With its 82 rooms in both single and 2-story buildings, Roanoke Rapids or Weldon opened in 1965. It was a dream location, for it was a temporary termination point of I-95 for many years. Motorists were required to exit and use older highways to travel south causing them to slow down past the HoJo's complex at street level.

The site also featured a Gift Shop, Tourist Info Center, and Putting Green. Long lived, it remained a Howard Johnson's including its full-service HoJo's Restaurant until 1989. Its phone number and address were listed as a Hampton Inn in 2005.