Motel Du Beau at 19 West Phoenix is Flagstaff’s first Route 66 motel. Built in 1929 for the new breed of traveler, “auto tourists,” the motor hotel (later shortened to “motel”) catered to those lured by the open road. Note the U-shaped plan of the motel, which allows auto adventurers to park next to their room and then quickly move luggage from their car to their guestroom. Owner Albert Eugene Du Beau believed the innovative courtyard design was the first of its kind. In the 1930s, when the realigned Route 66 no longer passed his door front, Mr. Du Beau competed for lost business with an 80- foot tower sign. Today the motel offers retro lodging in the heart of downtown Flagstaff.
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