Airport
Photo ca. 2000s: Bob Venditti
 
Ft. Lauderdale-Airport -- 2075 SR 84

Opened in the summer of 1971, the Fort Lauderdale-Airport location featured 80 rooms in traditional two-story allbeit flat roofed Motor Lodge fashion.

During the later 1980s, its Restaurant operated as Mr. Brodie's Steak & Ribs -- at least for a time. The Motor Lodge lost its Howard Johnson status in 1992. Bob Venditti said that the redesign of I-95 and its interchange with SR 84 "effectively placed this property into a hole on a dead-end street."

Bob speculated that the former Motor Lodge may have been slated for conversion into a Super 8 Motel based on its sign, but instead became the unbranded Budget Inn (perhaps it operated as a Super 8 Motel and then became unbranded?). Venditti added that, cut off from the main flow of traffic, its fortunes faltered and the site's owner had wanted to revitalize the place by converting it into a center for the homeless, but that its neighbors squelched the plan.

By the time Mr. Venditti arrived at the scene, the entire complex had been fenced off and plastered with threatening No Trespassing signs (BTW, trespassing is a felony in Florida). Frustratingly he was unable to get any revealing shots of the site, and not long after his visit, the whole place was leveled.
 
Brochure ca 1970s: Larry Passaro
 
 
TerraServer image 1999
USGS ca 2005: © Microsoft Corporation
 
 
North
 
 
 
Ft. Lauderdale-North
-- 5001 North Federal Hwy
 

With its exceptional location, the Fort Lauderdale-North modern low-rise complex dates from the middle 1960s! Built with an oversized pool and 108 guest rooms, it once featured The (swinging) Crashing Boare.

Survivng nearly thirty years as a Howard Johnson's, 1992 was its last year to fly the Orange Banner. Some time following it de-orangeing the five-story Motor Lodge was remodeled and transformed into a Courtyard by Marriott.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Postcard circa 1960s
 
 
 
 
 

While its conversion into a Courtyard resulted in the loss of its Gate Lodge, the modern guest building remained intact with original sliders!

The Restaurant had been built at an angle facing the busy intersection of U.S. 1 and Commercial Blvd--sited for maximum visibility. However it had become largely unrecognizable, save for its general shape, and was operating as Topanga Grille in 2006.
 
 
 
 
PompanoBeach
 
Postcard circa 1970s
 
Pompano Beach, Florida -- 9 N Pompano Beach Blvd

Another in Howard Johnson's series of modern multi-storied resort-like Motor Lodges that were built on Florida's east coast, Pompano Beach opened in the fall of 1971 with 104 rooms. Vintage views show that it featured an expansive Orange Roof Mansard facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Last listed in Cendant's Howard Johnson directory for 2001, the location was redone into a Holiday Inn. However by June of 2006, a drive-by revealed just an empty space and a lot full of demolition equipment where the once ultra-modern property had been--nothing remained of the Pompano Beach Howard Johnson's.
 
 
 
 
Brochure circa 1980s: Courtesy of Dan Donahue
 
 
 
 
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