Travel
First Look: KG Motel Goes Back to the Future in Lexington, Virginia
A retro-minded renovation brings the college-town longtime favorite back to life
When I moved to Lexington, Virginia, for a job in the early ’90s, before I resided in a boarding house before I found an apartment, I spent my first few nights at the Keydet-General Motel on the outskirts of the small, history-rich college town. Back then, the mid-century motor court built on a hilltop in 1962 by Kenneth DeWitt “Buster” Moore Sr. wasn’t so much retro as worn around the edges—but hey, it had a bed and air conditioning. Named after the mascots of the two local colleges, Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee, the motel was a beloved budget option for visiting parents and equestrians competing at the Virginia Horse Center. It also was the focus of much hubbub in 1974 when a charlatan Hollywood producer used a room to conduct bogus (and often topless) auditions for a nonexistent movie musical about Stonewall Jackson before skipping out on his hefty bill.
With most rooms out of service by 2025, the motel drew the attention of W&L alum and recent Lexington transplant Michael Meers on drives into town. Partnering with fellow real-estate veteran Madi Ford, the two renovated and rechristened KG Motel with the guiding ethos “have fun with it,” tapping into the hospitality trend to imbue roadside motels with boutique style. Hence a design aesthetic that embraces atomic-age nostalgia from lobby lounge to pastels-proud rooms. As the motel opens to the public this week, we take a peek at its playful spirit.
Ford’s retired foxhound, Keswick Kendall, is ready to greet guests next to the front end of a 1960 Thunderbird that doubles as a check-in desk. Other vintage flourishes in the lobby lounge include a restored 1959 Telefunken Hymnus hi-fi console, a custom Malm fireplace, and framed college pennants and other local memorabilia. As you might guess, pets are welcome; amenities include a fenced-in dog park.
With retro-mod furniture crafted by Roanoke, Virginia’s Txtur, bold wallpaper from HDWalls, and vintage accents, KG Motel’s fifty-three rooms continue the overtly throwback vibe. Along with queen rooms, king rooms, and a 600-square-foot Founder’s Suite, there are bunk rooms featuring four twin beds intended for families, friend groups, or “wayward groomsmen.”
Anchoring an outdoor patio equipped with Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, and lawn games is BuddyLou’s, a 1959 Shasta trailer camper converted to a whimsical bar that dispenses local libations on Friday and Saturday evenings during the late spring, summer, and early fall. Local purveyors also provide KG’s complimentary daily coffee (Roadmap Coffeeworks) and weekend breakfast pastries (Season’s Yield Farm, Conifer Bakery).
Steve Russell is a Garden & Gun contributing editor who also has written for Men’s Journal, Life, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Tennessee, he resided in New Orleans and New York City before settling down in Charlottesville, Virginia, because it’s far enough south that biscuits are an expected component of a good breakfast.