Difference Between Hotel and Motel

Are you planning to take a vacation to the country side? You are wondering about your accommodation when you are traveling. After a lot of research you have come across the names of some hotels and some motels, but you are now confused and want to know the difference between hotel and motel, so that you can decide where should you make the bookings and be put up?

Differentiating a Hotel from a Motel

Before we get into the hotel vs motel debate, we will first understand, what is a hotel and what is a motel. This will make the difference between motel and hotel a bit more clear.

Hotel
A hotel is an establishment, which provides for paid lodging for a short duration of time. Traditionally people where provided with a bed, cupboard, a small table and a washstand in a hotel room, but with changing times they also come with modern facilities like en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, etc. These days telephone connection, television, Internet access are also provided to the guests. If it is a large hotel the guests will also have the swimming pools, restaurant facility, etc. Therefore, normally hotel reviews are checked, before one makes bookings there.

The meaning and the facilities offered in a hotel, however, can change from one country to another. Like in the United Kingdom, the law demands that food be served to guests within stipulated hours, yet there are private hotels, where the rule may not apply. In countries like United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia and in some parts of the United States, a hotel can also represent a pub or a bar and may not offer accommodation. In India, Bangladesh and certain parts of the Asian sub-continent, the word hotel refers to a restaurant.

Motel
The word motel made its way into the dictionaries after the World War II. It is actually a hotel, that is designed for motorists to take a halt at night and usually have ample parking area for the motorists to park their motor vehicles. 'Motel' is a combination of the words 'motorist' and 'hotel'. In the initial days, a motel consisted of a single building with connected rooms, whose doors faced a parking lot and in some cases a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. The concept of motels started to grow, when the highways system started developing and there came a need for inexpensive hotels, which were easily accessible overnight accommodation close to the main roads.

Hotel Vs. Motel
The first difference between hotel and motel is in its architecture. They differ in their layout and construction. Hotels normally have a number of rooms on different floors of the structure and have staircases, elevators and internal corridors, which lead to the rooms. However, motels on the other hand have one or two floors, where the guests can access their rooms directly from their parking lot. Hotels offer different luxuries, while motels are more utilitarian.

There is a difference in the number and types of employees employed by hotels and motels. Hotels normally tend to have a large retinue of people, like receptionists, concierges, housekeepers, parking valets, etc. Motels on the other hand employ very few people like receptionists and housekeepers. If the motels are really small, the receptionists may also perform the duties of housekeeper as well. It is natural that the services offered by hotels are much more than motels. Hotel may offer services like restaurant, recreation options, gym, swimming pools, etc. However, motels are traditionally known to offer limited services, but you may come across a few motels, who also have swimming pools, complimentary light breakfast, etc. There are also some extended stay hotels or resorts, where one can stay for more than one or two days.

The most important difference between hotels and motels is in pricing. Normally, hotels are costlier than motels, but if you go to rural areas, then the cost of a cheap hotel, and a motel in an urban area, may be the same. At the same time, one can spend more time in hotels, as they are designed for longer stays. There is a difference between the location of a hotel and a motel. Hotels are normally located in cities, while motels are located in remote areas or on the outskirts.

To sum up the hotel vs. motel debate in a single line, we can say motels are hotels located around the highways, where one can spend a night, when one is traveling long distance. On the other hand, one can have an extended stay in hotels.