# Do you know the difference between a motel and a hotel? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498 "2013-08-06T15:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/21 "2013-08-06T19:26:56Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > we don’t have “motorways” in the USA. Do you mean that we don’t have anything that **we** call “motorways,” or that we don’t have anything precisely equivalent to what are called “motorways” elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/22 "2013-08-06T19:36:22Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > we don’t have “motorways” in the USA. . Yes we do. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/23 "2013-08-06T19:40:39Z")
Long ago, when motels were the coming thing, hotels would offer almost every service imaginable, and were pretty pricey. Motels had nothing but a room; any services you needed, you supplied yourself, including parking the car and handling luggage. But they were cheap and more anonymous, since the only person you might see was the desk clerk. Then the hotels started losing business to motels, so they made it a little easier for the motoring traveler with parking nearby, and the motels got bigger, more luxurious, and added services – pools, bellhops, restaurants, gift shops, convention rooms, even casinos. So now there is very little difference between them. I’d say a hotel is more likely to be downtown and a motel, in the suburbs or outskirts of a city. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/24 "2013-08-06T20:19:28Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Yes we do. “Motorway” is the British term… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/25 "2013-08-06T20:57:57Z")
Motels are where you stay on your way to somewhere; hotels are where you stay once you get there. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/26 "2013-08-06T21:56:52Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Motels had been around since the early days of “motoring.” The word is short for “Motor Hotel”–we don’t have “motorways” in the USA. They’ve been evolving upward but the historic distinction was quite clear. Here’s[a historic Houston example](http://www.highwayhost.org/AlamoPlaza/Houston/houston.htm). I remember when it was very nice; it’s now low-cost housing. The [Motel Inn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_Inn_of_San_Luis_Obispo) of San Luis Obispo, Ca., claims to be the world’s first “Motel”, and I think claims to have coined the term “motel” (originally written as “Mo-Tel”). The main building is still present, just alongside Highway 101 at the northern end of San Luis Obispo, although it’s not being used as a motel any more. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/27 "2013-08-06T23:40:19Z")
“Now I’m checkin’ out the body This hotty gotta body ‘n’ I wanna get naughty Followed her to the motel Yes, motel, I’m too cheap for a hotel” – Sir Mix-a-lot, _Sprung on the Cat_ ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/28 "2013-08-06T23:40:26Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > I call bullshit on any attempt to define “the difference” between hotels and motels. I won’t say I can define the difference, but if my room is on the 22nd floor , I can send my clothes to be dry-cleaned or laundered, parking is $10 a day and the parking lot is open to non-hotel guests it’s not a motel. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/29 "2013-08-06T23:52:49Z")
I agree with doreen’s post above. There are certain establishments that are unambiguously hotels, and not motels. A high rise with paid parking, etc, is certainly never going to be considered a motel by anyone. There may not be any motels, however, that might not be considered a hotel by many people. Even flea-ridden places like Motel 6 is still just a type of “hotel” in the minds of many, I’d bet. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/30 "2013-08-07T00:08:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Rooms that open directly onto the parking lot, instead of onto an interior hallway, are a sure sign of a motel, but I’d hesitate to say that that’s a necessary condition. A light-up “(NO) VACANCY” sign that can be seen from the road is also a dead giveaway, but I remember we had a thread about how you don’t see those as much nowadays. For business hotel/motels, maybe, but not if you’re at a beachfront Hotel in a tourist area. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/31 "2013-08-07T00:24:28Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > “Now I’m checkin’ out the body > This hotty gotta body ‘n’ I wanna get naughty > Followed her to the motel > Yes, motel, I’m too cheap for a hotel” > > – Sir Mix-a-lot, _Sprung on the Cat_ God damn it I came here to post that. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/32 "2013-08-07T00:34:41Z")
The cost of the room is what I would consider to be the only difference. I’ve never heard of a fancy motel before. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/33 "2013-08-07T01:06:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’ve never heard of a fancy motel before. Behold the glory of [The Gobbler](http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/34 "2013-08-07T01:10:13Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I agree with what has been said above—that > > “motel” is short for “motor hotel”; and thus a motel is intended for motorists (i.e. people traveling by car) to stay at; and > > the line between what you’d call a “hotel” and what you’d call a “motel” can be blurry. Rooms that open directly onto the parking lot, instead of onto an interior hallway, are a sure sign of a motel, but I’d hesitate to say that that’s a necessary condition. A light-up “(NO) VACANCY” sign that can be seen from the road is also a dead giveaway, but I remember we had a thread about how you don’t see those as much nowadays. Yes, there’s a difference that is rather hard to formally define but seems to work fairly well in real life. Motels tend to be small, located directly on or very close to major roads, tend to be cheap, and provide minimal services. Hotels tend to be downtown, big, and have a lot of amenities like conference rooms. There isn’t any one factor that is critical - it’s a judgment call based on the totality of the circumstances. A lodging place that has an interior corridor but otherwise screams “cheap motel!!!” is still a motel. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/35 "2013-08-07T01:14:31Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I won’t say I can define the difference, but if my room is on the 22nd floor , I can send my clothes to be dry-cleaned or laundered, parking is $10 a day and the parking lot is open to non-hotel guests it’s not a motel. One thing you find is that upscale hotels tend to be commonly used as event locations, so you often have people coming to the hotel to take part in an event (trade convention, wedding, fundraiser banquet, award ceremony, graduation, etc.) when they aren’t staying there. Motels tend not to have much happening there. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/36 "2013-08-07T01:25:04Z")
At least here in the Dom Rep, one’s maily for boinking by the hour, the other isn’t – plus you can park your car inside the cabana. Rather important when you are cheating. So take your pick as to which is which. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/37 "2013-08-07T01:29:09Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Behold the glory of [The Gobbler](http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/). > [@](#): > > We’ll bill it as a romantic getaway - and call it The Gobbler! A very romantic name indeed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/38 "2013-08-07T01:31:14Z")
I’ll be cruising past the [“world’s first motel”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_Inn_of_San_Luis_Obispo) sometime in the next couple of days. There have been a couple of failed restoration attempts but it falls farther into ruin every year. Inspired by this thread, I’m hoping to check out what remains of the place and get a few pictures. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498/39 "2013-08-07T01:47:43Z")
True that there has arisen a large grey area – a lot of hotel brands would rather not mention they have motels under their flag, and sometimes one of the brand-levels spans both sorts of property (e.g. there are Comfort Inns that are classic motels and others that just make the cut as hotels). The classic old-school sign was the motor court layout and the signage designed to catch highway drivers’ attention. > [@RedFury](#): > > ``` > At least here in the Dom Rep, one's maily for boinking by the hour, the other isn't -- plus you can park your car inside the cabana. > > ``` 😃 Same story here on the other side of the Passage. Though after a tragic recent Spring Break incident our local State OSHA has pointed out that you should have CO detectors and an extractor fan in that configuration.:eek: > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Behold the glory of [The Gobbler](http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/). 🆒 Yep, had the very same thought; many thanks to Lileks for keeping lit the flame of this memory (and in a briefer way of [others](http://www.lileks.com/motels/)). Gotta say, though, Og bless whoever had the idea for the Gobbler. That’s the sort of American can-do spirit, unfettered by the chains of good sense, that tamed the frontier and built a superpower ;). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-the-difference-between-a-motel-and-a-hotel/665498.md?page=1)