Madonna

 Madonna

 

Alexander Paul "Alex" Madonna was a businessman and real estate developer who created the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. Mr. Madonna was also known as a rancher and a local philanthropist and his interests included cattle and horse ranches, a highway construction company and developing a shopping center.

The Madonna Inn has become known as a world famous tourist stop featuring Gothic and Swiss chalet style construction and Pepto-Bismol pink colors. The rooms at the inn are noted for their various and unique themes ranging from a rock cave to a fairy tail princess room. The Inn was also used as a setting in the 1987 film "Aria".

Alex was born in November 19, 1918 as the son of Paul Frank Madonna and Dora Bassi in a little house on what is now Camp San Luis. By the time he was 5 he had lost both his father and older brother to sickness and lived with his mother and older sister in an apartment across from the Mission in San Luis Obispo.

Madonna's empire consisted of the Froom Ranch property where Home Depot is located, Broadway Plaza shopping center in Santa Maria, and several thousand acres of property in San Luis County, including about 2,000 acres surrounding San Luis Mountain.

Alex Madonna's construction firm built or repaved most of Highway 101 from Salinas to south of Buellton, as well as about 70 miles of Highway 46 and Highway 41 from Cholame to Fresno. He built the "Golden Spike" stretch of Interstate 5 that connected Canada and Mexico. He built the Salinas River Bridge on Highway 58 and an award-winning bridge on Highway 166. As well, Madonna had a hand in resurfacing much of Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Carmel.

The story goes that Madonna designed the motel on a napkin. The 12 room original motel was built in 1958, and unfortunately burned down in 1965. He rebuilt the motel in 1969 with 109 rooms.

Alex met Phyllis Boyd in 1949 and they were married that same year in Las Vegas. They would have three daughters and one son.

Alex Madonna died in 2004 of an apparent heart attack, a self-made man and shrewd businessman. He is buried in the Old Mission Cemetery.