When booking an overnight stay, semantics are likely the last thing on your mind — you’re probably more concerned with a comfy bed and some free breakfast the next morning. But if you’re curious about what makes “hotels” and “motels” distinct from one another, we have the answer.
The word “hotel” refers to a place providing overnight accommodations, meals, and other similar services for tourists. This often excludes hostels and Airbnbs, which don’t exactly fall under the same umbrella. “Hotel” is an English word whose etymology dates to the 1640s. It’s derived from the French l’hôtel, which originally meant “a mansion” or “large house,” but now refers to the lodging-for-hire “hotel” in French as well.
“Motel,” on the other hand, describes a specific kind of hotel. The portmanteau combining the words “motorside” and “hotel” was coined in the 1920s amid the burgeoning popularity of the personal motor vehicle. Because of this connection, you’ll usually find motels located along major thoroughfares rather than in the heart of a densely packed city — though not always today, as the term now refers more to a style than to a location. Motels tend to have large, free parking lots for anyone staying the night, and each room is typically accessed directly from that parking area. This differs from other types of hotels, where guests are more likely to access rooms through a communal central lobby.
So, while all motels are hotels, not all hotels are motels. While they’re both likely to offer a comfortable place to sleep at the end of the day, their etymological distinctions set the two types of accommodations apart.
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