If you’ve ever driven the oak-tree-covered stretch of Highway 101 between Templeton and Paso Robles, you might recognize the bright red ‘MOTEL’ sign overlooking the Salinas River.

For decades, the motor lodge originally known as ‘The Suburban Lodge’ has sat vacant at 1955 Theatre Drive - a street named for the drive-in theatre that existed there once upon a time. Like its neighbor, River Lodge was eventually slated for demolition too, until now.

Nomada Hotel Group (the company behind downtown’s newly restored Farmhouse Motel) has completed a labor-of-love that preserved the iconic property’s original ‘Googie’ architecture while elevating the guest experience with modern amenities and features. Boutique by design, nostalgic by nature. Reality ends here.