SHREWSBURY – In years gone by, Shrewsbury was home to a number of motels. These included the Driftwood Motel and the Elm Motel, along with the Shrewsbury Motor Inn and the Worcester City Motel, which after a number of years of inactivity is now being renovated.
In addition, there were several small groups of rental cabins, mostly along the shores of Lake Quinsigamond. On Route 20 there was a cluster of cabins located behind what was for many years the Log Cabin restaurant (now known as Willickers). It is believed that during the 1940s (according to a descendant of the original owners of the Log Cabin), the cabins were moved across Route 20. It became known as the Rainbow Motel, so named because each cabin was painted a different color.
As the years passed, the motels closed one by one until only the Worcester City Motel and the Rainbow Motel remained. The cabins were also repainted to be one uniform off-white color at some point as well. Some online reviews give less than stellar feedback to the Rainbow Motel in its final years.
Today, after having a number of owners over the past few years, all that remains is a worn, broken-down sign with the motel’s name and advertising cabins for $70 per night. The buildings have all been torn down with the site awaiting redevelopment.
