Ramada opened its first hotel – a 60-room facility – on U.S. Route 66 at Flagstaff, Arizona in 1954 and set up its headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, where the chain built the Sahara Hotel on North 1st Street downtown in 1956 (which later became the Ramada Inn Downtown) and a 300-room Ramada Inn in the 3800 block of East Van Buren in 1958 that would become the chain’s flagship property and headquarters. Mr. Isbell, like his contemporary, Kemmons Wilson, the founder of the Holiday Inn hotel chain, devised the idea of building and operating a chain of roadside motor hotels while he was on a cross-country trip with his wife, Ingrid, and their three children. On that trip, Isbell noted the substandard quality of roadside motor courts along US highways at the time. He saw the possibility in the developing market for a chain of roadside motor hotels conveniently located along major highways which would provide lodgings with hotel-like quality at near-motel rates plus amenities such as TV, air conditioning, swimming pools and on-premises restaurants.

The name “Ramada” is derived from the Spanish term “rama” (meaning branch) and was applied to temporary open air structures called Ramadas that were made of brush or branches (similar to an arbor) and were popular in Arizona during harvest time. Company websites commonly refer to the structure as a “shady resting place.”

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Members: ToXiC, Brute, Myth & AquaSlayer
Photos by: ToXiC w/ FujiFilm FinePix Z 8.0
Written by: ToXiC
June 2008 Trip #1

I was cruising around in Downtown when I noticed a demolition crew working on Ramada. I instantly made plans in my head and made the calls. We were going to meet that night and scope out security measures.

Later me and Myth met up. Brute and AquaSlayer were running real late so me and myth found a bar nearby and had a couple of drinks while we were waiting. After that we got bored and decided to recon the inside of the premises. Confirming our thoughts I got a call from Brute and let him know to meet us outside on the sidewalk by a Fence entrance we had found.

After meeting up with them and using a fence entrance we proceeded to start on the South West region of the hotel. We kind of went off in 2 groups in that building. The method of getting in was also different, I chose a window that at the time I didnt realize was broken partially and upon opening it the glass fell falling a few feet and landing edge first onto my forearm amazingly only breaking the skin but not the veins bouncing off of me and making a big breaking sound. Noone seemed bothered by it so I continued into the building.

Once I got in the hotel, the rooms actually smelled still like the day they got their last cleaning which very much surprised me. I met up with Myth who was on the same level as me and we went through the rooms one by one seeing if there was anything of interest to gaze upon. Nope not really.

After searching the SW section of the premises we decided to head to the other sections of the building which at the time were still all connected except to the middle part of the complex. We started in the basement. As with most Corporations they tend to leave alot of unwanted crap in their basements and so it was we found lots of crap. While in the process Myth knocked down some cheap painting and the glass fell out of the frame and cut his forearm open. Theres a pattern forming here.

So after that fun experience we headed upstairs to the main entrance and check-in area. Explored the empty pool, looked at some janitor rooms and checked out the unawesome empty coridoors. Since the main entrance has alot of light and easy view point from the streets we decided to head upstairs and check out the rest of the rooms and roof.

Up we went via various stair sections. Same old boring empty rooms as the SW part of the building. We ran into a Scrapper who didnt really care that we were there. Ran into a Feral Cat and chased it trying to capture it for a bit until we backed it into a corner and at that point realized it was Rabid and decided to then that we shouldnt be chasing it and should instead be running from it. Theres ironically a funny video to this that I was able to capture. (Note: I may at some point upload it to the website, maybe I should make a videos section?….)

After all that fun Me & Brute made it to the roof not sure where AquaSlayer or Myth were, I decided to call Myth and see if he was with AquaSlayer. Nope. So I decided he should meet us up there. AquaSlayer got to the roof after that and bitched at us for leaving him on the 3rd floor. Myth called me back at that same moment saying he had found a Feral Cat. I told him to leave it alone because it was Rabid. He didnt quiet understand until I explained it to him a few times. Then Myth got to the roof and we chilled enjoying a nice cool breeze.

Ya we made an awesome exit and thats the story.

Let the good times roll…

Sources
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramada