Budget to Boutique: Mobile Motel Prepares for Mardi Gras Makeover

It’s been nearly a year since a U-Haul truck crashed into the Budget Inn Motel, tearing through its lobby and collapsing its canopy. The incident left the 1950s-era motor lodge in a state of disrepair. Once known as a Travelodge and a go-to spot for budget-conscious families and Mardi Gras visitors, the hotel has struggled over the years to maintain its appeal.

However, the family that has owned the property at 555 Government St. since the early 1990s is now seeing a new opportunity. With downtown Mobile undergoing significant development—marked by a $300 million arena just blocks away, a new airport opening near the city center, and renewed investment along the waterfront—the Patel family is looking to revitalize the motel.

“We’re doing a full renovation, a rebrand,” said Shahil Keshav, a member of the Patel family. “It won’t be a branded hotel. It will be a boutique on a budget, that’s what I want to call it.” He added that the family is waiting on construction drawings before moving forward with the project.

A major step forward came when Mobile’s Architectural Review Board approved an application from PCDA Architecture for the motel’s renovation. The plans include new galleries and balconies facing Government Street, offering guests prime views of Mardi Gras parades that pass by the hotel. The project also involves reworking the arrangement of windows and doors throughout the building. A new lobby will be constructed to accommodate grab-and-go breakfasts.

“They recognize they have a great location, a great piece of property,” said Paul Davis, the project’s architect. “Downtown is doing well. I know the owner is eager to start.”

Keshav declined to disclose the project’s cost but mentioned that the family is applying for grants to help offset expenses. Despite this, he expressed hope that the redevelopment could begin soon.

Davis noted that his firm hopes to complete the project’s drawings within three months. However, the project cannot start until governmental approval is secured. This was the second time Davis had requested approval for the motel’s project.

“We made changes and got some feedback, and this was our second time before the board,” Davis said. “The city feels it’s important to preserve it as one of the last motor hotels, and that’s significant.”

Indeed, the hotel is considered a historic property worthy of preservation. It is part of the Church Street East Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. At the time, the hotel had not met the benchmark required to be considered a contributing factor for the district’s inclusion.

“If the district were resurveyed today, the structure would meet the age requirement,” the city’s review of the property states. “As a largely intact example of mid-20th Century Colonial Revival style, and one of Mobile’s last surviving motor court hotels, it is staff’s opinion that the structure would be considered contributing to the historic today.”

There is evidence that the hotel’s connection to Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebration runs deep. For instance, the hotel has long faced Government Street, a parade route that has seen Mardi Gras processions since the 1830s.

The hotel was developed by Ernest Edgar Sr., a member of a prominent family who invested in the emerging business world of roadside motor lodges and was connected to Mobile’s mystic societies.

“It goes with the rise of the auto industry,” said Cart Blackwell, curator at the Mobile Carnival Museum. “You could park outside your room, there was less of a chance of a fire, and it was a good business to be in.”

Motor lodges were popular in Mobile, and Government Street/U.S. 90 was a prime location for their growth. The Bama Motel still operates along Government near Interstate 65.

These hotels became iconic in mid-20th century America, often featuring bright neon signs, drive-up rooms, and family ownership. Popular brands included Howard Johnson’s, Travelodge, Best Western, Ramada Inn, and Red Roof Inn. Holiday Inn, which opened in 1952, based its company on the motor inn model for about 20 years.

Distinctive features included two-story buildings, exterior corridors, and parking directly outside each room.

Blackwell noted that in Mobile, “some were themed,” including one with a Spanish theme, one with an ‘Old South’ theme, and the Budget Inn Motel with a ‘Southern Colonial Georgia’ aesthetic. Large heritage oak trees, some still draped with Mardi Gras beads from passing parades, line the street in front of the motel.

Having Carnival roll by its front door is a unique feature for the motel and its future renovation, especially as it aims to keep the motor lodge appeal while embracing the streetside festivities.

“That has been definitely one of the criteria in the renovation… how can they best take advantage of Mardi Gras and the people coming into downtown for tourism,” Davis said. “They really think that having an outdoor space facing a parade route, enjoying the outside, would be good.”