The "Chic" of Araby: Ali Baba Motel

It is a great feeling to be traveling mindlessly down the streets of suburban Southern California one minute and in a split second be transported to the arid climes of the Mideast.  Standing sentry over Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, CA, the Ali Baba Motel is the stuff of myth and legend, making every visitor feel like the chicest Sheik (or Sheba) of Araby!

Ali Baba Motel - Costa Mesa, CA
Mr. Tiny, the Sheik of Failure at self-portraiture

The gleaming golden dome and the mini minarets remind drivers that California is still the land of fruits and nuts (dates and pistachios, naturally), famous for it's brilliant, if altogether anachronistic, architecture.

A view of the dome from the interior courtyard.
Don't you love the atmospheric creeping vine and those aluminum sun covers?!!
The funny part about the Ali Baba (and most roadside motels of a similar vintage) is how
 with just a few cosmetic changes the entire theme could so easily change.  Imagine the
 Capitol Dome Motel; do you think there is a sister motel in the DC area?

The magic is really in the details (like this exterior tile) that are probably
 easier to change than to maintain.  Fortunately, the Ali Baba remains
 mostly intact, setting it apart from the many themed motels that have
 been changed over the years from magic Arabian palaces to just boring,
beige Best Westerns.

A view of the oasis pool through the geometric, Islamic-style screen.
Spaces like this help me dream of really awesome 60's soirees
that are equal parts I Dream of Jeannie and The Party.

Like many of its mid-century, themed counterparts, the Ali Baba has definitely seen better days and more prestigious clientele.  Odds are that plenty of pipe smoking occurs on the premises but I think one would be hard pressed to find a proper hookah.  Moreover, I'm pretty convinced that it is the official hideout of the original forty thieves.  Nevertheless, we can dream of the Ali Baba's glory days; if I found a magic lamp it is more than likely that I'd commit one wish to seeing the Sultan's Suite (there certainly has to be a deluxe room called the "Sultan's Suite," doesn't there?) as it was in 1965.

This is how Mr. Tiny sees himself at the Ali Baba Motel.
Just the hookah, the harem, and the Sheik of Araby.

"The Sheik of Araby" - Spike Jones & His City Slickers

Do you have any wacky tacky, themed motels in your area?  What's the funniest motel in which you've stayed?

Ali Baba Motel

2250 Newport Blvd

Costa Mesa, CA

(949)645-7700

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny