motel
Americannoun
-
motels
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of motel
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How does motel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A motel is a place you can stay overnight, with plenty of parking and easy access to a highway. Many motels feature rooms with separate entrances that face a large parking lot. A motel is very much like a hotel — it fact, motels were originally "motor hotels." The first official motel was built in 1925, designed to be an easy, cheap stop on a long car trip. While hotels are often in the middle of cities, motels are usually on a city's outskirts, providing space to park and a quick walk from car to room. The popularity of motels increased through the twentieth century, along with the development of the modern highway system.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Ferguson, whose motel has just 10 rooms, said that in June she filled 286 of 300 room-nights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
The man had told motel staff that he planned to go hiking in the area, according to the sheriff’s statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"On the day of the launch I stepped out of my motel room and clumsily walked into a tall gentleman," Gethings recalled.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
He was born in Africa to Indian parents, who brought him to the U.S. at a young age, and bought a motel in Virginia, putting him to work at the age of 14.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The next day, when Kyle and his teammates were dropped off at Olympia Village by their parents, the motel was swarming with kids and chaperones.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
The little hotels, motels and inns along Cambria’s Moonstone Beach Drive have been drawing travelers for more than 60 years, largely because of scenic, driftwood-strewn Moonstone Beach across the street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
To expand the program’s reach, the city will need to move away from expensive hotels and motels and toward high-quality homeless shelters, the mayor said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The city’s overall homeless population rose 3.4% including those the city puts up in motels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Under her signature program, the city has spent $82,420 a year for each homeless person it has sheltered in motels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
All the local hotels and motels lit their “No Vacancies” neons.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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