Ca$ino Countryside Inn - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a motel

What would be the first two things that would come into your mind when you plan to go on a trip? The first thing would be the place or location that you intend to go to, and the second thing is where you are going to stay or rest at during your stay over there. What would be your options? Stay at a five star Hotel, or at a Rest House? Well, these options would be very costly. How about staying at a Motel? Do you know what a motel is? Well, this article aims to explain all the related information about motels and the uses of it.

So, what is a motel? How did it originate? The word 'Motel' is derived from the two English words "motor"/ "motorist" and "hotel". A Motel, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "an establishment which provides lodging and parking and in which the rooms are usually accessible from an outdoor parking area". As defined in Microsoft Encarta, "a motel is a hotel intended to provide short-term lodging for traveling motorists, usually situated close to a highway and having rooms accessible from the parking area".

The above two definitions would give you a clear idea of what a motel is. The concept of "motel" originated in the United States as a result of the establishment of the interstate highways. Hotels and Rest houses were mainly based in cities thus leaving travelers and motorists no option other than to travel non-stop to the next city or state without having to rest. The Motels came in handy due to this reason. Since motorists and travelers couldn't find reasonable lodging facilities in the suburbs, the idea of Motel came into being. With the establishment of motels, travelers could and are now able to find lodging in the suburbs.

The basic characteristics that would help you distinguish a motel from any other type of lodging or rest arena could simply be detailed as follows.

It is targeted mainly at motorists who travel from one city to another, and provides shelter for a night's stay (overnight), unlike in hotels or rest houses.

It is relatively smaller when compared to Hotels.

It is also much cheaper than staying at a Hotel, but most of those are as good and convenient as hotel rooms.

A Motel's layout is such that the rooms have (outside) separate entrances, which enables the guests to directly reach the parking area, and back to the room. In Hotels however, you would have to go to the rooms passing the lobby, with no direct entry from the parking lot to the rooms.

Motels do not serve food (dinner), but Hotels and Rest Houses do offer it. (But most motels now offer this facility too)

Motels are located near interstate highways (mainly in suburbs), while Hotels and restaurants are located within city limits.

There are a number of companies that operate motels in large scale, due to the increased demand for such lodging facilities by travelers and vacationers. So, the next time you plan to go on a trip for vacation, stay at a motel to feel the difference.

History of motels

A motel is an establishment that provides travelers, motorists and vacationers the space and room for lodging and parking, where the rooms have direct access to the parking area. A motel is what most people now go for when they have to make a booking for a night's stay in their journey. The main reason for this is because motels offer good facilities, just as hotels, but at much cheaper rates.

The concept of motels has grown by leaps and bounds, and now there are a plenty of motel chains in the US as well as in other parts of the world. The highly developed motel industry today, started real slow and in a small scale. This article aims to explain the history of motels and how it evolved over time to what it is today.

The history of motels is quite interesting. The concept of motels started with the establishment of the US interstate highway, which began in the 1920s. As highways were built, it enabled people to travel long distance journeys much easily. During these long journeys, travelers found it impossible to find lodging in the suburbs (with hotels being located in city centers).

It is to cater to this need that motels sprang up. They were located by the interstate highways, in the suburbs, where travelers were provided with lodging and parking facilities, usually for an overnight's stay. The first motel in the world is the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, (now named as Motel Inn), which was constructed by Arthur Heineman at a cost of $80,000 in 1925. The word "Motel" came as part of a linking of the two words, "Motorist"/ "Motor" and "Hotel".

Motels came in handy during this period and there were a huge number of travelers that sought the facilities of motels rather than going to expensive hotels. However, the concept of motels started to decline with the setting up of the Holiday Inn chain (of Wilson, Kemmons). But, you would be able to find some old motels in some parts of the United States that provide the same old lodging and parking facilities at low rates.

One difference in motels then and now is that motels of the early days only offered rooms for overnight stay with parking. But motels now offer rooms, with food and other entertainment facilities (such as Cable TVs and Swimming pools) along with parking, at affordable rates, still much cheaper than hotels.

Motels nowadays, also known as Guest Houses, are used mostly by couples for sexual purposes, and hence most rooms are offered for the customers for about two to three hours, charged at hourly rates, or in some places at day rates.

As a whole, motels were of great use to travelers back in the old days when travelling long distances required the need for a rest during nights. At present, there a number of famous motel chains that offer similar but improved services to their respective customers.

How to find a cheap motel which is comfortable

You might be stressed out with work and all other things. What about your kids and family? The kids might be definitely craving for a trip or vacation after three long months of school. It is almost time that you take a break from your busy lives. Going on a trip seems to be the best and most desired option available.

However, traveling is not as easy as it was earlier. With the costs rising up, the cost of traveling ad lodging has also risen, which has made traveling a much less viable option. This is the reason why most people go for budget travels. Instead of staying in hotels, people have now opted for motels, since they are much cheaper but offer facilities as good as hotels. But how are you going to find out a cheap motel? How are you going to make sure that even though it is cheap, it does not compromise on the comfort factor? This article aims to explain the ways by which one could find a cheap motel which is comfortable.

There are plenty of ways that one could use in order to find a cheap hotel which is comfortable. These options are listed in point form for easy reference.

Browse the internet

The best source from where you can get the latest information on the cheapest motels in an area is by way of browsing the internet. There are plenty of search engines that direct you to various sites that offer cheaper motel accommodation d budget travel. You could also choose to visit some of the most famous motel chain sites to check on their different rates, from which you could choose a cheap motel room that fits with your budget.

Check on deals

By visiting websites as well as supermarket stores, you would be able to obtain more information on the deals and special motel room rate offers. You would be able to find most motels offer rooms at much cheaper rates during the off-season as well as during the weekdays. So, be wise when making your choice.

Also, if you have credit cards or have joined loyalty schemes, you would be entitled to special discounted rates, which would be best for you in order to enjoy cheaper rates, with no compromise on the comfort factor.

Read travel guides and journals

You could also read travel guides and journals that would give you details on those motels that offer rooms at cheaper rates. These would also include information on the special offers available in such motels, along with a listing of the facilities and amenities offered in those.

Read and join travel blog forums

You could read and join travel blog forums so as to get a better idea on what are the options available for you. You would be able to discuss with other members of the forum regarding those comfortable motels that offer rooms at cheaper rates. The information that you obtain by participating in such forums can help you make a very good decision. However, reliability of the information would be an issue.

Ask from your friends and relatives

You could also get information on cheap motels which are comfortable from your friends and relatives. They might have traveled a lot and they would recommend the best option available. Most importantly, the sources are reliable.

Standards of hotel classification

The adjective good mean several things to several people but in general standards a good can mean a hotel where you will be comfortable and secure, where the rooms are clean. This may be a mix between a standard basic hotel and a luxurious hotel. However, there are other things to be looked into apart from the facilities and amenities on offer.

When looking for a good hotel you must first start looking for the right location in the place you want. Ensure that it is not located in a bad neighborhood or where there is vice and crime.

If you are visiting out of town and you do not have a mode of transport of your own in the place you plan to visit, check whether the hotels you select have taxis easily available or there is easy access to public transport to the place you will need to go.

After checking out on the location and transport you will then need to look for a hotel that meets with your requirements. What would be your requirement. A good hotel should have clean rooms with en suite bathrooms. You will certainly not be looking to go down the hallway for the use of a bathroom. Find out the size of the room. Depending on how long you plan to stay the room requirement may vary. There are standard size rooms but if your stay is going to be long you may want a room which is large and you will not feel closter phobic. A good hotel will have televisions in every room and the bath rooms will be spacious with complimentary toiletries provided for the guest. A phone is a must and if you are overseas check whether international telephonic facilities are available.

When you are traveling and living out of a suit case, laundry facilities are a necessity and a good hotel should have a in-house laundry.

If you are on a business visit you may be working in the hotel after hours and you may require fax and printing facilities. A business centre which provides such facilities are available in good hotels. Also, internet facilities should be available in every room.

A good hotel will have 24 hour room service available so that, if you wish, you can choose to eat according to your own time schedule rather than stick by the hotel schedule. But apart from that the hotel should also have a 24 hour coffee shop and at least one other main restaurant. Better hotels will have several restaurants.

Even more easier when selecting a hotel is to check the classification of a hotel. A three star hotel will come into the category which is between a basic and luxury hotel, though at times three star hotels in your home country may be different and may be worse or even be better in another country due to the lack of standardization of classification internationally. That may be the case even in the home country. Therefore the search will be narrowed when you check the particular category of hotel you want though you might find value for money in some of the unclassified hotels. Sometimes a hotel may be better but due to the non-availability of some small amenity or facility which may even be a hair-dryer, they have not been able to get the classification they want.

Different stars levels and the staring system

With the rapid increase of world travel how hotel classifications differ across the world has been discussed at so many forums and has in recent years become a focus of discussion by the World Tourism Organization. Classification system was originally introduced to ensure a safe secure lodging for travelers as this will give onus on the management to take responsibility for the safety of their guests. This is also the tool that will be used to apply by the government to monitor control of value added taxes as the rate would differ according to the classification of the hotel.

Star rating system is used throughout the world but in some instances diamonds and crowns are also used. However, regardless of the symbol used the categories are devised by breaking into 5 categories of basic, economy, mid market, superior, luxury and with the recent introduction of the self acclaimed 6 and 7 star category hotels which can be categorized as super luxury. The rating starts from 0 to 5 in ascending order. With local and international travel increasing rapidly a unified starring system is being discussed, but it is yet to be seen how effective this would be. However tour operators seem to have their own mechanism to gauge a hotel and devise their own classification which may not be similar to the classification with which a hotel is already identified with.

There are many hotels which should have a higher rating but due to the lack of one small amenity, has been denied the classification that it deserves. The starring system will be based on the facilities and amenities available and also the standard and condition of rooms and building, security of the hotel, quality of food and beverages, décor and ambiance of the hotel.

However advantageous it may seem to have a unified starring system internationally it may not be as feasible as proposed due to the individual preferences of the nationalities. It doesn't seem to have a ice making machine on the floor a priority in Portugal whose priority may be to have good cigars at the reception. There is much local travel and it is therefore difficult to cater to a particular segment of travelers. Further the cost of unification may also be very high and eventually this cost will also be passed on to the guest who may not have the need for some of the amenities and facilities that may be offered due to international standardization but end up paying for a service that has no need.

We hope this will help you in your travels, your friends at the Ca$ino Countryside Inn. Stop in and say hello.

Related resources

Coming soon information about local motel stays.