Until I came across this photo, I only knew of McDonnell’s as a chain of popular drive-in restaurants throughout Los Angeles in the 1940s. But apparently they also had hotels. This one was called El Rancho Hotel and it stood on San Fernando Rd (I couldn’t find a specific address) in West Glendale, California, right near the Grand Central airport, just north of Griffith Park. I love those two white-topped Buicks parked out front. The black one is a 1954 model, so this photo (probably a postcard) is circa mid-1950s—and looks every inch a 1950s motel, doesn’t it?
This photo was taken on June 25, 1950 (see below for update)
McDonnell’s motels were the Plantation and the El Rancho:
It looks like the second photo is actually of the El Rancho in Sacramento, California. It makes sense that all the El Rancho hotels shared a common look.
Ditto the one in Las Vegas, Nevada:
This is also the Vegas El Rancho:
There seems to be some historical confusion as to just where the depicted building was located, because postcards and web references to historic Sacramento hotels list it at 1029 West Capitol Avenue.
I saw that reference too but then I found the matchbook cover that confirmed the Glendale address. Do you think maybe the second photo is in Sacramento and they just built a copy of the Glendale property?
The two buildings do look different. I notice on the top photo on the upper left looks like a control tower for the airport? Also, the lower pic has a shell gas station.ma
It took some searching for the San Fernando Road address and it was at 6345 on the south east corner at Sonora. Here is a 1961 photo with what looks like an updated premises. https://pastvu.com/_p/a/p/p/w/ppwo5yyc4y01i6lkyd.png
I’m unsure the two photographs in your article are for this location as I can’t find any visual evidence? The match book cover illustration even looks a bit different. The water tank in the background may be a clue for another location so I’ll keep digging around.
Here is confirmation of the address: https://archive.org/details/uclalibrarianv7to8univ/page/n7/mode/2up?utm_source=chatgpt.com&q=6345 Page 2 – Fall Meeting of Los Angeles Regional Catalogers
Here is another great source on the airfield. Fascinating stuff! https://airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_LA_C.htm
Cheers!
I confirmed the structure with referencing this menu cover https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageMenus/comments/l28pa7/mcdonnells_rancho_west_glendale_california_famous/#lightbox You can see the structure in my previous photograph link matches this, as well as the matchbook cover. I’m feeling pretty certain now the two images of this article are for other locations.
Love sleuthing!
More information!
https://sacroom.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15248coll1/id/1359/
If you zoom in on this great photograph you can see it matches your first image very well. Lots of clues here like the palm trees in backgrounds.
And my last message, phew!
Shockingly, I’ve found the El Rancho Hotel in Sacremento. 953 W Capitol Ave, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA
Many of the buildings of the hotel still stand and the tower. It’s depressing to see but from sky view and street view you can see it all.
Cheers