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Photographs May, 2005: Courtesy of Bob Venditti
 
 
 
 
Although Westbury's guest buildings were painted and its Gate Lodge was mutilated, the Motor Lodge retained all of its old outdated signage in 2005.
PhotographFebruary 13, 2005: Courtesy of Steven LJ Russo
 
 
 
 
Brochure circa 1980s: Courtesy of Dan Donahue
 
 
 
Photographs May, 2005: Courtesy of Bob Venditti
 
Its form remarkably intact by 2005, Westbury featured two guest building styles--one was an older-type three-story structure with full patios/balconies, and the other was a newer design that featured abbreviated non-functional balconies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Even with its brick painted, Westbury was still a striking sight wearing its old HOWARD JOHNSON signage. Note that the interior exposed brick remained unpainted.
 
 
 

As pristine as it still looked in 2005, Westbury had a dark infamous past that led to fundamental changes in the way the hospitality industry approached guest security.

After having just relaunched her career at the Westbury Music Fair, Connie Francis was attacked and raped on November 8, 1974 in her room at the Westbury Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge. Famous as a pop-vocalist with her many top hits during the 1960s, Francis sued the Howard Johnson Company after discovering that the broken lock on her room's door had not been repaired a year after her attack. The initial suit was for $6 million based on the claim that the Motor Lodge "had failed to provide her with a safe and secure room." A jury awarded $2.5 million, but the amount was thrown out by a judge. Eventually the parties settled in 1977 for $1,475,000. On a personal level, Ms Francis was devastated by the event and she continues to be haunted by her nightmarish experience. Here is a transcript of a 2002 interview of Connie Francis conducted by Larry King.

Although lodging facilities had been concerned with guest security since the industry's beginnings, the rape of Connie Francis in 1974 created a new emphases on protecting guests. New regulations, procedures and policies were devised, and new technologies were created and adopted by the industry to better protect patrons. Moreover bad publicity, and litigation coupled with insurance risk issues have all served to make safety a higher priority for the lodging industry.
 
 
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