Staying a Night at the El Vado Motel-ABQ on Route 66

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One of the most adorable places we’ve ever stayed is along Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The historic El Vado Motel originally opened in 1937 as a motor court with open garage spaces to park your car, not unlike many motor inns along Route 66, including the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari. Built in the Spanish Pueblo Revival style, this motel makes your imagination a reality as you experience the Southwest corner of the U.S.

In 2005, the El Vado Motel closed, its future uncertain. For a while, it looked like demolition would be the motel’s fate, but in 2008, the City of Albuquerque made it a city landmark. Then, in 2028, the El Vado Motel reopened as a boutique motel that honored the motor inn’s past while giving it a fresh, new vibe. On a road trip in 2022, we gave the motel a try.

Checking In to El Vado

We embarked on our road trip from our home in Joplin, Missouri, in late May of 2022. Our first stop on the road trip was Oklahoma City after a half day of travel. The next day, we had reservations at El Vado Motel-ABQ. We had our work cut out for us, but we made the 8-hour drive, and we were glad to have a place to rest.

We had a couple of goals during our brief stop in Albuquerque beyond staying in a Route 66 motel: eat at a couple of Route 66 restaurants and see the Rattlesnake museum in Old Town. We hit all our stops, and you can read about our Rattlesnake Museum experience here. Our first goal, however, was to check in at El Vado.

It was late afternoon when we pulled up. We were the only ones in the lobby, and check-in was quick.

Finding the Room

What was once the motor court part of the motel is now enclosed, so the doors face a courtyard instead of opening to the parking lot. This does add a layer of security. To get into the court, you need your key to let you into a conference/event building that then gives you access to the courtyard.

Then, we took a little walk with our luggage to find our room. There is a nice pool in the courtyard, but our time was limited. Plus, it was late May. I don’t remember it being super warm yet for an evening swim.

Our Room

Below is the door to our home for the night.

Right inside the door is a living area which also serves as a second sleeping location if needed. The loveseat makes a bed, and Jeff slept here while Kristin and I took the bed in the bedroom.

Each “room” has its own TV.

At the other end of the room, you have this set-up. I appreciate a room with an in-room fridge.

The vanity is outside of the bathroom. This is handy when trying to get out the door while traveling.

Below is the bedroom.

And here is the second TV. Also note that there is a wall separating the areas and that you can walk around both sides of the wall. The spaces are not truly separate rooms.

Exploring the Grounds

The grounds of the El Vado Motel are beautiful. We had the opportunity to walk the area after we checked in and after we had dinner at the Frontier Restaurant, a fun Route 66 dining spot that fit our family perfectly due to its mix of New Mexican offerings and standard American fare. They even make their own tortillas onsite; you can watch them pop out of the machine. But I digress.

On our evening walk, we strolled along the little shops and “food pods” on the property, but all except the EL Vado Taproom were already closed for the evening. Again, we were traveling in late May. Hours may vary during various seasons. As you can see, there is outdoor seating available.

To order from the taproom, you can visit the exterior order window or order inside.

The offerings are from the Ponderosa Brewing Company, a local, award-winning brewery.

The El Vado Motel also hosts events and performances in its plaza space. It’s also a great place to grab a seat when nothing is scheduled in the space.

The Wrap-Up

We had a great stay at the El Vado Motel. It’s definitely a place you should have on your radar if you’re driving Route 66. With its nostalgic history and recent glow-up, you’ll follow in the footsteps, or maybe tire tread, of the travelers who have previously driven the Mother Road; only nowadays, you’ll enjoy the contemporary comforts that travelers of the 21st century seek.

We had everything we needed, and we rested well. After a good night’s sleep, we packed up the car and continued onward toward the Grand Canyon.  Happy travels!

Click below to read about other adventures we had on this road trip:

Grand Canyon Village at Night

The View Cabins in Monument Valley

Dreamcatcher Tour in Monument Valley

Hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park