Whats the diffrence between a Hotel and a Motel?

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Motels usually have the room entrances on the parking lot, street or a breezeway/courtyard. They are often on higher-traffic areas such as interstates, which makes them very convenient. If you're on a long drive, you just jump off of the highway and you're right there.

Hotels usually have one or two public entrances to the entire hotel; to access the rooms, you have to go through the shared lobby and usually up in an elevator to the room.

Hotels tend to be many stories high while motels usually are only two or three levels at the maximum.

Hotels tend to offer additional services depending on the price range; there is usually a restaurant onsite or very close (like the Days Inns that have a Denny's connected to the hotel). There is also usually a bar, and room service; many have fitness rooms, business centers where you can use their computer or your own, Internet access in the rooms.

Motels tend to be more basic; if there is a shared area like a lobby in a motel, it's probably not going to be very large or fancy but in a hotel, the lobby is usually quite large and nicely decorated. Either a hotel or a motel may have a pool-- my experience is this depends more on the city you are visiting than the price range. In Florida, everywhere has a pool but in Boston, not too many!

Hotels tend to cost more than motels. But you get more services than in motels--- you usually get the little travel-size bottles of shampoo so you don't have to bring your own, a hair dryer, an iron, etc, plus there is staff who can bring you another towel or pillow or whatever you need. That level of service is uncommon in motels. Also many hotels offer shuttles so if you are flying in, or staying for more than one day and want to see the attractions, you can take the shuttle and not have to pay for a cab. Hotels tend to have better security so if you are travelling alone, you may want to factor this in.

A hotel usually has more rooms,a pool, etc. Motels are usually one story complexs that are more for a place to sleep.

The $$$$$$

"Motels" were originally "motor hotels" because they catered to people traveling by car.

I think I agree with mynameischee.(2points)

Hotel are more in town and motel are more out of town plus different amount of payment. Hotels cost more.

it depends on where you travel, in the US a motel is usually an overnight place, a room with a shower and nothing too much more, a hotel you have a nice room with bath and restaurant, pool, and other extra's, in europe we don't really have motels, we would call them bed and breakfast, all you get is a room, usually you have to share the bathroom in the hallway outside your room and you will have breakfast downstairs at a bar or in someones home, the biggest difference is the price.

Besides the logical three reasons:

1) Size

2) Level of Service

3) Brand Prestige

...there's perhaps a more important fourth reason:

4) Clientele and/or nature of client stay

Specifically regarding 4), a motel's clientele or reason for staying may be specifically for secular reasons, i.e., "quickies" or just crashing at some place before travelling the last lag of a cross country drive. Thus, a motel is merely "functional".

A hotel tends to serve both a functional and "self-esteem" needs. The customers at a hotel often stay there for business and/or pleasure, and thus need to feel important by staying at a nicer looking place.