Roadrunner Lodge (Royal Inn)

1023 E Route 66, Tucumcari, NM
Phone:

East < GO > West

The former Leatherwood Manor and adjacent LaPlaza Motel eventually became the Royal Inn which had closed by 2012. In 2014 the property was sold again and the name was changed to Roadrunner Lodge and an extensive rehabilitaion was started that allowed the motel to reopen. Originally this was two separate motels that were built about twenty years apart.

This photo shows the 1940s La Plaza wing of the combined motels, note that it was still displaying the Royal Inn sign in 2012, . The 1940s La Plaza originally featured 15 rooms with attached garages. The garages were later converted to guest rooms. The mid-1960s Leatherwood Manor is a two story building. The La Plaza was listed in the 1952 edition of the Green Book guide for Black travelers.

When the two properties where combined the roofline of the newer motel was extended over the lobby of the older La Plaza Motel. The LaPlaza Motel lobby was then converted into guest rooms. I don't yet know when the motels were combined, but an early 1970s postcard shows it hadn't happened yet.

It's hard to miss the large Roadrunner Lodge sign while cruising down Tucumcari Blvd.

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

1940s Postcard
La Plaza Motel
1401 East 66
Phone 150-J or 28-J

One of Tucumcari's finer small motor courts
Good view of Tucumcari Mountain

Mid-1960s Postcard
Leatherwood Manor
AAA
Friendship Inns
1023 East HiWay 66
Area Code 505- 461-xxxx
Tucumcari, New Mexico

Overlooking Tucumcari Mountain
New, Luxurious and Unique
Thirty-one spacious units
Heated Pool
Free T.V.
Free Ice
Room Phones
24 Hour Service
Individual Automatic Controlled Ref. Air Conditioning & Heat
Room Service
Honoring all Major Credit Cards
Curio & Gift Shop
Adjacent Restaurant
Owned and Operated by Arnold & Frances Olsen
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Early 1970s Postcard
Frienship Inn
Leatherwood Manor
1023 East Hiway 66
4 Blocks South of Hiway 54
Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401
Telephone (505) 461-xxxx
All Color TV
King Beds
U-Haul Parking
Heated Pool
Room Phones
Individual Controlled Ref. Air Conditioning & Heat
Honor Major Credit Cards
Adjacent Restaurant and Lounge

Note: The 1940s La Plaza Court postcard could be viewed as "just the basics", if that, especially when it came to the early phone numbers.
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Photo(s): 2012, 2015