What's the difference between a hotel and a motel?

My dad calls travels and calls everything a ';motel';...but I know there has to be some kind of difference...does anyone know?What's the difference between a hotel and a motel?
The answer is in the word itself. First we had hotels. Then with the invention of the automobile, people began to take ';motor trips'; meaning, vacations in their cars. At first the little strips of rooms began to spring up and were called ';Tourist Courts.'; Then they were ';Motor Hotels'; and this name got shortened to the present name, Motel. Today, a hotel is generally a multistory building with valet parking, or parking in a lot or parking garage. Motels still offer parking outside the room you choose.What's the difference between a hotel and a motel?
Motel is derived from two words; motor and hotel. When automobile travel became popular after WWII hotels were built with rooms that were easily accessible from parking spaces. They were first referred to as a Motor Hotel. It was shortened to Motel. Hotels generally have large parking lots and vehicles are not parked just outside the room door.
They are all nasty as an ex maid I will tell you none of them are clean.The maids have 10 mins. per room and use the dirty towels and wash rags to clean the tubs and showers and floors so there is no hair showing.And the blankets are never washed unless there is a visable stain on it.
OY Shiksa.


Great answer above.
hotel - entrances to rooms are inside of the building


motel - entrances to rooms are outside of the building
Price. Plus hotels are usually multiple level and motels are usually one or two levels, where you can drive to your door in many cases.