Southwest Motel

About Us

The South West Motel carries forward a lodging tradition that began during Route 66's postwar travel boom. The property opened in the late 1950s as the Lariat Lodge, a 24-unit motor court advertising furnished rooms, tiled baths, wall heating, and connecting suites for families visiting Grants—then booming as New Mexico's "Uranium City." Its single-story, U-shaped arrangement placed guest rooms around a central parking area, reflecting the automobile-oriented motel design that became synonymous with Route 66 travel. The property later operated for a period as the South West Lodge before becoming the South West Motel.

Unlike many of Grants' vintage motels, the property remains an active place to stay on the Mother Road. Under new ownership since April 2024, the motel continues to emphasize its small, independent character while serving modern road travelers with Wi-Fi, room-side parking, pet-friendly accommodations, and rooms equipped with conveniences such as refrigerators and microwaves. Its location directly on historic Santa Fe Avenue makes the South West Motel both an operating motel and a surviving piece of the roadside lodging culture that once lined Route 66 through Grants.