What is the difference between a hotel, motel, & inn?

Answer 1

Motel is short for Motor Hotel. They cater, market, and sell to those travelling by vehicle. They sprung up in the 1950's when major interstate highways came of age. This generally means smaller places with convenient parking. Generally you have a door right to your room from the parking lot and don't have to go into a big general lobby. They are usually smaller than a hotel, locate in smaller towns or by major roadways, and not found in the middle of the downtown glamorous district.

Inn goes back to medieval Britain. It would be when travelling before cars and jets, and you would need everything provided, and could be in the middle of nowhere, as you couldn't travel that far in one day. So generally, Food, lodging and a lot of times the local pub was there. In America, Inn's seem to mean the place is marketing the coffee is always on in the lobby and they have some sort of meal room. Some sort of Breakfast is available during certain morning hours and it is all you can eat and included as part of the night's room rental. Inn to me you get an image of a more homey, more affordable, and less snobby and luxury that a big name Hotel might flaunt.

Answer 2

Hotel the doors open to a hallway, motel doors open to the outdoors and inns I think have a restaurant in their Establishment.

Answer 3

I think a hotel is big.... like more than two floors. A motel is just one floor. (You can park your car outside the door). An Inn nowadays is used interchangably for anything, but it used to be like a bed and breakfast.