Blue Swallow Motel

Awesome stay at a vintage motel. Clean, well designed room, comfortable bed. Awesome owners and cool spot to stay.

We travelled Route 66 this summer over the course of 18 days (including the Grand Canyon). Of all of the places we stayed, Blue Swallow was by far my favorite! I highly recommend staying here when you're in the area or taking Route 66. Everything about the motel and the owners made me feel like I was traveling Route 66 in the 1950s. I was magically transported to the heyday of Route 66 the instant I stepped onto the property. The rooms are adorable and retro furnished. The neon lights and evening vibe cannot be beat! We bought some bottled pop/soda along the way on Route 66 and we spent a nice evenings outside relaxing with them at Blue Swallow. I would give them a 10 star review if possible.

Make reservations early. The price is more than reasonable! Tucumcari is also a cute town and the motel owners are more than happy to give you suggestions on things to do and see. You have to check this place out!

STAY HERE if you can. It's an  amazing blast from the past. Each room is unique and totally retro. The  lamps were one of my favorite! Sitting out in the court enjoying our beverages under the full moon was so great. The owners are super friendly too.

This is the best motel in Tucumcari.

I think it's the best motel period on old route 66.

I have stayed here many times over the years going to and from skiing/vacationing in Santa fe.
We always get here really late and leave really early in the morning and I never had a chance to get some great pics till today as I made it my destination.

I'm not really a fan of Tucumcari but i'm really a fan of this motel. And when I get sleepy in the middle of my drive again in the future, this is where I will stay again, as always.

For me, it's the only place to stay in Tucumcari.

Highest Recommendations.

Great place! My favorite place to stay in Tucumcari. Looking forward to staying there again.

Alright, so...if you want the ultimate Route 66 experience, you gotta stay in at least a few mom-and-pop motels on the Mother Road. That's just the unwritten rule for the "66" traveler. This was one of two that I stayed at in New Mexico (the other was the El Rancho Hotel - see review).

With mom-and-pop/independently-owned lodging places, don't expect fancy...or average. I consider myself more of a hotel chains kind of guy, like I want a hot breakfast and pool to go with my comfy bed and cable TV. At the Blue Swallow, you will get a comfy bed and cable TV - but with the old-fashioned experience. The room, as well as the bathroom, was small. And that's okay, because I knew what I was in for. Starting with the room, it had a few cool retro things such as a lamp made in Albuquerque several decades ago, plus a rotary phone that still works! It had an old-fashioned heater plus a little desk. I had a great sleep that night.

The exterior of the whole place is just awesome. It's no wonder it is known to be one of the most photographed places on Route 66. There are 12 units, and some of them have garages (mine didn't, which was fine) you can park your car in. There was also a laundry room, and outside every room was a small patio table and two chairs. It rained the day before, so it didn't do anyone good to sit outside (oh well!). I highly recommend walking around outside at night when everything is lit up.

There's a lot of history I can get into about the place, which dates back nearly 80 years! Built in 1942, during the prime of Route 66. It has changed hands many times, but arguably Lillian Redman was the most prominent owner as she owned it from the 1950s to the late 1990s. It is owned by a young couple today, and they were super nice and appreciative that I stayed with them. They made sure everything was in tip-top shape and that everyone enjoyed their stay. It was purchased by Rob and Dawn in 2020, moving into the place from Illinois. I got to chat with them for a bit, and I even bought some souvenirs from them.

It goes without saying, I highly recommend this place. Again, don't expect a lot of things you would expect from your typical hotel/motel chain. Definitely be sure to book plenty of time in advance, as rooms go just like that. It is also best to book your room straight from their website, as most third-party websites don't have Blue Swallow listed.

We coasted into Tucumcari while on a cross-country drive. It was a cool January evening. We pulled up under the warm neon glow, and immediately the proprietor greeted us and encouraged my photo taking of our vintage convertible under the motel's beautiful vintage sign.

The motel's individual entries and garages, laid out in a cute "L" pattern, make for a community feel even in the offseason, chairs flanking our room's entry, all awash in neon glow.

Our stay in Tucumcari was relatively brief, but we enjoyed conversation with the front desk, our delightfully vintage (and clean!) room, and the personality and warmth that's often absent from a vintage chain. If you can make the detour from the interstate and stay in Tucumcari, stay here and enjoy some warmth and tranquility.

We bought a mug and a magnet in the shop. We told our friends about the wonderful vintage motel and will be back on our next drive.

This is the coolest Motel I have ever stayed at. My wife and I are on a 3 month trip across the country so we have stayed in a ton of motels and hotels all over the lower 48. This is by far our favorite place we've stayed in anywhere in the country. We were walked to our room by the owner and shown everything and the history behind it. The room was comfy and really well priced. The whole area is filled with so much Americana you wont want to leave!

We have traveled this road a few times, and always said we should stay here sometime. Well, sometime finally happened! And it happened to be on a road trip, on our anniversary.
The best stay ever! The owner welcomed us and showed us to our room, the Queen deluxe room. Fabulous! Chenille bedspread, period lamps, a free standing rub, and even a working rotary 40s telephone. One of the best things about staying here was the hospitality. We had a great conversation and coffee with the owner. It is just the best place ever. Of course I had to have several souvenirs.

Rob  and dawn are awesome  we loved are stay  thank you so much rob  went out of his way to tell us all about the place thank you   and dawn was so nice on the phone with us