English Reference

Word

motel

Phoneticsmo·tel, stress on the second syllable

US/moʊˈtɛɫ/

UK/məʊtˈɛl/

Definitions

01roadside hotel

A2 · Elementary Countable noun American English

n. a hotel near a main road where you can park your car right outside your room.

n. a hotel situated near a highway, specifically designed to accommodate motorists with parking spaces adjacent to room entrances.

“We were too tired to keep driving, so we stopped at a motel for the night.”

“The family opted for a budget motel on the outskirts of the city to avoid the high parking fees charged by downtown hotels.”

Usage

Often used as a countable noun; the term is more common in North America than in Europe.

Synonyms

motor innroadside inn

02to stay in a motel

C2 · Proficiency Informal

v. to spend the night in a motel while travelling.

v. to lodge in a motel or series of motels during a journey. Intransitive use.

“We decided to motel our way across the country instead of camping.”

“They spent the summer motelling across the Southwest, enjoying the kitschy decor of the vintage roadside stops.”

Synonyms

lodgestay

Etymology

Blend of motor + hotel, from the original Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo in California, USA, established in 1925 by Arthur Heineman (1878–1974).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

crummyhotelinn

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Frequent
Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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