What is a motel? Motels are a familiar sight in the USA, but people in many other parts of the world are less familiar with the concept. This article explains what a motel is, how motels differ from hotels, the history of the motel and the role of motels in popular culture.
What is a motel?
Motels are a popular type of accommodation, particularly in the USA.
A motel is defined as being a roadside hotel designed primarily for motorists, typically having the rooms arranged in low blocks with parking directly outside.
The word came into common use (at least, it appeared in dictionaries) after World War II. It is a portmanteau of ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’.
The word is said to have originated from the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. This was built in 1925 and opened in December of the same year.
Most motels are individually owned rather than being part of a chain.
Long-distance car journeys started to become more common in 1920s America. This was thanks to the large highway systems that had been recently developed at the time – so a gap in the market opened for inexpensive and easily accessible accommodation for motorists to utilise.
Motels needed to be close to the main routes across the country. This led to the growth of the motel concept, which surged in popularity over the years.
They were in high favour in the 1960s, but their popularity has dwindled since, because newer hotel chains have sprung up at highway interchanges.
The difference between a motel and a hotel
Location is a big part of the difference between motels and hotels.
Hotels tend to be found in cities or at holiday resorts – though of course, there are some at airports and near motorways/highways now that motels are falling out of popularity. However, motels are only found in roadside locations.
Motels are low-rise buildings. This means they typically have fewer rooms than a hotel, but this wasn’t a problem when there were many of them along each highway. Roadside businesses in general boomed at the peak of motel popularity, including gas stations, drive-in cinemas, diners and car dealerships.
A motel also, by definition, has a car park/parking lot. This means that guests’ cars are easily accessible at all times.
Following on from this, motels are designed so that the doors face outwards (directly onto the parking lot, generally), rather than facing into a corridor like they would in a hotel. A motel is either one long building, or an L / U shape. They tend to have the guest rooms as well as a manager’s office and small reception area. Many have a pool, and some motels have a diner attached too.
A lot of motels are quite stand-out. This is definitely true of those built and opened in the years after World War II (early 1950s-late 1960s). Their designs would be bright and colourful, and they often featured neon signs or had a theme. Route 66 is still lined with motels with bright neon signs featuring cowboys, rockets and more.
What are motel rooms like?
As with the different types of hotels, there is some variety when it comes to motel rooms.
Most motel rooms are just basic rooms with a double bed or two singles, and a private bathroom. They tend to also feature a desk and chair area, with many having a TV and telephone too.
Some motel rooms are bigger, with a kitchenette built in and more space – these are usually charged at a higher rate. Many motels also feature adjoining rooms with doors between them; this is more common in a motel than in a hotel. A few motels also offer honeymoon suites.
What are love motels?
Love motels are a type of short-stay motel or hotel that is particularly common in Japan, South Korea and Latin America.
In short, love motels are short-stay motels, often rented in order to allow guests privacy for romantic or sexual purposes. This type of motel room can be rented by the hour.
They tend to have more discreet entrances, and windows aren’t particularly common.
Love motels exist worldwide, but are common in Asian countries. The term ‘love hotel’ comes from Hotel Love, which opened in Osaka, Japan, in 1968. Love motels are a huge part of Japanese culture (and economy) to this day.
Motels in pop culture
Motels often appear in popular culture, especially in American films and TV shows.
Motels in the horror genre
Motels are often featured in horror films.
The most famous example is the Bates Motel in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), run by Norman Bates. It inspired sequels, a 1987 TV film called Bates Motel, and a TV series of the same name, which ran from 2013 to 2017 and acted as a contemporary prequel to Psycho, focusing on Norman Bates and his mother.
Motels also feature in many other horror and thriller films, including:
- Detroit
- The Devil’s Rejects
- Identity
- Motel Hell
- Mountaintop Motel Massacre
- Mayhem Motel
- Murder Inn
- Vacancy
Why are motels such a popular setting? “A hotel room is both a foreign space and an intimate space. We might sleep there, bathe there, have sex there, but it’s also somewhere unfamiliar and uncontrolled, and that creates a sense of vulnerability. Who’s to say there aren’t hidden cameras in the bedroom? How do we know the owner won’t come in while we’re showering? What if he has a knife? … It’s easy to imagine that something terrible is happening in the room next to us, or that one of the other guests is hiding a dark secret” says Brandon Cronenberg, as quoted in National Post.
Motels in other pop culture
The Rosebud Motel is a central location in the Canadian TV series Schitt’s Creek. Owned by the Rose family in the show, it becomes both their home and their business, and is portrayed as a positive space. The exterior scenes were filmed at a real motel near Orangeville, Ontario, which has attracted fans of the show.
Motels have been featured in The Simpsons, too. Their use is to somewhat parody the overwhelming link to the motel as a horror setting: for example, the Sleep Eazy Motel with its broken neon sign now advertising the ‘Sleazy Motel’. This reflects the stereotype of motels as seedy places, although this is not always true.
In the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine featuring Abigail Breslin and Greg Kinnear, they stop off at a motel while on a long road trip. This is the primary and intended use of a motel. This one in particular is the Budget Inn in North Hills, California. It is within easy driving distance of El Cariso Community Regional Park, the Warner Bros. studios and more.
The best motels on Route 66
One of the most famous driving routes in America is Route 66, which runs for around 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica and celebrates its centenary in 2026 (it was established in November 1926). Some of its best-known historic motels are outlined below.
Wagon Wheel Motel
Located on the portion of Route 66 in Cuba, Missouri, is this iconic and historic motel on Washington Boulevard. Wagon Wheel was built in 1935 and has been open ever since. With jacuzzi rooms on offer, pets allowed in some rooms and some units sleeping up to 4, this is a popular option for Route 66 accommodation.
Rail Haven Hotel
Still in Missouri (but this time in Springfield), this motel is also known as Rail Haven Motor Court. Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley both stayed here (in rooms 409 and 419 respectively) and the motel has been open since the late 1930s. It is now part of the Best Western group.
Motel Safari
This motel is in Tucumcari, New Mexico. With its vintage neon signs and cool decor, it is another popular motel on Route 66. Rooms come with TV and radio, comfortable beds, free WiFi and more. Motel Safari has outdoor seating and a fire pit.
Blue Swallow Motel
The Blue Swallow is one of the most iconic motels on Route 66. Its neon blue bird sign is one of the most photographed parts of the driving route, and this motel itself is one of the most popular places to stay. It is also located in Tucumcari in New Mexico. The motel is full of nostalgia and has been operating since 1939. Rooms are basic and clean with period-style furniture, retro art work and more.
Motels: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about motels.
What is a motel?
A motel is a roadside hotel designed mainly for motorists, usually with rooms arranged in low buildings and parking directly outside each room. The word is a combination of ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’.
What is the difference between a motel and a hotel?
Motels are usually low-rise, located by main roads, and have rooms that open directly onto the car park, while hotels are often larger, located in cities or resorts, and have rooms accessed from internal corridors.
What was the first motel?
The word ‘motel’ is said to have originated with the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, which opened in 1925.
Why are there so many motels in the USA?
Motels grew alongside the USA’s highway network and car culture from the 1920s onwards, providing cheap, convenient overnight stops for motorists on long road trips.
Why are motels popular in horror films?
Motels are often isolated, anonymous and unfamiliar places, which creates a sense of vulnerability. The Bates Motel in Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) made the motel a classic horror setting.
What is a motel? Further reading
Motels are big business in the United States, but they are much less common in the rest of the world. If you found this article useful, these articles may also be of interest:
- Homestay tourism: What is a homestay?
- 20 popular types of hotels around the world
- What are love motels?
- The tour operator: What, why and how
- Visiting friends and relatives (VFR): A simple explanation
- The appeal of tourist destinations | What attracts tourists
- Types of accommodation | Understanding tourism
