Motels will generally have only one or two floors while hotels may be high-rise. Motels will also generally have less features and more limited food and beverage offerings. There'll be fewer staff and a smaller number of specialised staff. And this generally translates to lower rates for guests.

For example, motel is a portmanteau word that is a combination of motor and hotel.

Early motels In conceiving of a name for his hotel, Heineman combined the two words motor hotel into one word as mo-tel, after he found that he could not fit the words "Milestone Motor Hotel" on the rooftop.

The word hotel is derived from the French word meaning “inn,” and that, in turn, comes from the Latin hospes, meaning “guest.” Motel is simply a contraction of the words motor and hotel. The term came into common use in the 1920s, indicating an establishment that provided parking for cars as well as food and lodging.