Motel

Motel

Numerous people may want to go to motels. Some may want to go to large or small motels. Some may want to stay at luxury or cheap motels. Some may want to stay at old or new motels.

Numerous people may want to go to motels.

Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, a portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel, referred initially to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and, in some circumstances, a common area; or a series of small cabins with common parking. As the USA highway system began to develop in the 1920s, long distance road journeys became more common and the need for inexpensive, easily accessible overnight accommodation sited close to the main routes, led to the growth of the motel concept.

Unlike their predecessors, auto camps and tourist courts, motels quickly adopted a homogenized appearance. They are typically constructed in an 'I'- or 'L'- or 'U'-shaped layout that includes guest rooms, an attached manager's office, a small reception and, in some cases, a small diner. Post war motels sought more visual distinction, often featuring eye-catching neon signs which employed themes from popular culture, ranging from Western imagery of cowboys and Indians to contemporary images of spaceships and atomic era iconography.

In their early years, motels were mom-and-pop facilities on the outskirts of a town. They attracted the first road warriors as they crossed the United States in their new automobiles.
Wigwam Motel No. 6, a unique motel, on historic Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona

Motels differ from hotels in their common location along highways, as opposed to the urban cores favored by hotels, and their orientation to the outside (in contrast to hotels whose doors typically face an interior hallway). Motels almost by definition include a parking lot, while older hotels were not built with automobile parking in mind.

Motels with low rates sometimes serve as housing for people who are not able to afford an apartment or have recently lost their home and need somewhere to stay until further arrangements are made. Motels catering to long-term stays often have kitchenettes.

A kitchenette is a cooking area in motel and hotel rooms, small apartments, college dormitories, or office buildings. It usually consists of a small refrigerator, a microwave oven or hotplate, and, less frequently, a sink.