Even into the 1970s Howard Johnson's location scouts continued to find exceptionally visible sites for HoJo's complexes like the one which opened in South Plainfield during 1972. The ultra-modern 100 guest room complex which featured an indoor all-weather heated swimming pool and an extra-large Mansard-type Restaurant was situated in such a manner that motorists travelling southbound on I-287 exiting at Skelton Road were deposited from the super-highway onto surface streets with an exceptional view of the Orange Roofed Mansard property.

The site came to be owned or mearly managed by Prime Motor Inns at least until Prime's 1990 bankruptcy and remained branded as a Howard Johnson until the latter 1990s. Afterwards the Motor Lodge was substantially stuccoed and converted into a Days Inn. Then during the 2000s it became a Best Western. Its easily recognizable large-sized Mansard-type Restaurant operated for a period of time offering an odd combination of American, Italian, and Chinese buffet style cuisine, but was out-of-business by the summer of 2010.