The Motorist's Hotel - Motel

When taking a road trip, you have the choice between sleeping inside your car and renting a room in a motorists’ hotel or motel for short. Motels offer cheaper accommodations compared to hotels for overnight or short term stay. It also provides a more comfortable alternative to sleeping in your car, which many travelers do especially if they own a recreational vehicle or RV. In addition, motels are also called motor inns or motor lodges. A motor inn is different in structure because motels are usually a one-story building facing the parking lot having an “I”, “L” or “U” shape. A motor inn, on the other hand, has several stories but also has direct access to the parking lot while motor lodges are built as individual structures.

In the United States, motels have been around since travelers journeyed far and for long periods of time on horses or carriages. Places where travelers could have an overnight stay were called lodges or inns. Thus, the terms motor lodges and motor inns were coined when carriages evolved into motorized vehicles. Motels replaced the taverns and inns of the 19^th century where rest and refreshments were also offered for those who traveled in stage coaches and horse carriages. Nowadays, the neon lights of motor hotels dominate most far off places where privacy and convenience are given to motorists who can just walk in to get a room without need for prior reservation.

Motels became such a lucrative business that some owners changed the design of the establishment from a one-story building into two or several stories. Buildings of this variety are called motor inns. These offer the same convenience of any kind of motel replacing auto camps, cabin camps, cottage courts, and motor courts. A motor inn offers short term leases but also long term leases for those who cannot afford to rent apartments. Motor inns are found within or near cities usually close to shops and restaurants for more convenience. Some motor inns also offer other amenities such as fully equipped kitchens and swimming pools.

Most motels have rooms alongside each other but some are built like miniature versions of houses. These are called motor lodges. If you prefer to have the feel of a home away from home, motor lodges are your best choice for motels. These individual cottages are furnished and provide most of the comforts of your own home. Motor lodges come in different designs, some even having unusual architecture such as those found in the Wigwam Village. The motor lodges here were made similar to the tepees of Native Americans which have conical structures.

If you are on the road and don’t have hotel reservations, you can always get a room in many of the motels within or around the city area. You have the option of staying in a motor inn or a motor lodge. These motels offer the same privacy and convenience that any hotel can give you but with a lower rate on accommodation.