A motel is a type of hotel designed for travelers driving cars. The word combines “motor” and “hotel” because motels were invented for the motor age, when families began taking long road trips across America.

Unlike traditional hotels with lobbies and elevators, motels are usually built as a single long building with parking spaces right in front of each room. You can park your car just steps from your door, making it easy to unload luggage after a long day of driving. This convenience made motels wildly popular in the 1950s and 1960s, when new highways crisscrossed the country and families piled into station wagons for summer vacations.

Motels are typically cheaper and simpler than full-service hotels. They focus on providing a clean, comfortable place to sleep rather than fancy restaurants or swimming pools (though many motels do have pools). You'll find motels along highways and interstates, positioned perfectly for travelers who need to rest before continuing their journey the next morning.

Today, motel and hotel are sometimes used interchangeably, but the original distinction remains: a motel is built for drivers who want convenient, affordable overnight stops on the road.