If you are going for a trip, one of the main considerations to make is your accommodation, among other things. After all, you need to eat, drink, relax and maybe sleep as you carry on with your journey. Whether you are going for a business trip or a leisure trip, you need to think about these services as they will play a huge role as far as your convenience and safety are concerned.
When it comes to accommodation, some of the ideas that come to the minds of many is whether to look for a hotel or a motel. Although these types of accommodation offer nearly the same services, they are quite different in many ways. From price to comfort, there are a number of aspects that separate the two. In this article, we shall take a closer look at both of them for clarity purposes.
What is a Hotel?
To start with, the word hotel refers to a place where tourists and travelers can enjoy restaurant services, spa, and swimming services. In addition, a hotel offers lodging services to all its clients. It is imperative to note that most hotels are designed to hold meetings and conferences, thereby making them ideal places for business meetups. Hotels are very common in business areas, sports arenas, and near airports.
When it comes to their architecture, these premises are not uniform. The design will vary from one place to another. Besides this, it is essential to note that hotels are rated. For instance, you might find a 3-star hotel, 4-star hotel, and 5-star hotel. The higher the rating, the better the quality of hotel services offered there. Generally, a hotel is more luxurious as it provides a number of services. As a result, you have to dig deeper into your pocket in order to enjoy the services mentioned above.
What is a Motel?
The word motel comes from the words ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’. Therefore, a motel is basically a hotel that is made or designed for motorists. In most cases, it has a parking area where one can park his or her car. Unlike a hotel, a motel usually has many rooms within one building. In most cases, motorists usually book a room here and spend a night before proceeding with their journey.
As far as their location is concerned, most motels are along the highway. Others are found on the outskirts of the city but near a highway. Finally, motel rooms are not as big as those of a typical hotel. These rooms can only accommodate a maximum of two people.
| Hotel | Motel |
|---|---|
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Main Differences Between a Hotel And a Motel
Although both types of accommodations usually offer lodging services to all their guests, they differ in several areas. Some of these areas include:
1. Layout
One of the most evident features that you will notice from the look of these two types of accommodations is their layout. To be honest, these two types of accommodation are designed differently. For instance, hotels are big in size and have many rooms and several floors. Here, you might find an elevator, stairs, and even hallways that will guide you to your room.
On the other hand, motels are quite small in size. In fact, it is hard to find a motel with two floors. The rooms found in a motel are quite easy to access. However, the number of rooms in a motel is lesser than that of a hotel. This is because hotels are designed to accommodate many guests at a go.
2. Location
Besides the layout, hotels and motels differ as far as their location is concerned. To start with, hotels are mainly found close to tourist areas. They are also found near airports and sports arenas. Motels are different as they are usually located near the highway. Unlike hotels, motels are found far from the city.
This is because motels were specifically built for motorists who are on transit. Here, they would have an opportunity to spend a night before proceeding with their journey on the following day. Generally, motels are more convenient for motorists. On the other hand, hotels are more ideal for vacationers.
3. Duration of stay
It is imperative to note that hotels allow you to stay longer than you would in a motel. For instance, you can readily spend 8 days in a hotel and enjoy quality services. Here, you do not have to worry about cleaning your room as there is enough personnel to take care of that. As long as you can pay for the service offered, you are good to go. On the other hand, motels are meant for shorter stays. In most cases, guests lodge here for one night or two before proceeding with their journey.
4. Facilities
If you are looking for a full package, you should not hesitate to look for hotel services. In any case, most hotels usually have a restaurant, bar, sauna, gym, entertainment area, swimming pool, and other facilities that are supposed to make your vacation memorable.
Generally, you can expect to find many facilities in a hotel. On the other hand, a motel is different as it might only feature a swimming pool. Therefore, a hotel offers more facilities than its counterpart.
5. Star ratings
Like we mentioned above, hotels are rated depending on the quality of services offered there. The star rating system usually helps travelers and tourists to know the level of services to expect in that particular hotel. If a particular hotel has a higher star rating, the services offered there are deemed to be of a higher quality. Consequently, such hotels are bound to be expensive in terms of cost.
Motels are different as they do not have star ratings. Therefore, it might be difficult to tell which motel offers high-quality services. The only way to tell which motel is better than the other is to check online reviews from different customers. If a particular motel has many positive reviews, it shows that the services offered there are superb.
6. Cost
As far as the cost of accommodation is concerned, a hotel is more costly than a motel. This is because a hotel has more facilities than a motel. Besides this, one can stay in a hotel for several days, unlike if one chooses to lodge in a motel.
Therefore, if you are operating on a budget, you should check in a motel instead. However, if you have more resources, you can consider staying in a hotel for a couple of days. After all, there is value for money once you choose a hotel for all your accommodation needs.
7. Number of employees
Although both establishments usually employ a number of workers to work there, the number of employees found in each one of them varies. For instance, you are likely to find a receptionist, chef, bellboys, doorkeepers, housekeepers, and other employees in a hotel.
However, the number of employees in a motel is considerably small. In most cases, you will find a receptionist and a few housekeepers. This is because these premises are relatively smaller in size compared to a hotel.
Final Thoughts
From the layout to the number of employees, there is a plethora of differences between these two types of accommodation. However, one thing that they offer in common is lodging and restaurant services. As you purpose to either lodge in a hotel or a motel, you should note the differences mentioned above so that you can choose the accommodation option that suits your needs. By doing this, you will get the value for your hard-earned money.
