Brand/Publisher: Motel 6, Inc., Santa Barbara, California; printed in the United States.
Item: Original vintage 1985 Motel 6 nationwide directory booklet providing locations, maps, and travel information for the budget motel chain across the United States.
Front cover titled 1985 DIRECTORY with subtitle $17.95 SINGLE – NATIONWIDE features stacked color photographs of business, family, and senior travelers paired with repeating Motel 6 logos above the slogan THE ECONOMY LEADER NATIONWIDE on a deep blue background.
Back cover carries the phrase Look for this sign and save! above the classic red and blue Motel 6 shield logo marked $17.95 SINGLE, a printed line LOWEST RATES NATIONWIDE, the corporate imprint Motel 6, Inc., 51 Hitchcock Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, and a local rubber stamp reading Motel 6, 3015 8th Ave., Evans, CO 80620.
Opening pages promote MOTEL 6 MEANS MORE and THAN JUST ECONOMY! sections describing company-owned motels, fully carpeted rooms, air-conditioned comfort, heated pools, and adjacent family-style restaurants, along with GENERAL INFORMATION on reservations, advance payment, group bookings, checkout time, occupancy rules, cancellations and refunds, and pet policy.
A later spread titled THE ECONOMY LEADER NATIONWIDE, Effective June 1, 1985, presents a large rate chart showing One Person $17.95, Two Persons $21.95, Special Family Plan with Additional Person $2.00 each, Children 3 - 11 $1.00 each, and Babies under 3 FREE, plus notes about optional television charges and that rates and taxes may change without advance notice.
Below the chart a feature list highlights Clean Rooms, Heated Pools, Ample Parking, Ice & Vending Available, and Free Cribs, while footer panels note that Visa and MasterCard are accepted and promote forthcoming Mobil Travel Guide recognition with the words COMFORTABLE, CONVENIENT, and AFFORDABLE.
Main directory sections arrange Motel 6 properties by state and city, with INDEX pages listing hundreds of locations from Alabama, Arizona, and California through Texas and beyond, followed by detailed entries that combine street addresses, phone numbers, narrative driving directions, amenity summaries, and small black-and-white strip maps for each property.
Examples shown include listings and sketch maps for Washington, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and many other states, illustrating how the booklet functioned as a combined hotel directory, road atlas supplement, and quick-reference guide for motorists using interstate highways and major routes.
Format and appearance: tall, narrow, multi-page softcover booklet printed in black, blue, and occasional color on lightweight paper with a glossy card cover, designed to slip easily into a glove compartment, briefcase, or travel bag for cross-country road trips.
Notes: Appealing piece of 1980s American motel and highway travel ephemera, ideal for collectors of Motel 6 advertising, roadside Americana, hotel directories, and vintage budget travel guides covering a wide mix of U.S. states.
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