The Rio Motel brochure has the usual shots of enticing fun in the sun.

The Rio Motel in Wildwood, New Jersey, was an example of the aptly named Doo-Wop architecture that the South Jersey city is famous for, though it wasn’t nearly as neon-infused and garish as most. The Rio was built in 1958 across the street from the ocean and had rooftop miniature golf, a large pool and a sundeck during its heyday. It managed to straddle the line and draw both families and couples.

Despite seemingly endless sands and a raucous boardwalk, the beach town had been in a slow decline for some years when urban planners in the ’90s suggested that the local businesses stress the honky-tonk quality of the architecture and Las Vegas signage and refurbish the 1950s-era space-age structures rather than demolishing them and modernizing. The strategy proved a success as the ocean resort town rebounded. But success had a cost: In the middle of the aughts, during the real estate boom, developers snapped up the cherished old historical properties (the Rio included), took a wrecking ball to them and built (or planned to build) condominiums on the land. A  disappointed Rio patron’s comment on Yahoo! Travel:

“Haklar quadruplets will miss the Rio

Rio, I was just told this past weekend that the Rio was torn down for Condos. I couldn’t believe it. We have not been down to Wildwood for the past few years due to family conflicts but that was the only hotel we had ever stayed in from the time we took our quadruplets to their very first ocean vacation when they were about 5 years old. I remember they didn’t even come close to seeing over the counter when we arrived to check in. By our last visit when they were 12 or 13 they could definitely be seen across the counter. It saddens me to know that we will not be able to visit the Rio as a family ever again. With the kids all going off to college next year those memories of the 6 of us in our ‘suite’ on the third floor will be all we have left of our earlier days with our children and our yearly beach visit. We do have pictures as well to keep those memories alive. Best of Luck to all of you. We hope this is a new adventure for you and your staff and that the future will be a good one. Kathy, Rich, James, Gregory, Jessica, David Haklar.”

1960's Rio Motel postcard.