Monday, September 27, 2010

Slumber Inn Motel Then and Now


Here's a vintage postcard showing Elyria's Slumber Inn Motel, which was located on E. Griswold Road near the Ohio Turnpike exit. It first appeared in the Elyria phone book in 1965, predating Midway Mall by a little bit.

I like the vivid color scheme of the doors and the natural wood and brick look.

The sign is great too, along with the cartoon logo of a man fast asleep atop a bed of clouds, wearing an old fashioned night cap. The marketing message is clear: come here and get a good night's sleep.

Looking at the vintage postcard, I suspect that the sky was dropped in via some old-time camera wizardry, since the photograph is perfect for outlining. Plus I know how hard it is to get a sky like that!

Today, the motel is still in business as the Red Carpet Inn. It's received a makeover of sorts, but structurally it looks very much the same.


I'll bet its guests enjoy a lot of meals at the Wendy's right next door.

Both businesses are kind of landlocked on Griswold Road. They are not easy to get to if you are heading south on Route 57 towards Elyria. You must exit Route 57 onto the western chunk of Griswold, and then go up and over the divided highway to access the east side of Griswold. All the time you are encountering Midway Mall traffic.

Although it's hard to get to when you are heading south, the motel is convenient enough for northbound travelers who exit the Ohio Turnpike looking for a place to spend the night.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

so old!

Carl said...

I can really see a big difference between the old Slumber Inn Motel and the new one. The wall color before made the motel quite older than the color today which made the motel looked newer. Also the signage before looked beautiful and classic and now because of the better stainless steel sign bracket and stainless steel strap, the signage looked modernized and innovative.

Anonymous said...

A murder happened in the office in the early 80s. very sad.

Anonymous said...

If anyone out there has any comment on the 1983 murder at the Slumber Inn in Elyria, Ohio I would love to hear from you. I am including a chapter in my book on it and looking for anyone with any memories of it. I can be reached at allstarzz69@gmail.com or at www.facebook.com/lesandtristanwritetruecrime

Thanks everyone!