A motel, sometimes called simply a motor motel or just a motel, is a hotel intended for motor vehicles, usually having every room directly entrance to the parking space for automobiles instead of through a grand hotel lobby. Most motels are located in the middle of town where there are numerous parking spaces for cars and other automobiles. They can be found all over the country and in every major metropolitan area. The motels are often very economical, some even being two or three times the cost of a comparable hotel room, and they are ready to provide the comforts and more advanced facilities that come with full rooms for a fraction of the hotel price.

There are pros and cons to both types of hotels. People who stay in motels find that they are quite comfortable and easy to access from many points of interest within the surrounding area. They tend to be fairly quiet places and away from the hustle and bustle of much of the city where traffic can be a problem. They offer clean rooms and maid services, but don’t have many luxuries such as cable television, private showers and toiletries. They do offer a good choice of restaurants and activities, however, and can make guests feel at home while staying out of sight of the hustle and bustle of the city. The main con of a motel is that the availability of transportation may not be as good as it would be in a large hotel, and guests will not get as much restful sleep as they might in an inn.

Inns offer a more basic and yet larger selection of amenities, more maid services and often a larger variety of restaurants and activities. They tend to be located in the middle of town where there is not nearly as much traffic to contend with. Basic amenities include private showers, clean bathrooms, cable television and telephone lines, private parking, laundry facilities, and sometimes air conditioning. More expensive and nicer motels offer a more intimate setting with a greater variety of amenities and air conditioning.