From dive bar to hotel: Cambria Suites replacing Route 1 motels in Woodbridge

A new five-story hotel is set to rise on Route 1 South in the Avenel section of Woodbridge, replacing the old City Hotel, Star Hotel, and The Spot dive bar.

When Route 1 Was the Beating Heart of New Jersey Road Trips

There was a time when motels ruled New Jersey’s highways. After World War II, more families hit the road for vacations, and motels popped up everywhere — especially along Route 1 and other roads leading to the Shore. They were affordable, convenient, and perfect for the 1950s and ’60s road-tripping family.

From Family Vacations to Faded Signs: The Decline of Route 1 Motels

But times changed. When the interstate highway system came along, travelers bypassed the local roads. Flying became more popular, and the once-thriving motels started to fade away.

Some classic motels survived — and even saw a retro revival — in places like Wildwood and Cape May. But for most across the state, the story ended the same way: they turned into “cheap motels,” then closed, and eventually faced the wrecking ball.

City Hotel and The Spot Make Way for Woodbridge’s New Cambria Suites

Now, demolition is underway for the City and Star Hotels, along with The Spot, which has been closed for about 15 years.

Rising in their place will be a Cambria Suites hotel at 939–943 Route 1 South — a five-story, 104-room building that will also feature a restaurant on the first floor.

Avenel’s Route 1 Rebirth: From Blight to Boom

Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac called the project a long-overdue improvement. He described the old motels as “one of the ugliest sites on Route 1” and said the township has been working hard to clean up blighted properties.

“Route 1 in Avenel has experienced a rebirth,” McCormac said. “New stores and businesses have opened along Route 1, Avenel Street, and Rahway Avenue ever since the Station Village apartment complex took over one of the worst contaminated sites in the township at General Dynamics.”

It’s the end of an era for the old Route 1 motels — but like much of Woodbridge, this stretch is getting a well-deserved fresh start.