs. Not a good night after pedaling out there on a 200 mile cycling event. I haven’t checked into one since.
I stayed at the one in Winnemucca, back in 1997. The fifth generation Corvette came out in that year. Motel 6 is famous for its $6 room rate- Other motel brands, Like Quality Inn
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Due to storm damage in my condo I. 2021, I stayed at a Motel 6 in Oakland for 2 weeks. The beds were comfortable, room was clean. I liked that they have laminate floors instead of carpet. I was able to get my stay on average to $80 per night. It was easy enough to have a food delivery or the nearby grocery store had a daily buffet for take out.
My young family and I used these hotels on road trips. Clean, basic, inexpensive. I rented a place to sleep for a few hours, not a resort.
plenty of bed bugs
@@onlythewise1 plenty of needles loaded up with black tar
@@jackandrews7878 drugs
They appeal to the lowest common denominator.
I never stayed at a Motel 6 but remember the commercials very well.
In the Mid 80s when I was homeless, Orange Park, FL had a Motel 6. I sometimes stayed there because it was the cheapest place.
Been there and done it.
Did they allow smoking back then?
@@ThePeterDislikeShow Things were changing. I didn't smoke, but remember ashtrays in some of the rooms.
I know they did have non-smoking rooms and restaurants often had no-smoking sections.
@@cyclenut Here in Seattle you can make big bucks opening a hotel that allows smoking because the few people who want it will pay a small fortune.
@@ThePeterDislikeShow yes
Thank you for this quick story on Motel 6. And thanks for adding Tom Bodett into your narrative.
Wow !!!
I've always loved their motels and their commercials !!!!
Thank you for bringing back some long lost memories!!!!!
There was also Super 8 and Travel Lodge - Travel Lodge's mascot 'Sleepy', was a teddy bear in a night shirt with a night cap on.
I remember thaT sLeepy bear dude. Thanks for making me smiLe.
Nia the Gulf Gypsy+ That sounds really cute:)!! As a Child, I would have LOVED to have seen that:)!! Did Super 8 sell the Teddy Bears as Souvenirs as well?
I liked Super 8's better back when they were all still decent. They atleast had coffee and continental breakfast. Super 8's also catered alot to the big contracting and construction companys and always gave lodging to local trade schools and trucking company training centers. I felt better being in a building full of professional, but tough blue collar guys who had to go to bed early. Never had too much trouble and riff raff at Super 8's back then. 😁
I remember when Travel Lodge was still pretty decent too. Its the Travel Lodges and Comfort Inns that have become the crack motels in my area. We still had a couple of decent Knights Inns up until the 90's.
When I traveled in the back seat of a 1952 Plymouth Cambridge sedan or 1959 Rambler Cross Country station wagon with my parents and older sister from LA County to the Canadian border, typically we stayed at a Travelodge. The properties were always clean and well kept and as you might imagine, as kid I liked the sleepy bear mascot. Sometimes staying at a Travelodge was not possible when we spent the night in small towns like Pismo Beach, California, Astoria, Oregon, and Bellingham, Washington. In those locales we'd get a room at a mom and pop motel, but they were nice too with a sense of homeyness. Of course, this was eons ago in a reality that no longer exists. I can imagine what my relatives born in the early 20th century must of though about the changing world. Sometimes when I take a look around now i just shake my head, and not in a good way. What I see leaves me speechless.
I’ve stayed at many motel 6 locations during driving trips. My default was usually one of those or a Super 8. Nothing fancy but generally easy to find near the interstates and almost never without a room for the night. For a place to sleep overnight and get back on the road, it’s hard to beat.
Super 8s and Motel 6. Road trips wouldn’t be the same without them!
M Masque At some properties that's *if* your vehicle is intact in the morning.
I remember when M6 first started...it really was $6. A lot of teen couples went there to study biology.....
I understand the Motel 6's here in Los Angeles are $69 per night now. Maybe they should update their name...
@@JustFunandGames 🤣🤣🤣
I see what you did there.
@@JustFunandGames Nice.
Nowadays I think it is more popular with entrepreneurial young ladies who tend to work at night.
Ahhhh...Motel ‘69’, so many fond memories in Phoenix, Dallas, Tallahassee, Santa Barbara, Portland (both)....🥴🥳
I was the GM of the Property in Santa Barbara after we renovated to the 6 Classic. If you get a chance go see what we did there. Very retro.
Yea, but I bet the price didn't go retro!
I think the demise of a lot of relatively cheap motels is due to the fact that new management allowed monthly rentals to people who couldn't afford regular housing. Unfortunately it led to a downward slide in quality and service. There's a motel near me that charges $68 a nite and you need to be careful that you don't take unwanted "guests "(bed bugs)home with you. Things have changed a lot in the past and not always for the better. But at least we have our memories.
@James Doolittle
I'm ready to harpoon a hammock between the walls. Doesn't matter how nice the property 50/50 chance I'm getting bit by something. Then I remember these places Allow people's Pets.
68 dollars or still 6.80?
@@brmmrb5780 $68
@@jimconaty6218
I am from the Netherlands, i stayed in motel 6 Carpenteria ones in 1986.
I started to look at the history of motel 6 and saw they started with 6 dollars a night.
So thats way i joked about 6.80.
Greetings from the Europe.
@@brmmrb5780 now I get your response. Yes I remember traveling many years ago (east coast of the US) and how cheap the rooms were then. Of course my income was a lot less too. So I guess it's all relative.
Greetings from America
I remember staying at motel 6 a few years back while traveling. The motel was clean, well maintained, comfortable beds, and friendly staff. In today's date, motel 6 lost its luster and the few places that are still open conduct business for something else such as extended stay for low income families, something else, and something else depending on the area.
Low-income families, drug-addicts, teen runaways. Those are the primary demographics that use motel 6 now
@@jackandrews7878 I would be embarrassed to stay to motel 6.. at least Holiday Inn are better
At the end Marriott are the best hotel I have ever been to
Motel 6 more like Motel Sick
Super 8 more like Super Ache
Today's Motel 6 are whore houses and drug dealing refuses.
Did a cross country road trip w/ a buddy in 1986 or so...he was a big Motel 6 fan, and we stayed in more than a few when we could. I remember the one in Needles, CA for some strange reason. Thanks for the vid.
Haha, really does remind me of road trips with my parents. 😅
I'm 62 and in the 60's our family of 6 always stayed at the Motel 6 when we traveled due to the price and I still do today because all I ever need is a clean comfortable room.............
Motel 6 is a chain of budget motels. They opened the first one on June 6th, 1962 in Santa Barbara.
I went to one of these in 2015. It reminded me of a pre-school play area! It was totally horrible and I will never go back again! This was in Fredericksburg, VA!
Stayed at a Motel 6 near Knoxville TN last night. Pretty rundown inside rooms but very clean and quiet. I'll definitely stay there again next time I'm in area.
Love this channel. 😀
this just brings back a flood of wonderful memories
This channel is epic, I’m only 36 and damn I’m nostalgic
Only problem with Motel 6's is that there weren't enough of them. A good night's rest for a good price is all anyone should want before getting back on the road.
@@foobarmaximus3506 The word is 'frugal'
Every Motel should be a MOTEL 6
As a labor union organizer I stayed in them for years...they were always good enough for me and I never really had any problems or complaints....it was either there or Days Inn..or even Best Western well within my budget..
I don't recall ever staying at a Motel 6 during all the times we did road trips in the '60s and '70s.. was mostly Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn and a mom and pop place here and there when the other two were all booked up.
My parents kept a AAA Motel Guide in the car, and my sister and I would browse through the book and STRONGLY suggest we should stay at the places with a pool. My dad was insistent that he was NOT going to pay more then $20 a night ANYWHERE. We usually ended up at Best Westerns. LOL- Good memories.
@@88KeysIdaho LOL!! awesome!! Love stories like this because my dad was EXACTLY the same way! "I'm not ABOUT to pay $20 a night for a room we're only going to spend ONE night in!" .. but, then mother, in her calm way, would reason with Dad and he'd eventually give in.. and if calm reasoning didn't work, she NAG him to death.. and then if that didn't work.. the tears would start.. that ALWAYS worked LOL!!!
Thank you so much Recollection Road for uploading this great video, I appreciate it!
Life in America recollection road shows nostalgia looking back in memories❤
Excellent video, thanks!
I stayed many nights at a Motel 6 when it was six bucks! You can't see the "no frills" when you're asleep!! "And we'll keep the light on for ya!"
Still have remnants of Motel 6's around West Texas. Fond memories decades past.
Yes before foreigners got them
@@packingten That is unfortunately the truth.
Hello from Tyler Texas!
When Our family took trips to Florida we always stayed at motel6.. Vary good memories and hey THEY WILL LEAVE THE LIGHT ON FOR YA.. 😆
I took a 3,800 mile road trip five years ago and stayed in Motel 6's every night but one. The one and only complaint I have is there isn't a coffee maker in the room. There's coffee available in the office , but that can sometimes be a long walk from your room, and I drink a lot of coffee. I should have brought my own coffee maker. For a 1 or 2 night stay, they're practical and (for the most part) comfortable.
Love your stuff...soothing, informative, pleasant
When I was old enough to travel by myself on trips, late 1970s, I used them. The cost was $9.99 for the room and to get a key to turn on and use the black and white TV, cost an additional 75 cents. A chain of the old era's, the last one I stayed in was in Pocatello, Idaho, and it cost $49.95, in 2010. I haven't stayed in one since due to the issues mentioned in other posts about crime and prostitution at many that still exist. However, often well over $100.00 a night for many motels now a days is insane! Many don't offer much more than a Motel 6 did anyway!
I always wondered where the name Motel 6 came from. That's also what I like best from this channel, learning the background story of these iconic companies!
i think its like the same, just different economy. and crime and prostitution doesnt really happen much when i stayed. if it does, well it was probably worse in the 70s since everything was less looked after
Now motels are respectable cleaned up the crime and squalor elements
Once upon a time in America. Motel six was a great deal. It was clean and tidy. You brought a picnic basket and a cooler of food for the family. Hung out sight seeing all day and had a good day of traveling on a shoe string budget. And you felt like you were doing pretty darn good once a year on minimum wage pay. At saving of 2.00 a week for vacation in a piggy bank or coffee van at home.
Great comment. Yes I recall much of that sentiment from back then.
Buddy told me you could buy a house and have kids working cashier at the grocery stores in So California 60-70s.
Motel 6 rooms are filled with colorful signage, advertising, and the number 6 itself.
Back in the early 90s, I stayed in one near the Oakland Colisseum while on a business trip. That was, uh, interesting. On my next trip to the area I stayed in Hayward, a huge improvement!
And it wasn't the sound of firecrackers either!!! lol...
I spent many a night in Motel 6's. And still do.
I love Motel 6! When I was little I thought their sign looked like a 6 in a cloud. Then in the 90's I noticed their signs were just a red 6 against a blue background with no cloud. What? More recently they changed the design of the 6 to what it is now. Still a red 6 against a blue background, but not as cute. When I close my eyes and imagine Motel 6, I still think of their old logo.
I remember a hotel with a sleep walking bear but can't remember the name. It was my favorite as a kid.
@@evelyndurham8228 Travelodge was the one with the sleep walking bear. I thought it was cute too, but at some point they didn't have him anymore. :(
6
I miss the logo
How old is Tom Bodett, and is he married?😂
Loved it in the early years! Just a basic room, clean and affordable.
I stay at Motel 6 whenever and wherever I can. I always leave a tip for housekeeping that is more than $6. Ha. It's still worth it considering the savings.
When, we traveled in the early 2000s we always stayed at a Motel 6 or a Days Inn, both then, were still very decent for the price. When, we would be on the road we happened to meet a young guy in his late teens to early 20s said, him and his friends would stay there usually at night after they got off of work from a late night shift, rather than take a 45 minute or so commute back home that late just to be safe and, so, there parents wouldn’t worry about them end up being in a accident or hit by intoxicated driver. They felt the hotel six was cheap and safest place for them to stay back then.
At 1:35, that picture brings back memories, down the street from where I grew up, the old style Motel 6 on Colorado Pl, Arcadia, CA, across the street from Santa Anita Race Track. Still there today, same building, still a Motel 6!
And we'll keep the light on for ya.
I still have a few brochures from 1971. Still in nice shape and a single room is advertised at $6.95 per night. I always wondered if the Motel 6 Company would be interested in these old brochures for their history. I have them wrapped in plastic.
$6 in 1962 is $53 in 2021. Which I guess is kind of cheap compared to other road side hotels. To me Motel 6 was the ultimate roadside stop for the night while on a road trip. If there was a pool, even better. Things changed alot after Accor took over. Higher prices, pool hours were cut. That's the corporate life I guess.
Did a cross country trip in 1985 on our honeymoon and Motel 6 was all we could afford. A lot of locations still had the coin operated TVs and some you had to buy a key to turn the tv on for an additional fee.
The second hubs and I did a cross country trip from Georgia to Arizona in 2018, and stayed in the updated Motel 6 mainly because they take pets. Still a nice, clean room with everything you need, nothing you don’t.
Studio 6 started franchising in 1999. They started opening the first Studio 6 in El Paso, Texas in 1997 and franchise into Motel 6 locations.
Stayed at the one in Livermore and a lot of people lived there full time. It was very nice
Thank you, love these videos..♡
Motels are so high today. they need these for overnight stays and budget shoppers, and more motels like these.
Oh I can find you some good cheap motels over here in Detroit. Comes with cheap hookers and crack too.
that depends on the stars too, 3 star motel or 1 star? also hotels were also cheaper back then. everything was cheaper back then it seems, idk
I went to inflation calculator, and $6 in 1962 would be worth $53.06 in 2021. It would be very hard to find a decent motel room now for $53. Today, the tax on a motel or hotel room is more than the rate was back in 1962.
I also meant to say I stayed at the Santa Barbara Motel 6 , one block back from the beach . Great place .
A clean motel. What a novel idea.
Well, I am a 1950's baby boomer and often feel nostalgic for the good old days, so I am subscribing. Thanks for posting.
When I was 13, I worked at a Motel 6 for $3.00/hr. That was in the early 80’s sometime. Back then, the customers were good people, I never ran into a person who was violent, or substance user... I didn’t know what those were either. My mom was more cautious about women hygiene items, and those sorts. A couple of years ago, I was pretty certain it was a good place to stay the night.... WRONG! It was scary!!!
The first time I ever stayed at one, the room was fine , but I had to scrunch down when showering because the shower head was so low. I have stayed in better ones since.
The midget special!Been in a few like that.Handy for pressure washing the armpits
The Motel 6 by me is always full since it's by the freeway on/off ramps and the industrial park area of town so gets a lot of truck drivers staying there but the look of truck cabs parked in the rear. A classic Denny's is next to it and is always busy also.
I notice a lot of motel 6s are by freeways and mcdonalds and jack in the boxes convenient stores and gas stations cool commodities
I love Motel 6! M6 started in 1962 as a budget motel chain, and started "Click 6" web bargains in 2002. They added the Studio 6 brand to our portfolio in 1999. They nicknamed the third generation Motel 6 logo: the dotted 6, from 1996 and 2002.
Motel 6!
The studio 6 is great with kitchen cookware
Motel 6 was my favorite place while traveling places as a kid. It has a vibe to it
Top ten new slogans for Motel 6 is one of David Letterman’s funniest lists.
Motel 6 has been my go to place on long road trips, no gimmicks, no frills, good enough to serve my needs.
I like this motel chain pool clean rooms showers and bathtubs sparkling clean wi fi
Thanks for the video.
If it not for Motel 6 this past year many families wouldn’t have had an option. But, I don’t think anyone has any idea how many people are living out of hotels right now. I traveled the country all year and have been in California the past 2 months ; there are working homeless living and working from hotels all over the country - not just California .
With project room key and housekey homelessness post pandemic
Until about 10 years ago I stayed only at Motel 6 when I traveled. Now I avoid them because most of them are dumps.
Another great video. Thank you.
And in 2021, they renamed their motels to “Motel 122” due to price inflation.
😂
No kidding! What kind of jobs do people have now, that allows them to afford these kind of "economy" prices?! Klamath Falls, Oregon: Starting at $175.00/1 person. Grants Pass, Oregon: Starting at $250.00/1 person. This is the cheap motel.. How much are people paying in these locations for a Best Western room.. -Holy Jesus.. This is insane! I don't see how a society can function with this kind of seriously absurd high prices.. What's a simple hamburger going for in Klamath Falls? $30.00?!
Or Motel 19 for all the COVID-19 superspreading outbreaks at their chain.
@@zuutlmna yeah that’s why we’re pushing for wage increases. Everything is more expensive and no one is making any money off of it except for one guy at the top.
As I write this I am staying in a Studio 6/Motel 6 in San Angelo,Texas.$51.99 nightly and $301 weekly currently.Pretty nice,friendly staff.First stayed at a Motel 6 in Santa Rosa,New Mexico,in the summer of 1980.It was either $10.95 or $11.95 a night then
Pretty good prices for studio 6 in California be over a thousand two thousand a month
When I motor for enjoyment I always try to stay at the Bates Motor Lodge just off the main highway.
We'll leave the light on for ya!!
"we leave the lights on fur ya:" Tom Bodette
I have a directory showing the Motel 6 locations. I love the smell of a Motel 6 room!
The original location has the same exact dated furniture
Stayed in these many times, with my grandparents while traveling cross country. We just needed an inexpensive place to crash for the night on our way to our destination. They filled the bill.
The way I judge a motel room is if I can walk across the carpet in my motel room in my white socks and they don't get dirty then that's fine with me. Motel 6 is ok in my book. No frills and a low price is perfect.
@@captainamericaamerica8090 ...Thats a good question. I haven't stayed at a overnight hotel in years. I stay in motels for days at a time now. Vacation and pleasure.
HOOKER HEAVEN
Along with Drug Sellers and Drug Users.
$6/night! Hard to believe they built such a huge empire and made a profit on that.
Motel 6 used to be my motel of choice while traveling, until I became a rather severe diabetic. With the need of being able to refrigerate my insulin and the majority of them not having refrigerators, I had to search for cheaper alternatives. They're still in my top 3 of preferred chains to use as they're still good in a pinch.
Rare to get a room with refrigerator and or microwave oven
I remember back in the 60s when they were 6.00 for 4 people then 6.00 for 2 people then 6.00 for 1 person and now you know the rest of the story.
Ok Paul Harvey👏💛
@@lelawilkerson4299
Briefly meet PHarvey
Forgot years earlier he did a national radio cometary on my step brothers friend: Jim J.... of MN has gotten his 13th DUI.
Had no idea about any of that. Then to hear it during a radio news break.
$6.00 in 1960 is the same as about $55 today...
@@monkeywkeys3916 WOW, i do not what to say to that! Other than i "Use" to knw a guy that had 8 D.U.I/his parents owned a large restaurant here in Pittsburgh and i think they musta paid off the Judges caz he kept getting out of it, or house arrest n then kept driving, albeit suspended. Thts Scary. I grew up listening to Paul Harvey n just was always intriqued by his stories, and of course the ending And now you know the rest of the Story". 💛
I DONT recommend staying there, i am abt to leave for Fla vacation n was gona stay a few nites @ Daytona Motel 6, they jus had a breakin n the guy in the room shot the intruder in the buttocks. Obviously wht ive read bout drugs etc must b true. Be SAFE ppl. Pay the few bucks xtra n stay elsewhere.
I've never stayed in one, but in the early 70's, I worked as night clerk and bookkeeper at one. Their craziest thing was having an electronic box attached to the switchboard that kept track of how many local calls were made from a room and charging ten cents each for them. I truly don't think it could have been cost effective to add that to the record keeping and bookkeeping just to stiff someone for a dime for using the phone. People reading here may not be aware that managers are only hired as couples, and are sent in from outside the area, and must live in the manager apartment beside the office. Traveling manager couples come through periodically to stay for a few days and give the resident manager couple some time off.
I remember stopping at the one in Gallup, NM. When I and my young wife first got in, we switched on the light. About 30 roaches 🪳 ran under the furniture! We were so tired, it didn’t matter.
Sorry no candy roaches
I didn't stay in my first Motel 6 until five years ago, when I stayed in one for a convention that was incidentally fixed up in the aforementioned Phoenix Project.
Good memories.
Interesting history!!! My parents preferred Days Inn. Same idea though.
Now it's probably $86 a night 😥
There was an apartment complex in Galveston that mainly had gays living there, and some of the locals nicknamed it the " AIDS INN"
Motel 6 catered to the traveling salesman - on the road all the time - from one city to another - all this guy wanted was a clean bed - a sink to wash his mouth out - and a shower to clean himself off - if he had the time to partake of food or a hooker in the nearest town - so be it - but the motel didn't have to supply him with that - he had a car - he could find it for himself
Saw hookers come in and out of a Motel 6 in Omaha one time for hours on end. Had to have been a dozen different ladies.
I stayed at the one in Winnemucca. The nicest motel 6 ever built. The Motel 6 in Orlando is on international drive
Would be cool if they had "time warp" rooms from the 1960's!!! Got coins for the TV and the Vibrating Bed??
When I travel I prefer, whenever possible, locally owned and operated mom-and-pop places. If none then its Motel 6, Super 8 or Travel Lodge. I don't want fancy, just a clean room to sleep in. No pools, etc. Wifi is commonplace. There are usually restaurants nearby and many are locally owned (don't care for chains). I have never had a bad experience with any of the above. Well, one or two were kinda dodgy... :)
I remember staying at one in the mid 2000s. If I recall correctly, they did not leave the light on
The first motel 6 still exists and runs to this day in Santa Barbara. I've stayed there once, it was pretty nice actually
I never knew what the "6" stood for. Why would any business ever build a brand around a price point they knew was gonna change? "$5 footlong", "Everything's a Dollar" etc.
The business model is still valid though, at least it was pre-COVID. I don't need a health club, concierge etc., I just need a clean, safe place to lay my head for a few hours and I don't want to buy the place. Good God, I sound like my Dad!
Just for laughs, in the pool scene at 5:37 there doesn't appear to be any water in the pool the boy is jumping into...hope he landed safely!
Now all Motel 6 does is keep the crack pipe warm for you
🙄
My wife and I travel about 200 miles to see our grandkids in Columbia, Mo. this our go to stop!
I'll never stay at a Motel 6 again...last time..we had reservations..had been on the bike for 8 hours it was hot..got checked in went to our room..AC did not work..we told them in office..manager says...well if you dont like it you can just leave..and was not nice about it...plus for the price..the room had nothing..no microwave..refrigerator..nothing..this was in San luis obispo calif..we contacted Motel 6 main corporation...they did nothing..AND YES WE DID LEAVE..had to go 2 more hours to find a room..because of some state fair going on...so that's that
I stayed at few Motel 6 locations because the signage was awesome for a budget hotel chain like Quality Inn
I stayed in one in Oklahoma and it seemed like the pool was full of locals.
"Family members" of employees.
I have stayed at many Motel 6's and enjoyed the experience , I have also stayed at most of the best hotels in the world and truthfully in reality you just shower and sleep there , never been impressed by the hype and glitter of the marketing . Thank you Motel 6 .
you dont just sleep and shower there. its a lifestyle , and a feeling.
No frills with decent accommodation for the price charged. The good old days have gone by.
Caveat Emptor: watch out for that one in Lone Pine, CA just off the edge of Death Valley...I caught a severe case of bed bugs. Not a good night after pedaling out there on a 200 mile cycling event. I haven’t checked into one since.
The one in orlando, next to the WKMG studios. The same Motel 6 location as the one in Winnemucca
I stayed at the one in Winnemucca, back in 1997. The fifth generation Corvette came out in that year. Motel 6 is famous for its $6 room rate- Other motel brands, Like Quality Inn
Hyland inn best Western ramada
Ah so that's how they got their name. There's one in Tucson where I live 🌵