The Aztec Motel, Buena Park
I'm always happy to find photos of motels that were in the Disneyland/Knott's Berry Farm area. Today I have a nice image, circa September 1972. It's the Aztec Motel, which was located at 7620 Beach Boulevard, in beautiful Buena Park. Mere blocks north of the Berry Farm. The motel looks nice enough, though I don't see much evidence of Aztec motifs in the architecture. Instead, it's not very distinguishable from many other motels of its ilk.
Here's a postcard, which seems to be a fairly accurate architectural rendering of the place, with the exception of the large "Aztec" pictured on the sign - as far as I can tell, that figure was never there. (See a similar style of sign at the Pioneer Motel).
I have a vintage brochure from the Aztec Motel, these are always fun to look at. I'm guessing that it was printed around the same time that the slide was taken.
Here's one full spread, just look at all of the attractions available to visitors!
"Gracious living", and how! Paul and Ruth Klinger have done themselves proud.
The Aztec Motel was razed at some point, and is now the location of Porto's restaurant.
29 comments:
Major-
I want to hear more about the "man-sized beds". (Is that merely another name for 'King-size'-?) "Every detail is based on the premise that time, energy and comfort are the most important assets of a businessman". Yes... I can just imagine.
Comparing the 'copy with the images' leaves one wondering if the two ever met-! [No offense], but I think "gracious living" can be found 'elsewhere'-!
Thanks, Major. - you can find me at the Disneyland Hotel...
Looks like the graphic artist for the brochure was a little uncertain what was “AZTEC” and selected the ancient Grecian Key Hook pattern for the trim ….
The "MOTEL" part of the sign has what could pass for Aztec motif. But the word itself, "AZTEC", less so. At least they tried... sort of. And I'm disappointed that the motel wasn't built in the shape of a large step-pyramid. Some blood-soaked stone altars out front would've helped a great deal. But like you said, it looks nice enough.
I like the cover of the brochure! Very Aztec-y (to my eyes). I also like the illustrations on the inside. The castle doesn't really match Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle, but those triangular banners out front seal the deal.
"You may do as you please with everything here to please you"... What if it would please me to have 35 monkeys in my motel room? (The kitchenette needs more counter space; just sayin'.) I wonder if that's the V.I.P. suite in the upper right corner? All in all, given the amenities and high quality appearance, I bet it cost quite a bit to stay here.
So it ends on a sad note; being razed. A nice presentation today, Major. Thanks.
And let us not forget the Aztec Bowl, which was next door (to the north) of the motel. I wonder if the same owner owned both pieces of property? The bowling alley was torn down in 1990 and replaced by the Wild Bill's dinner show. And at some point, that was converted to the current Pirate's Dinner Adventure.
The Aztec Luxury Motel certainly sent me down quite the rabbit hole this morning, tooling around Google maps exploring the environs of Buena Park. I found as I journeyed down Beach Blvd, a 2015 image with the Movieland Wax Museum sign still intact: now an empty lot waiting for an Applebees or a Chilis or something like that. For some reason, I thought the now Porto's was the site of Movieland, but this is how memories can change. I spent 6 months on this strip of land (another story) but I do not remember the Aztec Motel standing, or really anything else: I don't even remember driving there from Hollywood, or how I even got there...hmmm....that is for another rabbit hole. The Aztec Motel without it's Aztec does not really make sense to me...but it's brochure touts it as the most amazing business hotel in the world. As a man, I appreciate the man size beds, so thanks to Paul and Ruth Klinger for that. There's nary a blip about the Klingers of Orange County: I checked. There are many Paul and Ruth Klingers in the USA however. One thread contained information of Klingers that settled in Anaheim, and speculatively, could have been part of the German settlement waaayyyy back when. Speaking of man size: it also looks like there was supposed to be an Aztec standing in a waterfall by the gracious pool area. I kind of miss places like these, with their coffee shops: now they have these kind of "market places" with limited food offerings...akin to what I call "English Muffin Pizza" selections: things that can be made with toaster ovens. I'm wondering what compelled the Klingers to grab onto the Aztec theme: a theme that didn't really turn out as a theme at all....maybe they bought the name, and then they couldn't go back? Those rooms just SCREAM "Aztec" (?). An Aztec theme could actually be a pretty cool thing: 'ala Frank Lloyd Wright/Ennis House/Biltmore AZ...etc. I've always loved this style: although it's Mayan and not Aztec, two very different time periods, and different locales....stylistically I think they could be merged architecturally, however, I think people would be critical: and that is yet another rabbit hole. Thanks Major!
The Aztec Motel! Looks like staying here on a budget wouldn’t have been too much of a sacrifice.
Note that Melodyland Theatre is illustrated but not listed under “Just for Fun.” Nice to see a photo of the Capitol Records Building before it was destroyed in the ‘74 ‘quake.
Odd that the map only shows three of the listed attractions. The white circle is oddly placed, implying that Disneyland is just outside convenient driving range of the motel. Or maybe it’s showing that Disneyland is safely outside the blast radius if the Aztec goes supercritical. It could happen if the place was filled to capacity with nuclear families.
Just look at all those amenities! Bonded baby sitters! I prefer solid wood, but I understand the Klingers had a profit margin to maintain. And only the best places serve coffee that says nice things about you.
That kitchenette looks bigger than the one in my first apartment, and that sucker had two bedroooms.
Note the Hospitality Room has the latest in presentation technology. It’s that green rectangle in the back. I’ll bet they had a carousel slide projector available on request. I would love to have seen that mural in person. It looks like it showcased a bunch of area attractions like Marineland, Knott’s, Disneyland, and maybe even the original Movieland Wax Museum sign.
“Aztec Bowl” sounds like a taco salad in a crunchy bowl you might get at some corporate restaurant chain named after a phone company.
Nanook, we’ll stop by for a drink with you in the Monorail Lounge on our way back to our rooms at ”one of the newest and most beautifully appointed luxury motels in the heart of Southern California.”
Mike, at least the designer picked a pattern from the right planet.
JB, the counter may be small, but the floors are linoleum. Makes it easy to clean up after the monkeys.
TM!, the Aztec Bowl seems to have suffered a sadly similar progression to what happened to Tom Sawyer Island.
Thanks, Major! I hope everyone is enjoying Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day!
Time, Energy and Comfort are all high on my list, even though I’m no longer a businessman, and a man-sized bed is an added bonus.
I’m amazed at the array of guest services at the Aztec, but Best Western always had high standards for their licensees. I remember the very specific dimensions in the Best Western Design Guide for Porte cochere entries, to ensure man-sized vehicles could enter. Their standards for theming were less rigorous, but probably drew the line at the pyramid heap of skulls in the lobby.
I love the brochure with the map and attraction list, classic Southern California.
I’m making reservations for dinner at the Aztec Dining Room so we can get a big table and all sit together. I’m ordering sirloin tips with mashed potatoes and a Manhattan cocktail (or two).
Cheers Major, thanks for the visit to Motel Modern!
JG
Wi-fi in every room! They were way ahead!
Oops…
Ah, from that time when the Aztecs decided to go into the hospitality business! Being a warrior people didn't help, though.
On a side note, when I went to Disneyland last year, I happened to look out of the van window on the way to the Disneyland Hotel from the airport just in time to spot The Alpine Motel! I got much more excited than most people would have...
I see the front of the brochure lists their TWX (pronounced “Twix”) number. Very modern technology. At that time. In the 70’s, the office I worked in used a TWX/Telex machine, and also a Qwip machine (predecessor to the now outdated fax machine). If you google “Qwip facsimile transceiver,” you’ll see that the Henry Ford Museum now has one on display. I feel very old now. :op
What is “sparkling entertainment”??
Thanks, Major.
Major, I have the honor to say that the Aztec Motel was my family's almost exclusive "home away from home" for our visits to So Cal. The architecture of the guest wing was pretty much 1950's modern, (as seen in the background of the pool image). But the rich tropical plantings of birds of paradise and palms in their planting beds of white quartz gravel, and highlighted by dramatic "Malibu" lighting, made the motel an amazing place to return to after a day's visit to Disneyland, or Knott's. It's amazing how well the front building buffered the interior from busy Beach Boulevard. The two slides at the pool were a rare treat for us kids, though one had to know how to turn on the water that trickled down them to keep them slick.
The brochure is a bit misleading in thatnthe coffee shop and banquet room were at the bowling alley next door. The bowl was a bit more generous with "Aztec" design motifs in the brickwork and other features. Across the street was the Movieland Wax Museum with it's magnificent animated neon sign that actually rotated back in the day. I think that MONA finally rescued it, though unfortunately not in it's entirety. Thanks for this great trip down memory lane!
Bu maybe that wasn't another Aztec status at the pool, just a giant lifeguard.
Sue, just thinking about faxes makes me feel old. I don't know if we have any devices at work anymore - I haven't see one in years. We do have a combined fax/scanner/printer at my emergency squad, though. As far as I know, its only use is to spit out unsolicited ads from roofing and asphalt paving companies.
Nanook, ha ha, I noticed that odd phrasing too, was this the days of Hungry Man TV dinners? No man wants to sleep in a teensy woman-sized bed! I have to defend the Aztec Motel, it was probably quite the thing in the early 1970s. Now the style looks dated, and maybe even cheesy, but I’ve stayed in worse places! Are you listening, Motel 6 in Morro Bay?
Mike Cozart, as we all know, the Greeks sailed to the New World and influenced the Aztecs!
JB, it sure seems like they were pretty shaky on what to do with the idea of an Aztec motif; even that sign doesn’t do much, in spite of the giant word “AZTEC”. The place is so Mid-Century American Motel! I admit that I would have appreciated a blood-soaked altar or two. A step pyramid look would have been AWESOME. The brochure was in a batch of other Disneyland paper, and what do you know, I already had the scan of the Motel ready to go. Lucky! Listen, if they say you can do as you please, they mean it. Not like those hoity-toity hotels in New York City.
TokyoMagic!, they mention the Aztec Bowl in the text (“for exercise”). I wish I had a good photo of THAT. Bowling alleys are for inhaling other people’s cigarette smoke, and for eating hot french fries.
Bu, I wish I had memories of the old motel-strewn streets around Disneyland. When I was young, I didn’t drive of course, and only had eyes for the Matterhorn or the Disneyland sign. It’s funny how Walt hated the “second rate Las Vegas” look, and yet, to us in 2025, there is a lot of charm, and fun attempts at creativity and themes. I don’t know if that sort of thing will ever happen again (in fact I’m sure it won’t). Porto’s, man those places are springing up like mushrooms. On my first trip to Europe there was a nice girl named Margarita Porto, her family owned a little restaurant in, I think, Montrose. Now she must be swimming in money! Who knew. I wish the motel had gorilla sized beds! Plenty of room for anybody. I hope the Klingers had a happy life, and sold their motel for a big fat wad of money for their retirement. “English Muffin Pizza”, the kind of thing I would have wanted as a kid, only to find that I didn’t actually like it that much. I love those “textile block” buildings by FLW, even though many of them are crumbling (sadly).
Chuck, I think the Melodyland Theatre was way down on the list of “fun” things to do in the area! I would think that a motel would be smart to offer transportation to and from the park, but maybe that would not be cost-effective. We once stayed at some motel (east of the park, I forget what it was called), and we had to catch a bus of some sort. It worked, but did not feel like we were treating ourselves to some luxury. Bonded baby sitters is pretty impressive for a small motel, I have to say. I’ve never desired a kitchen while staying at a motel, but then again, I don’t have kids who are constantly hungry. “Just eat this Slim Jim and be quiet!”. I was looking at that 14” TV in the hospitality room. What’s going on with the ceiling in the dining room? I can’t quite tell. And yes, I am appreciating Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day by eating Captain Crunch and blogging.
JG, the beds don’t have “Magic Fingers”, so several points must be subtracted. And yes, the guest services available do kind of impress me. Nowadays you might have a pool or a gym. Does an ice machine count as an amenity? On-site laundry facilities would be handy in many cases. I like the “24 hour switchboard service”. Just think about how fun it would be if we could arrange a get-together at a place like this?? I’ll have the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, and a salad with blue cheese dressing. And a Shirley Temple.
Steve DeGaetano, Hedy Lamarr stayed at the Aztec often, and she developed wi-fi as a favor for them.
Stu29573, you can only cut the hearts out of so many guests before the word gets out. Talk about bad for repeat business! I drove past the Alpine Motel very recently, and got the same thrill that you did.
Lou and Sue, so a TWX number was sort of like an early fax? I had no idea what that meant. Feeling old: I remember working with a computer nerd who upgraded his PC so that it had ONE GIGABYTE of storage. Why would anybody need a gigabyte of storage??
Omnispace, oh very cool that we have an Aztec Motel “alumni”. Tropical plantings do a lot for any place, they make things feel lush and maybe even absorb some of the random noise. I’m not sure what Malibu lighting is, but I am using my imagination. I remember many a road trip with my family, staying in endless motels with kidney-shaped pools, they all had slides. It was all we needed! I didn’t know that Movieland Wax Museum had an animated neon sign, now I’ll have to look that up.
Dean Finder, I finally convinced my mom that she did not need a fax machine anymore, maybe a year ago. When faxes were a thing, it really did seem like a miracle, sending documents back and forth that way.
Chuck, as long as the nuclear families stay submerged in the swimming pool, there shouldn't be a problem with going critical... and the motel saves money by not having to heat the pool!
Major, they could've at least added red dye to the pool water to make it look like runoff from the stone altars.
Don't feel old Sue: I also used a Telex TWX in the late 70's early 80's as it was a way for container ships (and others far off) to communicate with the mainland. Radios were cumbersome, and the Telex would give you printed documentation. I did not refer to the FAX as the "Quip" but we did say "Telefax", and not fax. The company I worked for had to have the latest and greatest of communication....and I had the experience of using one of the first car phones: which was way before the giant "things" that looked like enormous calculators. The passenger seat of the car basically took up the entire thing: with the battery sitting in a suitcase like thing...and lots of cords, and a traditional phone handle. It was quite the object d'arte : and only used for official business...not gossiping with friends. It was apparently something only the military could have...or if you are in the shipping business...a friend of mine from Disneyland had one of these phones that she would take to the beach: but her dad was a Colonel...and somehow had one....it was hilarious to sit at Huntington and take calls before this was "normal"...She was definitely gossiping....people were rather aghast at it...not at the gossip, but at the machine...boy did the world change. OK. I feel old too.
@ Sue-
"What is “sparkling entertainment”??"
Richard Simmons or Liberace, perhaps-?
Major-
"... Hedy Lamarr stayed at the Aztec often, and she developed wi-fi as a favor for them".
It's Hedley-!
Major, I didn’t notice a TV in the Hospitality Room. I was referring to that glorious green chalkboard.
Maybe the dining room ceiling is their nod to “Aztec” theming, although it looks more Klingon to me.
Major, a Qwip machine was an early fax machine. (You placed your original document inside a tube that spun and read your document—transmitting the info to another Qwip machine tube. To receive a document, you placed a blank piece of paper in the same tube….and a needle with [smelly burning] ink pressed against the paper, marking it up accordingly. The office would stink pretty bad, every time that darn thing was in motion.)
The TWX/Telex machine was like a big typewriter that made a tape with holes punched in it—corresponding with what you typed. Then you took the tape and placed it in the slot to send your message. You ended up with something that looked like a telegram—at the receiving end.
Today’s modern equipment is sooo much easier to use.
Dean, and you can get 5 windows for the price of 4.
Please save me a seat at the restaurant. Order me the cottage cheese and peaches (on a lettuce leaf), and a Tab (Tabb?), thank you!
Bu, I just now read your recent comments. It’s comforting to grow old together on this blog. I’m glad you can relate!
Nanook, I bet you’re right!!
BU it’s funny you mentioned Frank Loyd Wright …. I too envisioned AZTEC design looking like something of Wright’s LA projects. His LA /California stuff was tge begging of his decline in popularity because his style goes from “modern prairie “ to SOMBER Mausoleum! I just watched the documentary again that explains why his style drastically changed basically ending his career. After his mistress Mamah Borthwick, her kids and a head draftsman and others were murdered at Taliesn in Wisconsin… the mental trauma of the women he really lived changed everything about him . As the architectural historians agree….
Frank Loyd Wright’s love , Mamah Borthwick may have died in Wisconsin , but she was entombed throughout Los Angeles!!
I remember scratching a message into dried dirt, then tying it around the neck of a passing Brontosaurus, and pointing him in the right direction. The message would usually get there... maybe. Just hope the dinosaur doesn't drool, or the message becomes illegible.
Sue & Bu, the first architectural office I worked in had a Qwip machine, one of the principals was a national AIA level Board member and AIA provided the machine for official communications only. He had to fly to Washington DC every month for board meetings and the agendas and minutes were sent this way. It was downstairs in the work room and stank to heaven when operating. Hard to believe, but we had one of the first word processors in Fresno also, made by Lanier, the size of a washing machine and about a 6 inch screen.
JG
JB, do you recall what your message said?
JG, do you remember how everything the Qwip machine printed was all cock-eyed, slanted and distorted—down the page?
No, I wasn’t privy to any of the correspondence. I remember the cylinder spinning when it working but no one was allowed to touch it except the boss and his secretary. A fair amount of my duties then were in that work room using the copier and helping the word processor admin. I think that DC called before sending a document but not sure, this was 46 years ago so…
JG
Sue, entertainment from the Champagne region of France is the best, everything else is just sparkling entertainment.
JG
Sue, my dirt-scratched message was: "Ut gnar Glugtug" ("Drink more Ovaltine").
TM!, the Aztec Bowl seems to have suffered a sadly similar progression to what happened to Tom Sawyer Island.
Chuck, you mean Tom Sawyer Island used to be a bowling alley??? ;-)
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