What is the difference between hotel and motel

Location is the primary factor through, which we can differentiate between hotels and motels. As motels are only located on the highways or on the outskirts of cities and towns. Whereas hotels can be found anywhere, such as in cities, towns, in the outskirts of cities, near the airport, in the countryside and more.

The difference between hotel and motel through their architecture and design is most common, it is easy to differentiate as Motels are found to be more basic, whereas, hotels can be in fancy or basic. Hotels and motels differ greatly in layout and architecture. Hotels could have hundreds of rooms and several floors with elevators, staircases and internal corridors between the rooms. Numerous hotels, especially luxury hotels have a specific architectural style. Motels on the other hand, usually have only one or two floors and the rooms are accessible directly from the parking lot. The design of motels is utilitarian and function over design is prioritized.

Clearing the difference between hotel and motel through the price you are paying for your stay, can be done easily. Motels are considered to be less expensive than the hotels due to the minimum amenities and services provided by them. Conversely, hotels are comparatively more expensive than motels as they provide a lot more amenities and facilities. The prices of the hotel rooms depend on its star ratings, room types, amenities, location, and other factors.

There can be a hotel from 3 stars to 7-star ranges, but there is no such higher range of Motels are found. Thus there are chances that you might get a motel room of 3-star standard in a budget. 

Hotels and motels differ drastically on the number of personnel they employ. Motels have very few employees, they’re usually family-run and the employees often do multiple tasks. For example, the receptionist may also be the doorman and the manager. Typically, smaller motels only employ receptionists and housekeepers. Conversely, hotels have a lot of staff depending on how big the hotel is. The staff at hotels may include chefs, housekeepers, doormen, receptionists, bellhops, managers and more.

There is an eminent difference between hotel and motel when it comes to the amenities and services provided by them. Motels are less expensive because they provide only basic amenities and services. One can expect, only simple amenities such as basic housekeeping, a light breakfast and a restroom in a motel. Instead, at hotels you can expect lavish amenities such as laundry or dry cleaning service, swimming pools, gyms, spas, games rooms, meeting rooms, business centers, Wi-Fi, in-room dining, concierge services, restaurants, bars and more. Some hotels may also have casinos and theaters. 

When it comes to the rating, it becomes to easy to bring out the difference between hotel and motel as hotels are usually rated two-stars and above, whereas, motels usually don’t have a star rating. If motels do have a star rating,it’s mostly between 1.5-2.5 stars.

The difference in hotel and motel rooms are stark, there are variants of rooms available in a hotel, from luxury to mid-budget, in al standards you can book yourself a room in a hotel. Whereas, when it comes to book a room in a Motel, it has very less variety of rooms to offer, the standard of room you will get will be more or less same. As you may have already guessed, hotels have different standards or levels of rooms, from basic rooms to luxury suites. Motels offer only one type of basic rooms.

When it's about a stay, the difference between a hotel and motel becomes little complex, as people usually stay at hotels longer than they do at motels. Guests stay at hotels anywhere from one night to a week or more. At motels, people usually stay a night or two, to get some rest on their road trip. However, there is an exception to this, there may be some long-term motel guests that stay at motels longer while they look for a new permanent home.

Thus there are various ways through, which we can make out a difference between a hotel and motel. As it is important to know before making a booking.