Aztec Hotel, Monrovia CA

Much like the Phillips 66 Station in McLean and the Blue Whale in Catoosa, the Aztec Hotel is another of the crown jewels along US-66. The Aztec is one of thirty-four (34) National Register of Historic Places landmarks within the cultural corridor of Route 66 in LA County. It is also one of only a few projects to receive grant funding from the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. (The only others are a historic resources structure report of the Casa de Adobe and a comprehensive resource study of the entirety of the road in California.)

The Aztec is so beautiful that it just HAD to be the cover photo for my book, "Finding the End of the Mother Road: Route 66 in Los Angeles County." It was also the site of one of my presentations, this one given to the California Historic Route 66 Association, of which I am an honorary member.

The Aztec Hotel was designed by architect Robert Stacy Judd, and opened in September, 1925, more than a year before Route 66 would be christened. It has remained in operation ever since. After a recent period of only having long-term tenants, under new owner Kathie Reece-McNeill the Aztec Hotel is undergoing a long-term renovation and restoration which is seeing a return to nightly occupancy. The accompanying Brass Elephant Bar is a wonderful place to grab a cold Sierra Nevada and relax with friends.