Saga Motor Hotel

1633 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA
Phone: 626-795-0431 Website

East < GO > West

The 71 room Mid-century modern Saga Motor Hotel opened on November 19, 1959. The motel was designed by local architect Harold B. Zook and built by the O. K. Earl Co. at a cost of about a million dollars.

A newspaper article about the motel's opening states that it featured private telephones, a television, and an AM-FM radio in each room and of course air-conditioning. Interestingly the article mentions an elevator, but the motel website says they don't have an operating elevator, perhaps awaiting repairs?

The motel and is located at the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and Sierra Bonita Ave., right on the world famous Tournament of Roses Parade route. The staff has been friendly and helpful when we stayed here. One nice touch is that they have books in your room to read. There is also a guest laundry.

There's a large pool in the courtyard for those who'd like to splash around a bit after a day of exploring Route 66 in Pasadena.

The rooms are spacious and quite comfortable. Ground floor guest rooms, like this one we stayed in, have separate entrances from the courtyard and parking areas.

The very cool neon sign with "Saga" in a Moorish-inspired script. The name Pasadena, written in neon script, used to be located between the Saga and Motor Hotel. The sign has been designated as a Pasadena Historic Sign.

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

(Saga Logo)
The Saga Pasadena
1633 E. Colorado Street
Pasadena, Calif. 91106
Phone: SY 5-**** ; MU 1-****
Pasadena's most convenient downtown Motor Hotel. 71 Luxurious Rooms. , Air-Conditioned, Swimming Pool
. Minutes to Los Angeles and Santa Anita.
The Rose Parade Route

Note: The Saga Pasadena was the second of the Saga Motor Hotels, the first was another across from Disneyland in Anaheim.

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Photo(s): 2013