Set on a scenic hilltop above Los Alamos, Skyview is an iconic mid-century motel turned modern-day oasis by Nomada Hotel Group.

Settle into one of 33 stylish guest rooms, take a dip in the postcard-worthy pool (21+ only), dine at Norman restaurant & bar, or sip estate-grown wine overlooking the vineyard.

Around here, there are plenty of reasons to pull off Highway 101 and stay awhile.

Since 1959

It was the '60s. Highway 101 was bustling with roadtrippers making their way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and just about halfway between the two cities, Skyview Motel and its bright yellow sign were a welcome sight for those passing through. Legend has it The Mamas & the Papas may have even stopped by a time or two.

In its heyday, Skyview was a scene straight out of California Dreamin’, where locals could take a dip in the pool for just 25 cents and fresh-baked pies were the house specialty.

The decades rolled on, and those days faded into the past. But Skyview's charm never went out of style. We saw something worth preserving, and in 2016, a new chapter began.

word travels fast

  • TRAVEL & LEISURE

    I Drove California’s Central Coast —and These Stylish Motels Were the Highlight of the Road Trip | April 2026

    “With the saturated orange of the garden umbrellas, bubblegum-pink decorative cacti that fringe the pool, and bright-blue high chairs at the bar, Skyview now calls to mind high-color Americana. This vivid aesthetic is softened by the motel’s surrounding vineyards…”

  • THE ZOE REPORT

    Readers' Choice: Top 10 Hip Roadside Hotels | June 2026

    “These stays transform a simple road trip stop into a highlight of the journey itself.”

  • MICHELIN GUIDE

    2026 Hotel Selection

    “Skyview Los Alamos joins the ranks of formerly undistinguished American roadside motels that have been rehabilitated into attractive and quietly luxurious boutique hotels.”

  • SUNSET MAGAZINE

    Nostalgia Travel Is Trending: These Are the Best Destinations for 2026 | June 2026

    “When new owners bought this 1959 Highway 101 hilltop motel in 2016, locals had long nicknamed it the Bates Motel. Their first design decision: Keep the vintage yellow MOTEL sign. Two years of renovation later, Skyview reopened with 33 reimagined rooms, a working vineyard, hand-tiled fireplaces, and Norman restaurant, a wry nod to its former reputation. It sits above one of California’s best small wine towns, with a pool view to match.”

  • VOGUE

    It’s the 100th Anniversary of the Motel—Here Are the 11 Best in the U.S. to Visit Now | December 2025

    “Located right off the 101 freeway but perched on a hilltop overlooking Los Alamos, Skyview Los Alamos is the stuff of California dreamin’. Spread across five scenic acres, the highlight of this 1959 motel-turned-wine-country-retreat is no doubt its working vineyard, which produces the crisp house rosé.

  • THE NEW YORK TIMES

    100 Years of the Motel: Neon Signs, Swimming Pools and the American Dream | October 2025

  • AFAR

    14 Upscale Motels in California with 1950s-Style Pools, Retro Design, and Pacific Ocean Views | July 2025

    “After several years sitting vacant, this wine country motel underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation and got a second life in 2019. Set on a hillside overlooking the Santa Ynez valley, the motel overlooks the property’s original vineyard—still in operation today—and the surrounding countryside.”

  • LOS ANGELES TIMES

    I Went on a 2,500-mile Search for the Greatest Motels in California. Here’s What I Found | May 2025

    “Especially at Skyview, the combination of Modernist and farmhouse design elements yields entertaining results. Agrigoogie, anyone?”

Yellow motel sign with black letters spelling 'MOTEL' against a clear blue sky.
Text in orange that says "If you know, you know" on a black background.

SIGN UP