Standing at the crossroads of two highways in the small town of Stephenville, Texas, The Interstate Inn redefines the classic roadside motel with a seamless blend of midcentury nostalgia and modern luxury. 

Since its debut in January 2025, this reimagined retreat has invited travelers across the great Lone Star State and beyond to relive America’s motoring past with a playful collision of old and new. To mark the occasion, Mod Motels founding member Lisa Lennox sat down with Texas Lifestyle Magazine to discuss restoring these midcentury landmarks, recreating memories for the next generation, and working with the legendary Chef Stephan Pyles.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how this concept came to be?

My motel started on a trip to Tucson with my sister. We asked, “What’s next in this stage of our lives? How do we reinvent ourselves?” And I’ve always loved architecture. I love mid-century modern. And I love remodel work. There’s something fascinating about taking some old structure, something that should be torn down, and bringing it back to life. I hate seeing how all of these mid-century motels are ending up. They’re either being torn down, or they’re in terrible shape. And they have the worst reviews in the whole world. I thought, “I could do this!” I’ve remodeled a lot. I’ve probably done 25 buildings. I’ve done an out-of-the-country building in Florence, Italy. So we kind of jumped in. 

My sister has a background in advertising. She was the Executive Director of the Department of Commerce for the State of Texas when Ann Richards was Governor. And my brother has been a contractor general. So we put our heads together and found our first property in Stephenville, Texas. And you can’t miss this building. Its roof is in the shape of an Interstate sign. And in fact, we didn’t know it was at first. We were like, “Why did they ever do that?” It’s on a slant. And it’s huge — 6,000 square feet! When we purchased it, we started researching and found out it was originally called the Interstate Inn. So that made sense; they made the roof in an interstate sign.

We learned as we went along. I didn’t have a background in hospitality, so I enrolled immediately at Cornell and took all the classes I could. And I did a lot of research. The whole motel background is really a fascinating story in itself. It [The Interstate Inn] was owned by a Patel, and our property in Fredericksburg was opened by Patel. I was like, “Are they related?” And how it happened, in the 80s motels were going out of favor for Holiday Inns. Bigger hotels were becoming more popular, and so one family came over from India named Patel and bought the first one. Then they brought a family member over and bought another hotel. And then another. And during that time, if you invested $40,000 into a business, you could get residency. It’s kind of a step into citizenship. And their whole family could live there and run it. What was fascinating was that they became their own banking system because the banks would not loan them money. They loaned to each other. How Americana is that? They truly created that industry. Well, all those who bought in are now in their 70s and 80s. Their kids went off to college, and now they all have great careers. They don’t want to go back and run a motel, and so they’re ready to sell. Or they’re ready to close it down.

That whole industry was really fascinating to me. Motels were where you would pull right in the front after a long road trip and park your car, swimming in the pool until it got dark. I wanted to recreate those memories and keep them going for my grandkids. But we’re turning these into upscale boutiques, luxurious with high-end amenities. We took all the asphalt out of the property. We have this beautiful pool, a bocci ball court, and a large dining space. I somehow lucked into Stephan Pyles, the greatest chef in the United States! It’s been a lot of fun. And a lot of hard work.

What can you tell us about the unique characteristics of these rooms?

One has a waterbed! You know we had to bring that back. We have one room with a device called a Magic Finger Bed. A machine sits by the bed, you put a quarter in it and the bed vibrates. So come with a roll of quarters!

The Interstate Inn is a little over an hour and a half from Dallas/Fort Worth, making it the perfect driving destination for those chasing that nostalgic feeling of road trips. In your eyes, are travelers yearning for this experience again? What does that say about the current travel trends in our industry today?

Girls’ trips are a big thing. Women are traveling together, especially in the 20 to 40 age range. They do road trips. And in my heart, road trips will come back with families. We want to create destinations for people who want to come in and stay. And there’s a lot happening in these small towns. Chef Stephan is doing events throughout the year. He’s going to have weekend-long experiences. Come to dinner on a Friday night and have cocktails on Saturday. He has cooking classes, wine pairings, and a Sunday bunch. That’s what people are traveling more to see. It’s not so much a luxurious experience as it used to be. Just experiences, unique experiences.

Can you talk about the site selection process a little bit more? How was Stephenville ultimately selected?

We looked at several places. And I just happened to be in Stephenville looking at another property that a friend of ours was selling. We drove by this place, and I was like, “OK. This is so unique. I just feel it.” And I just love the feel of Stephenville. It’s slow, but not so slow or so far away from Dallas that it’s hard to get to. I continually look at properties and push away from some of the larger cities. I wanted to have some kind of essence of the fifties, sixties, and seventies, and this one did it. 

Back to this partnership with James Beard award-winning Chef Stephan Pyles. Can you tell us more about this collaboration and what Chef is bringing to the table at The Seeker?

Our restaurant designer introduced me to Stephan. We called and I gave him my whole spill about what we were doing. And we do have a unique group. All our people are women except my brother — and we let him come to meetings occasionally. But we just talked and had a nice laugh together. And I’m as surprised as anybody that he agreed to take us on. He’s really delightful and so knowledgeable. He knows everybody. I mean, everybody. I’m just so fortunate because he helped me so much. We did the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival, and he cooked for it. We had a line wrapped around the whole thing.

What does the future look like for you?

We will add as we move along. We probably want to get about four or five to feel real. Like a real chain. I never dreamed that in a million years. I actually always wanted a motel, but I never thought I’d own a restaurant business. It’s exciting for me. It’s a different venture than I’ve ever been. And everybody seems pumped about it. That’s what’s exciting, watching the whole city get behind it. Lisa Endicott has done a fabulous job of advertising for us and putting us out there. When I first met Stephan, I asked him, “Restaurants come and go. Why do people keep getting back into it?” And he says, “It gets in your blood.” And I can understand that.

Book now to relive your nostalgic experience at The Interstate Inn. Follow them on socials to stay up to date on the latest events from Lisa, Chef Pyles, and the team.

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Cover photo courtesy Sara Forrest

Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State.