Flamingo Hotel—Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

In 2004 Art and Shelley Williams took the Flamingo Motel under their wing. “You could say it was clean but worn,” says Art. “It had a good reputation, and that’s important.” And reason enough to keep the name, which reflected the trends in the motel’s natal year, 1954, when pink and exotic things tickled the traveling public’s fancy.

Though updates included Wi-Fi service, the Flamingo retains its retro feel. The couple also kept up the emphasis on cleanliness, aiming for a white-glove standard… the Flamingo has served more travelers every consecutive year, right up to the summer months, rooms are in great demand. Art advised travelers to phone ahead to check availability. He adds, “One day this coming year has a thirty-five-person wait list.”