So you are planning to make a business trip or

What Is The Difference Between A Motel And A Hotel?

The Hotel

The hotel is a business, that provides lodging for a short period of time. In the past people were supplied with a bed, cabinet, a small desk or table and a wash basin in the room, but with time they soon came with modern amenities like bathrooms, heating, air conditioning, refrigerators, and more. Today they provide telephone, tv, and internet or wi-fi access to the guests. In the larger hotel chains the guests will usually have a gym facility, swimming pools, restaurants, and conference rooms. By checking hotel reviews before booking reservations, one can find which of these features and services are provided there.

The amenities, services, features, and the facilities offered in each hotel, though, can be different in one country to another. In England, for example, the law states that food can only be served within predetermined hours to guests, but there are many private hotels to be found, where these rules simply don't apply. In other countries like Canada, Australia, Ireland, and some areas of the United States, a hotel can mean a bar or a pub and may not even provide sleeping accommodations. The word hotel in Bangladesh, India and certain parts of Asia, is referred to as a restaurant.

The Motel

After World War II the word motel started to appear in the dictionaries. It really was originally a hotel, that was designed for travelers in vehicles to stop at night and to also provide for plenty of parking space for their vehicles. The word motel is literally a combination of the term motorist and hotel. A motel initially consisted of one facility which had connecting rooms, where all doors faced the parking lot. When the national highways started to develop and a need for less expensive hotels was sought, the idea of motels began to grow. These were very accessible nightly accommodations located close to all the main roads.

The Hotel Versus The Motel

One difference between most motels and hotels is in their architecture. They will differ in both the construction as well as layout. Most hotels will normally have many rooms on separate floors of the establishment having stairwells, elevators and internal hallways, which lead directly to the rooms. On the other hand, motels normally only have one or two floors, and the guests can access their individual rooms directly from the parking area without traveling through any lobbies or corridors.

Hotels will usually offer more services than a motel. These services could include things like a restaurant, gym, swimming pools, room service, and others. While motels are generally known to offer less services, you may find a few, which also have swimming facilities, a complimentary continental breakfast, and a few other things.

Probably the main and many times the most important difference between a motel and a hotel is in the price. In most instances, the hotels will charge more than the motels for a night's stay, but if you travel to less populated areas, then the rate of a discount hotel, and motel in a city, may be close to the same. Another difference is that guests can book more nights in a hotel, as they traditionally cater to a longer stay. There is also a difference found in the location of most motels and hotels. Motels are usually found in out of the way areas, while hotels will usually be found in cities and urban areas.

Basically a motel is a hotel found near a highway, where guests can spend a night, while traveling long distances. But in the case of a hotel, they are more often used for an extended stay.