Arne's Royal Hawaiian Motel
Baker Boulevard,
Baker, California
92364
Along Interstate 15, heading from Barstow to Las Vegas is the small town of Baker! Baker has seen some better days, and as a result, there are still several abandoned buildings throughout the main stretch of Baker. Many of these abandoned buildings are motels, including the former Bun Boy Motel.
But probably the most infamous is the Tiki themed Arne's Royal Hawaiian Motel. Whereas the Bun Boy is more known for the restaurant, the Royal Hawaiian apparently was the main motel further along the road. Additionally, the Bun Boy is located behind some buildings, while the Royal Hawaiian is right there on the main drag for every passerby to see.
The remains of the Royal Hawaiian includes a few buildings: the main lobby building with its peaked curved roof, the front one story building that has the curving hallway with rooms off of it, and then a larger two story building out back with what appears to be newer and bigger rooms. Two large signs still sit outside, one in front of the main lobby and the other in front of the building to the left of the lobby.
The 43 room motel opened in 1957 and, at the time, originally served as a good half way spot to stop when traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. However, by the 2000s, the motel had become a shell of its former self and was rumored to be in horrid condition. The motel was thankfully put out of its misery and closed in 2009. It has since became a popular destination for urban explorers, and probably also for transients. The main lobby building has a beautiful curved ceiling that still, as of 2021, appears to be in good condition. The back building surrounds a courtyard area containing a pool and what appears to be a filled in hot tub.
The building has absolutely seen better days, as trespassers have certainly done a number on the structures. Everything has been damaged or broken, doors broken in or knocked down, furniture destroyed, windows shattered. However, according to some who stayed there before it closed, the condition when it was open may not have been an improvement, as people complained about extreme dirt, bug infestations, mold, giant stains, non-working air conditioners, and worse conditions.
Some rooms, today, however, still have original furniture as well as original wall drawings and art. It appears that the owners simply up and abandoned the entire operation, leaving everything behind. Little effort has also been put in place to dissuade trespassers, as there is minimal fencing around the motel, and then really only the courtyard is fenced off, while a few of the windows have been boarded. There are also some urban legends about incidents at the motel since it closed, with rumors of at least one corpse having been found in a room. One other side note, funnily enough, the motel still had a USPS blue mail box out front along the street as recently as 2020.
While exploring, be mindful of the conditions in the motel, and try to limit risk. Much of the contents of the rooms are clearly visible from outside, thus requiring no entrance on your part. I would recommend against going up to the second level, especially since the nearest hospital might be either in Barstow or Las Vegas. In addition to the Royal Hawaiian Motel, there are other abandoned buildings in Baker, including some restaurants and at least two other motels.
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First Created: 2022-01-03
Last Edited: 2022-01-03
