The American motel rose to prominence in the mid-20th century in response to the rising number of travellers in search of a place to bed down on long, cross-country roadtrips. But after their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, many of these humble lodgings fell on hard times. Now, Texas is beginning to revitalise these historic hotels for a new generation.

Take Hotel Lucine, a former motel-turned-boutique residence in the coastal resort city of Galveston. It comprises an intimate central courtyard with a pastel-blue tiled pool, a fine-dining restaurant and the largest rooftop bar on the town’s beachfront. “I have admired the building since my wife and I moved back to Galveston several years ago,” says Dave Jacoby, who owns the hotel with his wife, Keath, and their business partner, Robert Marcus. “We were lucky to have the original architectural drawings from when it was built in 1963. We knew that to renovate it and run it well, we would need to stay true to the original aesthetic and restore the role of the hotel as a social hub in the Galveston community.”

The adaptation of a 1950s motel into a modern 21st-century stay was inevitably more complicated than simply dressing the property in new finery. Over time, hotels have had to innovate and diversify their offerings. Travellers’ expectations have also heightened and consumer priorities have shifted, so Hotel Lucine had to be updated to adapt to these changes. “The programming and design of any property plays a critical role in keeping the space filled with lively people,” says David Clark, founder and creative director at Austin-based Kartwheel Studio, who was tasked with the motel’s makeover. “We decided to extend the building towards the seawall property line, which enhanced the look and ensured that every space – whether for dining, lounging or socialising – was optimised for both the guests’ experience and operational efficiency.”

But Hotel Lucine is not alone in this Lone Star State motel revival. In 2017, Liz Lambert’s Austin Motel set the tone with its pop-vintage vision of a bright 21st-century roadside inn, while in San Antonio, Jayson Seidman’s Ranch Motel and Leisure Club turned a motor-court into a verdant haven. And other big projects are likely to follow suit. “I think a large part of this trend is tied to the time when these motels were originally built,” says Hotel Lucine’s Robert Marcus. “Many of them are in prime locations and offer an appealing opportunity for restoration.”