Stovall, says this site, was a space enthusiast, a collector of Astronaut photographs. I'll be it was standing policy that any astronaut stayed for free.

More from Bestwestern.com:

Al Stovall, a past president of Best Western, was the original owner and designer, and was inspired in the design by his affiliation with the newly formed Space program. He owned a copper mine and a plastic factory, which made his ability to create special designs and implement a variety of creative interior and exterior decorations a cinch. Many of the lamps, room dividers and exterior do-dads were made from materials from his mine and factory.

So it's possible Al designed the lamps and partitions - and that makes the Stovall oeuvre an immense work of Outsider Art, doesn't it? Inasmuch as somoene who's friends with the President can be an outsider.