Wings of Freedom Saratoga Sober Center Set To Open June 29

Postcard Image of the Saratoga Motor Hotel, courtesy of the Laurel Kane Postcard Collection

The long-planned project to convert the former Saratoga Motor Hotel in Tulsa to sober living apartments will become a reality with a Grand Opening on Saturday, June 29th.

The Saratoga Motor Hotel was built by James Gray and it opened in 1959. It originally had 85 units and was styled after an English manor with its brick-and-wood accents courtesy of architect Charles L. Monnot Jr. of Oklahoma City. At its grand opening, it boasted a subterranean central heat-and-cooling system, piped-in recorded music in addition to a radio, brand-new RCA televisions, and instance ice-water taps in each room. There was even a tap next to the office outside for travelers to use as they departed. The pool, designed and installed by Fiesta Pools of Tulsa, was heated and cooled seasonally.

The Saratoga sold in 1967 and the new owners added dozens of rooms, promoting it as a place for meetings and conventions as well as overnight lodging. But the hotel industry entered a rut, which wasn’t helped in 1973 when the Business Route of US 66 was removed from 11th Street. The Saratoga began a long decline, with various legal issues and lack of proper upkeep. It most recently operated as an America’s Value Inn before a fire in 2020 closed the doors for good. That same year, the property was purchased by Wings of Freedom.

Wings of Freedom is a faith-based non-profit operating since 2001 in east Tulsa. Since purchasing the Saratoga, they have been restoring the vintage Route 66 motel into a facility to help people get back on their feet. In addition to restoring the rooms and the former restaurant/office building, the non-profit has rebuilt the iconic neon sign. The sign was the recipient of at least two grants, one from the Tulsa Route 66 Commission’s Neon Sign Grant and one from the Oklahoma Route 66 Revitalization Grant. Installation began this week.

Workers from Encino's Signs install the glass on the new Saratoga sign

The neon sign for the Saratoga Center emulates the classic motel design

The expansive motel is being restored for living quarters, including the two-story building behind the main U-shaped courtyard

The former office and restaurant will be converted into a visitor's center, gift shop, and laundromat

In a press release, Wings of Freedom calls the opening of the center, “an amazing milestone” in their work to break the cycle of addiction, incarceration, and homelessness. It also states the program has, “already made a significant financial impact estimated at $35.4 million in taxpayer dollars for the state of Oklahoma,” with “nearly 2,000 graduates and countless families reuniting in a drug-free environment.”

The grand opening ceremony will take place at 10117 E 11th St in Tulsa from 12:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, June 29th. The event will include a formal ribbon-cutting, music, refreshments, and tours of the property.