Royal Coach Inn (later Dunfey Hotels) was a chain of motor inns and hotels that had hundreds of rooms available for rent, along with a pool, a Tingles bar, and an arcade at some locations. It was headquartered in Texas and operated by the Dunfey family of New England.[1]
History[]
In the 1970s, the larger hotels of the Royal Coach chain were foreclosed upon by the Aetna Life Insurance Company, the parent corporation of Dunfey Hotels at the time. In 1976, the Dunfey chain (including the Royal Coach assets) was acquired by the Aer Lingus airline of Ireland Many of the original properties were gradually sold off and the remaining chain was rebranded as Omni Hotels & Resorts.[2]
Known locations[]
Anaheim, California[]
- 900 Disneyland Drive — now operating as the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel.
Atlanta, Georgia[]
- 1750 Commerce Drive NW — closed in December 1999 and demolished in 2000. Now occupied by Walmart and Alexander at the District apartments.
Beaumont, Texas[]
- 55 Interstate Highway 10 North — burned down in February 1982.
Dallas, Texas[]
- 3800 W. Northwest Hwy. — redeveloped and occupied by Embassy Suites by Hilton.
Houston, Texas[]
- 7000 Southwest Freeway — redeveloped and occupied by Classic Chevrolet of Houston.
San Mateo, California[]
- 1770 S. Amphlett Boulevard — now operating as the San Mateo Marriott.
Current status[]
The Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel and the San Mateo Marriott are the only former Royal Coach Inns remaining that have not been demolished or destroyed by fire. Some comparisons of their current state:
- The surviving locations currently have completely different owners.
- The Disneyland location still retains its original Tudor castle-like exterior, while the San Mateo location has been remodeled in a Spanish villa style.
- The rear at the Disneyland location has become smaller due to the opening of the Disney California Adventure park expansion in 2001, while the rear of the property in San Mateo has retained its larger size.
- The Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel is located behind "It's a Small World" of Disneyland park, causing it to get visibly hazy when there are fireworks being launched from the area.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Royal Coach Inn At 7000 Southwest Fwy. by enviromain, Houston Architecture Information Forums. 2008-08-27.
- ↑ Dunfey-History (.docx), Rob Dunfey. Accessed 2022-11-14.
External links[]
- Dunfey Hotels at Rob Dunfey
- Dunfey Hotels at the Apple Wiki
- Omni Hotels & Resorts: History at Wikipedia