In Phoenix, The Egyptian Motor Hotel, which first opened in 1952 and operated for decades as the Las Palmas Inn, has been transformed into a boutique hotel with a midcentury vibe. With its large neon sign now restored, the two-story, open-air hotel features Egyptian-themed murals and other artwork.
The design by EDI International repurposed the hotel’s triangular parking lot into a 400-person live entertainment venue that includes a music stage and bar, while keeping most of the original parking spaces. The hotel’s first-floor cabana areas and second-floor balconies all have views of the stage. An onsite Mexican restaurant, Chilte, now serves as the permanent home of a former pop-up.
The Egyptian includes 48 guest rooms adorned with retro furnishings, including Bluetooth speakers that look like Marshall amplifiers, pillows resembling VHS tapes, egg chairs, Magic 8 Balls, refrigerators, and coolers. The rooms’ wallpapers take inspiration from classic drink labels. The guest rooms have a king bed or bunk bed, dinette table, and smart TVs. In one room, the names of The Doors’ songs and album titles form the face of late lead singer Jim Morrison. And a fully remodeled 1960s Airstream serves as a private guestroom.
The Egyptian Motel Hotel, which opened earlier this year, operates under Best Western’s BW Signature Collection.
On the Building Team:
Design architect and architect of record: EDI International
MEP engineer: IMEG Corp.
Structural engineer: PVE, LLC
General contractor: Western States General Contracting, LLC
Construction manager: PDL Enterprises
Related Stories
| Sep 14, 2014
Ranked: Top Veterans Administration sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
CannonDesign, Clark Group, and URS top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest Veterans Administration building sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 3, 2014
New designation launched to streamline LEED review process
The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.
