Built 1932 Opened 1932 Added to NRHP 22 November 1993 | NRHP Reference # 93001217 Demolished 2011 | |
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Similar De Anza Motor Lodge, Jones Motor Company, El Vado Auto Court, Nob Hill Business Center, Rio Puerco Bridge | ||
The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It was demolished in 2011 despite being the oldest continuously-operating Route 66 motel in New Mexico and "one of the five most important motels left" in Albuquerque.
The motel was built in 1932 as the first of what would eventually be dozens of auto courts lining Central Avenue. It was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The building was well known locally for its exterior decorations, which consisted of hundreds of found objects assembled in the 1990s by a resident of the motel. The work was described in the Albuquerque Journal as a "beloved local folk art installation".
The Aztec Motel was razed in early June 2011. The motel's owner cited its deteriorating condition and high maintenance costs as reasons for the demolition, estimating the building would cost $1 million to renovate. The motel's neon sign was preserved and will become part of any future development on the site.