Urban growth, cross-country conferences, and Vegas extravaganzas are each associated with hotels, but a motel is where you may stay if traveling with your folks thru the Sequoia State Forest, the vast Montana country, or the sweet woods of Virginia. Motels are roadside lodgings that are commonly old fashioned and privately held, though motel chains also exist. Motels first appeared along the roads of America after Henry Ford started rolling Model T’s off the line, from 1908 to 1930. Tin Lizzy, as it was called, was the first cheap automobile offered to the masses. Once folks got a collection of wheels, they needed to employ them and the standard motel sprang up to help motoring people get from point A to B.
One of the distinguishing features of a motel is it is U-shaped or square, with an inner yard that serves as the parking lot. Doors face the lot, with ground doors opening straight to their own parking spaces mere feet away. This is very handy for unloading cases. It’s also reassuring to have your car parked immediately outside the door where you can keep a watch on it, particularly if it contains property. Hotels serve a different purpose than motels, and as such, they’re found in or near towns.
The simple design of a motel differs noticeably from hotels, where rooms face inward with doors opening to interior hallways. A guest might stay at a hotel for one week or longer on pleasure or business, and extras are predicted. Hotels frequently offer Jacuzzis, gymnasiums, pools, cafes, waiter service, cable TV, Internet connectivity, and other luxuries. Hotel parking lots are separate, and in several cases, the walk from the lot to the lobby could be a trek. Some hotels provided shuttle service. While the average motel may not have the equipment found at hotels, it offers straightforward access, cheap rates, and an easier experience.
This makes a motel excellent for a night’s sleep as travelers make their way thru the states’s less traveled roads to a final destination. Some motels even feature individual cabins set among quaint woods, ideal for a longer stay to escape from it all. Motel six is among the biggest motel chains in the US, offering an experience moderately like that of a budget hotel. Motel 6′s are multi-story chains with direct access parking and are often found just off a state highway or road for simplicity. The more classic motel is in mountain cities and along smaller, more pretty roads.