Definition: The term “Hotel” refers to an establishment that provides paid lodging, for a short duration to tourists. The term hotel has been derived from the French word “hotel” which meant a townhouse. Hotels provide a number of other services such as a restaurant, a swimming pool, or childcare. They also have arrangements to hold conference and meetings. A rating system with one to five stars has been introduced as a mark of comparison for hotels.
The term “Motel” is derived from the term “motorists hotel,” which originally meant that the hotel provided parking. Motel referred initially to a single building of connected rooms whose doors face a parking lot and/or common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. Their origin was driven by increased driving distances on the United States highway system that allowed easy cross-country travel.
Motels and Hotels may differ on the following points:
Hotel | Motel | |
---|---|---|
Definition: | An establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis only and provides numerous amenities to guests which may increase their lodging satisfaction. | An establishment that provides short-term and long-term lodging usually located with good access to the national road network but with less guest comforts. |
Appearance: | Single, Multi-storied, or Varies; has rooms that open to interior of the building. | Single, or double storied building with connected rooms; has open walkways, exterior entrances. |
Cost: | More expensive | Less expensive |
Duration: | Short-term | Short & Long-term |
Location: | Situated anywhere within a city or village. | Usually situated on highways, or outskirts of major or small cities/villages |