Forgotten Hospitality: the Hillcrest Hotel

While traveling back along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I passed through a typical array of roadside establishments: declining motels, run-of-the-mill gas stations and convenience stores, and greasy spoon diners.

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While traveling back along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I passed through a typical array of roadside establishments: declining motels, run-of-the-mill gas stations and convenience stores, and greasy spoon diners.

I stopped at the long-abandoned Hillcrest Hotel, later rebranded as an Econo Lodge. Originally opened as the Hillcrest Inn, it was advertised as a motorist-oriented hotel featuring television and air conditioning, with a 24-hour coffee shop and restaurant.

Years ago, I explored the hotel when it was still furnished. The guest rooms had made-up beds with linens, CRT televisions, and toiletries. Most bathrooms retained their vintage, colorful tilework and fixtures. The manager’s quarters were more opulent, featuring a tiled fireplace and a unique bathroom with glossy black tiles. The restaurant and coffee shop were mostly intact, with tables and chairs ready to serve customers.

Several years have passed since my last visit, and it appears that some renovation work has been attempted. A new roof was installed, and the furnishings have been removed. However, no further progress seems to have been made.

Despite the attempts at renovation, the Hillcrest Hotel remains frozen in time, a testament to both its former grandeur and decline, and the inevitable passage of time.

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