We were driving this weekend and Emily asked me the difference between a hotel and a motel.  Since I enjoy little history lessons that help explain the world we live in today, I’m going to share it here.

In the mid-20th century, there were no interstate highways.  If you wanted to drive cross-country, you did it on State Routes and US Routes.  They were all two lanes, and you passed through every little town on your way.  The song “Route 66” celebrates the US Route from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Old downtowns typically had a hotel; usually a multi-story building in the center of town.

As more people began to drive longer distances, there became a market for smaller hotels, conveniently located on the roadside.  This was the birth of the Motor Hotel, or Motel.  These motels were usually one story, and you could pull your car right up to the door of your room.

Then came the interstates.  The smaller roads weren’t traveled much, and the motels started to close.  Today, the difference between a hotel and motel is usually a difference of name and price.  But when you drive on the state routes and US routes, you can still see some of the old one-story motels.