Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba remains in operation on Route 66

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The Wagon Wheel Motel, an Ozark sandstone landmark along historic Route 66, opened as a gas station in 1936 and added cabins in 1938.

Owner Rich Dinkela, who goes by “Roamin’ Rich,” said the motel is the longest continuously operating hotel on Route 66.

“So the Wagon Wheel Motel is the longest continually operating hotel, still in operation on Route 66,” Dinkela said.

Owner stayed the night before purchase

Dinkela also owns the Shamrock Court in Sullivan.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think we were gonna purchase the Wagon Wheel,” Dinkela said.

He and his wife stayed at the motel in 2009, the night before it changed hands. The room cost $29 a night.

“We go to the room, my wife says we cannot stay here. Remember, it was 29 dollars a night,” Dinkela said. “I said we have to stay here. It might get turned into a strip mall or something as of next week.”

Motel keeps original keys, updated rooms

Dinkela bought the motel to preserve and improve it. The lobby is filled with Mother Road merchandise, and the motel still uses old-school keys for the doors.

The rooms have an upgraded, nostalgic feel.

“We don’t really feel so much like owners. We are more like stewards,” Dinkela said. “We’re gonna be the caretakers for right now, temporarily, until someone comes along and can carry that torch too.”

Guests describe the motel

Guests checking in were asked what they thought of the motel.

One guest said, “I think it’s so charming.”

Another said, “I love it so much. The vibe is kind of a time capsule.”

A third guest said, “It’s obviously historic.”

Dinkela said he has made it possible for others to experience the motel.

“I have paid it forward and made it possible not only for someone else to experience this place, but for many years there will be a legacy attached to this place, and I kinda kicked that forward,” Dinkela said.