What is the Difference Between Hotel And Motel

What Is a Hotel?

A hotel is a commercial establishment offering accommodation and onsite restaurant services. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as swimming pool, business center (with computers, printers and other office equipment), children, conference and event facilities, tennis or basket courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa and social function services.

A hotel is usually a multi storied and normally located within a town or a city. The hotels are unique in their own way because of their proximity to work places or tourist spots relieving the burden of commuting to its guests. Hotels are expensive when compared to motels.

Hotels serve commercial and business travelers and persons attending conventions and meetings as well as vacationers and tourists. Hotels often contain hundreds of rooms across several floors; the rooms are accessed through staircases, elevators and internal corridors.

Popular Hotel Brands

  • Marriott
  • Sheraton
  • Hyatt
  • Holiday Inn
  • InterContinental
  • Four Seasons
  • Best Western
  • Comfort Inn
  • Radisson
  • Hilton
  • Accor
  • Four Seasons
  • Starwood Hotels

What You Need To Know About Hotel

  • Hotels are located in the urban areas, near busy business spots, hustling airports, tourist attractions, sports arena or other such publicly busy areas around the year.
  • Hotels accommodate guests for both long and short period of time.
  • Hotels generally have restaurants and room service.
  • Hotel is usually a multi-level building i.e with several floors.  
  • Doors to guest rooms usually face inwards to the building, accessed by internal corridors.
  • Hotels consist of several number of floors with hundred of rooms and suites, with an attached manager office, a reception desk, swimming pool etc.
  • Hotels generally have a large number of employees for example housekeeping staff, security guards, receptionist, bellhops, several managers etc.
  • Hotels are expensive than motels and charge their rooms as per night stay.
  • Hotels provide a wider range of services from room services, food/beverage bars, cocktail lounge, restaurant, housekeeping services, laundry, spa services, Casinos, theaters, indoor swimming pools, masseuse services and recreational services.
  • Hotels are rated from one to five stars rating, depending upon the facilities and amenities provided with excellence in accommodation.
  • A hotel targets all sorts of people such as business people, travelers, students, etc.
  • Hotel may have extended or even 24-hour reception.
  • Rooms are unlocked electronically using key pass, code or mobile phone app.
  • Rooms have additional decorations and artwork usually original artwork.

What Is a Motel?

A motel, also referred to as motor hotel or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Motels are mostly located along roadside and motorways. They serve the purpose of only short period stay. A motel targets mostly people travelling on the highway who want a break from their journey.

Motels are generally built with one or two floor and all rooms are opened in a single parking lot. Most motels are constructed in an ‘’I’’, ‘’L’’ or ‘’U’’ shape and motels with more than one or two floor are very rare. A motel traditionally offers fewer services, such as swimming pool and breakfast.

Popular Motel Brands

  • America’s Best Value Inn
  • Econo Lodge
  • Caliente Tropics Motor Lodge
  • El Bonita Motel
  • WigWam Motel
  • Kate’s Lazy Meadow Motel
  • Knights Inn
  • Motel 6
  • Super 8

What You Need To Know About Motel

  • Motels are mostly located along roadside and motorways. They serve the purpose of only short period stay.
  • Motels accommodate guests for a shorter period of time.
  • In motels, room service may or may not be available.
  • Motels are generally built with one or two floor and all rooms are opened in a single parking lot.
  • Most motels are constructed in an ‘’I’’, ‘’L’’ or ‘’U’’ shape and motels with more than one or two floor are very rare.
  • Doors to guest rooms face out of the building, usually towards a dedicated car space or the general car park.
  • Most Motels have a small number of employees. Even some Motels have two or three people, all in all as staff.
  • Motel is the cheaper choice to stay for a night or for few hours, as most of the motels charge their room rent on per hour basis.
  • For motels, the star rating is not taken into consideration.
  • A motel targets mostly people travelling on the highway who want a break from their journey.
  • Motels have limited reception hours, they generally open during daytime.
  • Rooms are often locked/unlocked using a physical key.
  • Usually few decorations in the room, little or no artwork on the walls of the room.

Difference Between Hotel And Motel In Tabular Form

BASIS OF COMPARISON HOTEL MOTEL
Location Hotels are located in the urban areas, near busy business spots, hustling airports, tourist attractions, sports arena or other such publicly busy areas around the year.   Motels are mostly located along roadside and motorways. They serve the purpose of only short period stay.  
Accommodation Hotels accommodate guests for both long and short period of time.   Motels accommodate guests for a shorter period of time.  
Room Service & Restaurant Hotels generally have restaurants and room service.   In motels, room service may or may not be available.  
Nature Hotels consist of several number of floors with hundred of rooms and suites. Motels are generally built with one or two floor and all rooms are opened in a single parking lot.
Number Of Employees Hotels generally have a large number of employees.   Most Motels have a small number of employees.
Charges Hotels are expensive than motels and charge their rooms as per night stay.   Motel is the cheaper choice to stay for a night or for few hours.
Ratings Hotels are rated from one to five stars rating, depending upon the facilities and amenities For motels, the star rating is not taken into consideration.  
Clients A hotel targets all sorts of people such as business people, travelers, students, etc.   A motel targets mostly people travelling on the highway who want a break from their journey.