# What's that motel smell? (nothing gross)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-motel-smell-nothing-gross/392907>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 20, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-motel-smell-nothing-gross/392907 "2007-02-20T02:25:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-motel-smell-nothing-gross/392907/1 "2007-02-20T02:25:34Z")

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Since I was a child, when I traveled with my parents, there was always this smell that I associated with motels and possibly hotels too.

It’s a smell that’s almost like chlorine, but not like pool chlorine. It’s not exactly a bleach smell either.

I’ve noticed it in different motel chains…Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn, Days Inn, Admiral Benbow, LaQuinta, Alamo Plaza, etc.

It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s a cheap motel, or one of the nicer ones. I don’t really associate this smell with the pool area, but it seems to be in the rooms, and for some reason near the outside of the A/C unit when the A/C is mounted under the front window next to the door.

Anyone else ever notice this and have any idea what it is?

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**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-motel-smell-nothing-gross/392907/2 "2007-02-20T04:02:41Z")

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Alot of hotels use O-zone generators to remove odors from rooms. These leave a unique smell of their own. Usualy after they use them the room will pick up odors from the carpeting and the bedsheets. In cleaner hotels that would typicaly be detergents.