But the Starlux is the motel most worthy of the Rat Pack. You can almost see Dean Martin in his white sport coat, leaning against the registration desk in the soaring, glass-walled lobby (he probably wouldn't try sitting in the bat-wing chairs, though). Weekend rates start at $89 in the winter, $199 in the summer. (609) 522-7412
If it's booked, try …

2. Caribbean Motel, which is so doo-wop that it has fake palm trees by the pool. Rates vary wildly, even week to week during the summer, but they start at $60. www.caribbeanmotel.com, (609) 522-8292

3. Kate's Lazy Meadow Inn, Mount Tremper, New York When Kate Pierson of the band the B-52's saw this collection of 1950s cabins (at the time, they were so decrepit they were more accurately called shacks), she fell in love. She bought the motel, on nine acres in the Catskills near Woodstock, and set to work remodeling, with the assistance of designer buddy Bill Stewart. Fittingly, she also called for help from the two artists whose home served as the set for the band's "Love Shack" video. The result: rustic outside, groovy inside. Each cabin is stuffed with colorful mid-century furniture and fixtures (think checkerboard tile, chrome, and vinyl), and some have '50s-style kitchens complete with vintage Frigidaires and stoves. Evidence of Pierson's around-the-world travels is everywhere: Her souvenir tchotchkes decorate the place, and the toiletries are a mix of products used in hotels she's visited on tour. But the place isn't all about decor - there's a creek on the property for fishing and tubing. And hey, it's the Catskills, so there's skiing, hiking, biking, and more to do nearby. Not to mention the eponymous meadow for lazing in. Rates start at $150. www.lazymeadow.com, (845) 688-7200