motel

[moh-tel]

noun

1. a hotel providing travelers with lodging and free parking facilities, typically a roadside hotel having rooms adjacent to an outside parking area or an urban hotel offering parking within the building.

motel

/ məʊˈtɛl /

noun

1. a roadside hotel for motorists, usually having direct access from each room or chalet to a parking space or garage

Word History and Origins

Origin of motel¹

First recorded in 1920–25; blend of motor and hotel

Word History and Origins

Origin of motel¹

C20: from motor + hotel

Example Sentences

The Times has reported extensively on Shangri-La’s troubled motel conversion projects and the collapse of its efforts to expand nationally.

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Since 2021, programs offering motel rooms to people living in tent encampments nearly halved the number of tents identified by Rand.

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A lot of people live in motels throughout the year, but when rates go up in the summer, they can’t afford it anymore.

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Linda’s situation gets even more dire when water starts to pour through the ceiling of her home, forcing her and her daughter to move into a rundown motel.

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Since its existing motel rooms were already in decent condition, a decision was made to only lightly touch them.

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Related Words

• cabin 
• hotel 
• inn 
• lodge 
• resort