The Koolwink Motel – A Must Visit Authentic Vintage Motel! Romney WV

2020 Update: While Mod Betty has not been back to the Koolwink in a while, Retro Roadmapper Mike E recently stayed there and had a wonderful time! Thanks Mike for the post from the road!

Original 2011 Post:

Though I tend to drag my feet when writing about places I feel the most strongly about - thinking there's no way I could do them justice,  our recent stay at the Koolwink Motel in Romney West Virginia was such a Retro Roadtrip delight that I'm plowing through - adjective choices be damned!

This is one of the best, most authentic vintage motels we've ever stayed at!

(Say hello to my new fave mascot Mr. Koolwink!)

Seriously, if you're looking for a legitimate "family owned motel since the 1930's and well maintained with authentic decor from the 1960's" vintage motel experience, you must spend a night or two at the Koolwink.

I have to give a tip of the Retro Roadmap top hat to "Pink Gin" from LUPEC Boston (Erin Mosely of Ladies United to Preserve Endangered Cocktails) who hepped me to the Koolwink a while ago. When Retro Roadhusband and I were looking for a place to escape for the weekend this fall it looked like the perfect out of the way destination for us, located on the old cross-country Route 50.

First opened as a tourist home in 1936 by Nora and Henry Klien, the original home is now the registration area of the current motel. You can see a photo of the original house here on the Koolwink's history page.

Nestled in the crook of the mountains that Route 50 winds through in this area, the name Koolwink is a nod to the cool breezes that were so important to folks prior to the advent of air conditioned rooms, and the 40 "winks" you'd be guaranteed to get while staying there. Nowadays you're guaranteed to have that AND all the latest amenities here, including AC, wifi, flat screen TVs, microwaves and refrigerators.

When Nora and Henry  retired in 1955, they sold the Koolwink to  their great-nephew Wallace Mauk, and his wife Pauline. Wallace and Pauline own the motel to this day, and were the folks who introduced the famous "Mr. Koolwink" logo, who I am a huge fan of. I told Retro Roadhusband it's a serious contender if I ever decide to get a tattoo!

Mr. Koolwink is emblazoned on just about everything at the motel - making for photo ops galore, and adding a jaunty cosmopolitan flair to this quiet corner of West Virginia.

But the real Mr. Koolwink nowadays is the Mauk's son-in-law Robert F. Lee ( who missed being called Robert E. Lee "by a line or a letter" he told me as we chatted on the phone while I was making our reservation). He, along with his wife Kay ( one of the Mauk's twin daughters) has been keeping the property in tip-top shape for the past 13 years, as Wallace and Pauline are now in their late 80s early 90s.

From the moment I called the Koolwink to make our reservations, to the friendly chats we had with Robert throughout our stay, we immediately felt the sense of pride of place and courtesy extended to every guest staying at the motel.

In a polite way he'd excuse himself from chatting with us to answer a guest's request for more towels, or to receive one of the free DVD players and DVDs that the motel provides for their guests. I commented to Retro Roadhusband after making our reservation, "if that friendly phone exchange I just had is any indication, we're in for a great stay at The Koolwink" - and I was right!
We were not the only folks who were impressed with our host and stay at the Koolwink, as the notes from past guests, posted at the check-in counter attest, from folks just driving through, repeat vacationing customers and  hunters during the season, even a couple who spent their wedding anniversary in the very same room as their honeymoon 40 years before. How nice is that? TripAdvisor visitors have been equally as enthralled by the Koolwink.

Though it is sad to note that when a giant corporate chain of a hotel opened down the road 5 years ago it did drive a lot of the business travel away from this nice mom and pop motel, and they experienced their first season "in the red" in over 50 years. So, travelers on an expense account - don't forget to stay here!

One of my favorite things about the Koolwink is the attention to detail in maintaining their period decor, like this vintage pole lamp in the motel office. And the best part about it is that these fixtures were purchased back when they were considered new, and not just added on to give that fake "retro" feel to a place.

This extends to the room that we were given in the annex up on the hill, designed by Wallace and added to the motel in the late 1960s.

I could not stop taking photos of our room and the motel as we checked in at dusk, much to the consternation of Retro Roadhusband, as you can see here. You can practically hear him say, "C'mon, get in the room already! I want to go across the street and go bowling!"

As soon as my delight with the monogrammed doormat subsided and I was able to step into the room, I was immediately rapturous about the vintage vibe we got from the period wood paneling, vintage motel desk/seat combo and hanging lamp above the working push button phone.

I was also impressed with the cleanliness and attention to detail around the room. We've stayed in smaller, less tidy but more expensive rooms in our travels, so this was a delight.The Mauks / Lees keep each room as clean as if it was part of their own home.

Mr. Koolwink greeted us once again, as he beamed out from the ice bucket set atop the vanity that was complete with period yellow sink and vintage Formica. Robert says many of the other rooms have these old fashioned bath fixtures in harvest gold and avocado, and he makes every effort to keep these original fixtures working instead of replacing them with more boring modern fixtures.

While the Courtesy Coffee system was not in operation, our room did come equipped with a coffee maker as well as the other amenities that modern travelers demand. The cookies were indeed a nice touch after a long drive on the windy road to get here. And I won't lie- it sure was great to have a wifi signal, even in our vintage surroundings!

One of the things that the Koolwink is known for is their spacious rooms- sometimes more than 2 feet larger than standard motel rooms. This gave us plenty of room to spread out in, and enjoy the view from the hill.

Speaking of view,  the next morning we were delighted to find that the motel and surroundings were just as charming in the daylight. Our room on the 2nd floor of the hilltop building had a back door that lead right from the parking area into our room, with the front door on the 2nd level opening up onto a balcony overlooking a stream and the autumn foliage. Had we not had a day jam packed with adventures, I would have loved to hang out in those vintage strap chairs and watch the world go by.

While we were staying up on the hill, there are other more traditional motel rooms that are level with the roadside. This charming unit was built on the location of the original cabins that were used when the motel was just a tourist home, and are located right next to the motel office.

Don't you just love the cheery red doors with the butter yellow paint and green accents?

Across the street from the motel is the Wilson Lanes bowling alley - where we had a fun evening bowling, playing pool, air hockey and having some snacks and drinks.

For more fun you can head into Romney and take a ride on the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad (we're totally coming back here for that) or inquire at the desk about other activities in the area.

If we had known how cool, quiet and relaxing our stay at The Koolwink would be, we definitely would have stayed longer. But already we're planning another return visit so we can share this vintage roadside find with our pals.

Or perhaps Mr. Koolwink could play host to a Retro Roadmap Roadtrip gathering for Retro Roadmap readers!

Would YOU be interested in a weekend visit to this classic motel as part of a Retro Roadmap gathering? Let us know in the comments, and if there's enough interest we'll put something together!