A motel is a roadside lodging with exterior room access, one or two stories, and basic amenities designed for short stays, while a hotel is a larger building with interior hallways, multiple floors, and services like pools, restaurants and fitness centers.
Knowing the key differences between a hotel and motel is crucial when deciding where to stay during your travels. Keep reading for everything you need to know about motels and hotels.
In this article
Motel vs hotel quick overview.
What is a motel?
What is a hotel?
Motel vs hotel: differences in sizes, amenities, and location.
Who stays at motels and hotels? And for how long?
Why are motels cheaper?
How to know what accomodation option to choose?
Inn vs hotel vs motel.
FAQs
Motel vs hotel quick overview.
- Entrance style: Motels have exterior doors opening to the parking lot; hotels have interior hallways accessed through a lobby
- Location: Motels sit along highways and rural roads; hotels are in cities, near airports and attractions
- Amenities: Motels offer basics like a bed, TV and parking; hotels provide pools, gyms, restaurants and room service
- Size: Motels are one or two stories with fewer rooms; hotels are multi-story buildings with dozens to hundreds of rooms
- Typical cost: Motels are budget-friendly with lower nightly rates; hotels range from affordable to luxury pricing
What is a motel?
During this time, people began traveling across the country and needed places to stay along the way. This is why motel room doors open to the outside world rather than an internal hallway.
One of the things I love most about staying at a motel is that, unlike most hotels, you can just show up and secure a room. As someone who enjoys taking spontaneous road trips, this is really appealing to me.
What is a hotel?
Unlike motels, hotel rooms are internal and doors open onto corridors, rather than straight out into the world. Hotels are also generally more expensive than motels. People often book a hotel over a motel when they want more of an experience, as opposed to a place that’s solely designed for sleep.
Nearly all hotels are follow the 5-star system . At the low end of the spectrum, a one-star hotel provides the bare necessities.
At the high end, a 5-star hotel provides all the on-site amenities you could ever want. These could include a designated concierge, a spas, state-of-the-art gyms, valet parking, great food and more.
Motel vs hotel: differences in sizes, amenities, and location.
If you want to find the perfect motel or hotel for your needs, it’s helpful to understand how each type of lodging differs in terms of amenities, location, and size.
Amenities
- Motel amenities are generally basic. In-room amenities include bedding, towels, toiletries, and a TV. Some may have a pool and/or continental breakfast room, but few have services that extend beyond this. Motels also provide parking.
- Hotel amenities can include everything from restaurants to a gym to a spa/swimming pool area or more luxurious things like pillow menus and room service.
When I’m considering which type of lodging to book, I’’ll often go with a hotel that has a nice swimming pool and room service. I love being able to wake up in the morning to swim laps and end my day with dinner and a glass of wine (best enjoyed with a side of bad reality TV, of course).
Size and layout
- A motel is usually a low-slung structure with just one or two floors and relatively few rooms.
- Motel room doors open directly to the parking lot or exterior walkway
- A hotel is a larger building with multiple stories, a lobby, and often hundreds of rooms thay open onto interior hallways.
- Hotels prioritize security and a more controlled guest experience with interior corridors.
Location
- Motels are strung along roads and highways, away from cities.
- Hotels are typically located in cities or towns and near major attractions, airports, and other sites of interest.
Who stays at motels and hotels? And for how long?
Since motels are mostly located on highways and roads, these tend to attract more transient travelers who just need a place to sleep. They are designed for short-term stays (like for people on road trips as opposed to week-long vacations).
Travelers who opt to book a hotel over a motel may want to take advantage of on-property amenities, like a spa, fitness center or room service. Hotels are also often found near popular attractions and airports, so travelers who value being in a convenient location seek out hotels.
Business travelers generally prefer hotels too — in addition to having on-site restaurants and fast Wi-Fi, many hotels (especially those that are three stars and up) have business centers.
Why are motels cheaper?
Motels cost less than hotels because they operate with fewer amenities, simpler staffing and lower overhead. There’s no concierge, no room service team and no elaborate lobby to maintain. The buildings themselves are smaller and located in areas with lower real estate costs.
How to know what accomodation option to choose?
Choose a motel if:
- You’re on a road trip and need a quick overnight stop
- Budget is your top priority and you just need somewhere to sleep
- You want to park right outside your door for easy loading and unloading
- You’re traveling through rural areas where hotels are scarce
Choose a hotel if:
- You’re staying multiple nights and want on-site amenities like a pool or gym
- You’re traveling for business and need meeting rooms, fast Wi-Fi or a business center
- You want to be centrally located near attractions, restaurants or an airport
- Room service, concierge help or valet parking would make your trip easier
Inn vs hotel vs motel.
So, you understand the difference between a hotel and a motel — now, what about an inn? Inns are small establishments with a limited number of rooms that are often family-owned and operated. Interestingly, inns predate both motels and hotels. Their roots can be traced back to the Roman Empire when merchants would stay in them while traveling on commercial or government business.
Inns are usually located in the countryside or along highways. They’re also often decorated in a quaint, homey manner, much like a bed-and-breakfast. Like motels, inns cater to short-term travelers and have fairly basic amenities. Generally speaking, staying at an inn costs more than a motel but less than a mid-tier hotel.
FAQs
Motel safety depends on the specific property and location. When choosing a motel, look for rooms with deadbolt locks and peepholes, well-lit parking areas and grounds, phones that allow outside dialing, and properties in busier areas rather than isolated spots. Reading recent reviews can also give you a sense of other travelers’ experiences with safety at a particular motel.
Some motels offer a simple continental breakfast or have vending machines on-site, but most don’t have restaurants or room service like hotels do.
A motel qualifies as a hotel when it offers amenities and services beyond basic lodging. Examples include a concierge, valet parking, a spa, on-site restaurants and a fitness center. Hotels are also typically multi-story buildings with interior hallways, whereas motels consist of one or two stories with exterior room access.
