Motel
/moʊˈtɛl/
Definitions
A hotel designed primarily for motorists, typically located near a road.
/moʊˈtɛl/
A roadside hotel for motorists.
We spent the night in a motel during our road trip.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're on a road trip and need a place to sleep. A motel is a type of hotel that's right by the road so you can easily park your car and get some rest. Picture a family pulling up to a motel after a long drive!
👶 For kids: A motel is like a hotel that's close to the road, so people can stop and sleep in their cars or take a break.
More Examples
The motel offered free breakfast and a swimming pool.
Finding a motel near the highway was convenient for our travels.
How It's Used
"We stayed at a motel on the outskirts of the city."
A portmanteau of 'motor' and 'hotel', coined in the 1920s or 1930s in the United States to describe a roadside hotel designed for motorists. It emerged with the rise of automobile travel.
The word 'motel' gained popularity with the rise of car travel in the mid-20th century and is still frequently used.