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Bates Motel Wiki

Now under new ownership! An old roadside motel, this is a great new place to stay. The new owners have spared no expense to give the old motel a new look. New carpeting throughout and a friendly staff add to the charm. So much interesting history to explore and don't forget to enjoy a hot shower!

Collector's Card: "Bates Motel"

The Bates Motel, formerly the Seafairer Motel, is a roadside motel in White Pine Bay, Oregon, in front of the now constructed Lee Berman Memorial Bypass. It was owned and run by Norman Bates, who ended up becoming sole owner after the death of his mother, Norma. He resided with her corpse as well as an imaginary figment of her named "Mother" in the house behind the motel.

History[]

The Seafairer Motel was built sometime in the 1950s by Keith Summers' great-great grandfather. Their family passed the house and motel down from generation to generation, with Keith (and presumably his ancestors) running a sex trafficking operation in the motel during its later years with the Summers family. Due to declining business and financial failings, Keith Summers and his sister Maggie lost the property to the bank in foreclosure. Norma eventually bought the house and motel in a foreclosure sale and renamed the Seafairer Motel to the Bates Motel.

Shortly after the Bates family moved in, Keith Summers warned Norma of the property's dark history. Soon thereafter, Norman found Jiao's diary under the carpet of room 4. While Norman was at a party, Keith broke into the house and raped Norma before Norman arrived home to knock him out. Norma then repeatedly stabbed Keith until he died, and the two carried him down to the motel and kept his corpse in a motel room bathtub. Norman and Norma cut up old carpeting from the rooms after this incident late at night, which led to them meeting Sheriff Romero and Deputy Shelby for the first time and a narrow miss of discovery when Romero excused himself to use the restroom to "jiggle the chain" on the toilet.

During the years of the Bates' ownership the motel has seen many guests, including having the "No Vacancy" sign lit for the first time in Season Two. In the first season it was patronized by one of Keith Summers' former business clients, Jiao, and Dylan's trimmers. In the following seasons it would also be home to Gunner during the summer, Sheriff Romero after his home was burned down (and to sober up in one evening during Season Four), Dylan after finding out his true biological identity, Anika Johnson, and Emma's mother. The motel began to lose visitors after the new bypass was built, essentially bankrupting Norma. Norma, Norman, and Sheriff Romero also slept in the motel during Season Four when the furnace in the Bates home went out, which after seeing Romero go into Norma's motel room, led Norman to sneak into the motel office and make a peephole behind a painting to spy on the two in an intimate situation.

Norman and Emma helped Norma run the motel during their high school years, which led to many interesting discussions about dating or people they had been seeing. During the second season Emma was normally at the front desk while Norman was supposed to be helping, when he was usually practicing taxidermy in the home's basement, much to Norma's annoyance and worry. Norma made Norman manager of the motel beginning in the third season, which came with some worry after catching him spy on a guest showering. During the same season a large pit was dug near the motel's small playground where Norma was hoping a pool would go (sans diving board) after some negotiations with Bob Paris. The pit, ominously, was an allusion to being her grave and was subsequently filled in from the help of Sheriff Romero, with Norma worrying about Emma's mother potentially being buried there after finding out she had been alone with Norman when she was in town. She did find an earring in the pit prior to it being filled.

After killing his mother in a murder-suicide attempt, a surviving Norman began running the motel on his own, whilst living under the delusion Norma was still alive through his split personality "Mother". It's during this period that Sam Loomis and Marion Crane continue their love affair, using the Bates Motel as their rendezvous point. Marion comes back here after stealing the $400,000 from her employer and is searching for Sam to have a life together. After Norman meets Marion, and proceeds to tell her about Sam being married, Marion leaves for a better life. Sam Loomis comes to the motel after being locked out of the Loomis home after a fight with Madeline about the affair. In a twist of fate, Norman murders Sam in the shower a la Psycho. "Mother" helps Norman clean up the scene. Following Norman's death in the series finale, the property was sold to another young family by Jiao, with a "PRICE REDUCED" sticker on the motel sign.

Known Customers[]

Known Staff[]

Description[]

The motel has twelve rooms, which form an L shape with nine rooms on the long side and three rooms on the short side, with a breezeway and ice machine in-between. The motel is painted buttercream yellow with navy blue doors, white window sashes, and brown trim and a large extended front porch in front of all the rooms, with the porch roof and breezeway joining the two motel structures. The motel is largely constructed with wood clapboard siding with wood doors and window sashes. Outside, there is a large gravel parking area and a free-standing metal "Bates Motel" sign with neon lettering, which also tells passing drivers if there are any available vacancies. There is a small picnic area near the sign, and a small playground near the wide cement steps at the bottom of the hill. On the hill behind the motel sits the angled and foreboding Bates family house.

Trivia[]

  • The Bates Motel was located in Fairvale, California in the novel as well as the film.
  • In the novel and film, Norma's boyfriend taught her how to build the motel.
  • In the final season episode Dreams Die First, the motel is shown to be a 2-star establishment.
  • In the pilot episode, Norma brings Norman to the window on a rainy day to watch the new motel sign be installed. She comments that she had the sign made blue after Norman's favorite color.
  • In the first season the motel is painted light yellow with brown trim, window sashes, and doors. Under the yellow paint it appears the motel was previously barn red. After Norma has the motel painted during her ownership, the building is painted buttercream yellow with brown trim, white sashes, and navy blue doors.
  • IRL, the motel only had four furnished rooms - the office/lobby, and Rooms 1, 9, and 12. The rest of the rooms were utilized for production equipment storage and spaces.
  • According to Emma, the Wi-Fi password for the motel is "MOTHER".
  • The motel rooms are furnished with Mid-Century styled furniture and decorations, an homage to the origin film, Psycho.
  • Every year the gravel in the motel parking lot had to be dug out and re-graveled. Due to heavy rains and the set being located on the a former garbage dump, the concrete pad the structure sat on sank almost five inches over the course of filming the series,
  • Unlike the motel in the movies, the television set has a continuous roof line sitting on a flat plot. The one in the movies steps down gradually with the hill every three rooms.
  • In the Season Four episode "Goodnight, Mother" there is a framed copy of a Seafairer Motel advertising poster to the right of Dylan's bedroom door.

Gallery[]

Locations
Abraham's Gas for LessArtful ArtifactsBates Family HouseBates MotelBend Correctional FacilityDylan's FarmFalls LakeGilmer BeachLadyfaceLee Berman Memorial BypassMartin Family HouseNick Ford's CompoundPinecrest InstitutePineview InstitutePortland All Saints HospitalR.A. Bloch RealtyShed in the WoodsShepard's View CemeterySt. Sebastian HospitalSunset BeachSwimming HoleThe Arcanum ClubThe DocksThe King's MotelThe Landing StripThe White Horse BarTrout Lake Community CollegeVillage HardwareWhite Pine BayWhite Pine Bay City HallWhite Pine Bay Community TheaterWhite Pine Bay FederatedWhite Pine Bay High SchoolWhite Pine Bay Sheriff's Department
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