Motel vs. Hotel: What’s the Difference? 

Where you stay matters as it will either enhance your getaway or minimize the pleasure it brings. Of course, understanding your options is vital in finding the most ideal accommodations in your destination. 

Should you book a motel or a hotel? While both offer you a place to stay while away from home, they are not necessarily the same thing. So, what’s the difference? Let’s talk about it. 

Motel vs. Hotel: The Location

Motels can often be found alongside the highway or scenic roadways and outside of the city center. Hotels, on the other hand, are often found in urban, touristy, and resort areas. 

The term ‘motel’ stems from motorist hotels, also referred to as motor inns or motor lodges. These were created to give traveling motorists a quick, convenient place to stop for the night. You will usually find them to be highly accessible, many with rooms facing the parking lot allowing you to get in and out with ease. 

Hotels are often in busy areas. They are not always as easy to get to and, due to their location, may have intricate parking situations. 

You can expect most cities to offer both motels and hotels. 

Motel vs. Hotel: The Size

The size of motels and hotels will vary. In general, motels tend to be smaller and more intimate than hotels. 

Motels are designed with efficiency in mind as they are for those who are looking for a place to stay without all the formalities. On the flip side, hotels are designed for those who want to stay for a while. They are typically larger and have more rooms for their guests. 

It is worth noting that hotels tend to have more options for rooms than motels do, such as views, bed type, room size, etc. 

Motel vs. Hotel: The Amenities

You will find amenities in both motels and hotels though what each offers can vary greatly from one to the next. 

Hotels often accommodate guests for extended stays. Therefore, they provide more amenities, such as a gym, available spa service, laundry service, restaurants with room service, and more. 

Remember, motels are made for convenience. They may have a restaurant or bar on the property and will often have everything you need in your room. Some may even have a refrigerator, too. The atmosphere here is more intimate and easy without all the extra bulk — which is what usually draws people to motels. 

Motel vs. Hotel: Personality

The traits, characteristics, and personality of where you choose to stay can have an impact on your overall getaway. For instance, you may book a room at the most glamorous hotel in the downtown area of your destination, but that doesn’t mean it will give you the best experience. It could be too big, overcrowded, and lacking personality. 

Hotels often try hard to give guests the luxuries and amenities they may be seeking. Motels do not. 

Motels have been around since the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s when family road trips were the thing to do. 

Families from all around the country could pull off the highway and get a room for the night before moving on in their travels. This is why so many of them have the character and personality that hotels lack. Even as they are refurbished and modernized, they still hold decades of memories and stories untold. 

A night in a historic motel with a great personality can be an unforgettable experience. 

The Starlight Motor Inn is a restored mid-century motel located in Charleston, SC perfect for restful days and playful nights. Stay. Swim. Dine. Drink.