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What’s the Difference Between a Hotel, Motel and Resort
What’s the Difference Between a Hotel, Motel and Resort
Hotels, Resorts, or Motels are not buzzwords these days but these 3 contribute a greater share in the hospitality industry.
So, which one is best or better?
Hotels, Motels and Resorts have different purposes and are meant to satisfy the needs of different travelers. A hotel is a place to provide comfort and convenience to guests.
While Motels act as an overnight stop for tired travelers going on a long road trip.
And a Resort is a vacation hub for adventurous people.
In this blog, you’ll learn everything about how Motels are different from Hotels and Resorts.
What is a hotel?
A hotel is an accommodation that provides a space to travelers where they can share new experiences, get comfort, and make memories.
Hotels generally have bigger rooms which connect through an internal hallway.
Unlike Motels, these are large establishments offering many services and facilities such as restaurants, gyms, conference rooms, swimming pools, etc.
Whether it’s a budget-friendly hotel or a luxurious suite, their main objective is to fulfill the diverse needs of guests.
Hotels are available in busy cities or urban areas that aim to meet the needs of solo travelers, business travelers, family travelers, or digital nomads.
Who says that hotels are merely sleep centers? People prefer to visit hotels for leisure, comfort, and entertainment purposes.
The Fifth Avenue Hotel located in Manhattan in New York is a luxury suite that offers exceptional services to its guests.
These include fitness centers, king-size or queen-size rooms, and beautiful signature suites to provide a sense of comfort and calmness.
It provides additional perks to guests such as streaming services, a mini bar, a private bathroom, flat screen TV, etc.
These add Ons when blended with basic hotel amenities make the guests stay experience more charming.
Hotels can be of various types depending on the size of the property, location, length of stay, and level of service it provides to guests. These include motels, resort hotels, business hotels, chain hotels, and airport hotels.
No matter if guests are going for a workcation or on a leisure trip, hotels are the perfect place for having a memorable stay and at the same time make them super productive because of Fast Wi-Fi and business centers.
What is a motel?
The word Motel is a combination of Motor and Hotel present in small cities or road highways.
It's a perfect place for tired travelers and offers basic amenities and services. You can access rooms in a motel through a parking lot.
That’s why sometimes it is known as a roadside establishment for travelers who seek one- or 2-days accommodation.
Unlike hotels, guests can book a stay at affordable prices because these accommodations focus on convenience not comfort.
Generally, it’s meant to meet the needs of motorists who want to reach their destination.
To plan those long-distance journeys, they seek an economical way of accommodation that is easily accessible on the outskirts of the highway or located in smaller towns.
Motels have small rooms backed with basic amenities, but they don’t have premium services such as a gym or swimming pool. It's not a luxury site, but rather a roadside locale where guests can park their vehicle and spend a night.
Travelers who decide to stay at Motel look for 2 options – convenience and price. Motel owners run a lower operating cost. They charge less for guests because people who stay there aren’t looking for a long stay and get the basic breakfast options.
What is a resort?
A resort is more than a hotel. It’s a perfect place for those going on a vacation. The resort is a central hub for everything be it related to food, drinks, entertainment, spa, or shopping.
In terms of size, resorts are generally bigger than hotels with beautiful gardens, large swimming pools, and with more amenities
There are several resorts that differ depending on the different sizes, locations, and amenities it provides for guests.
These include All-inclusive resorts, wellness resorts, family resorts, etc.
Resorts offer a handful of amenities and are present near mountains, oceans, beaches, or historic areas.
It has everything that a guest needs whether it’s tantalizing taste buds in multiple restaurants, uplifting their mood through a full range of spa services, or going on for live entertainment.
Explore more: Resort Management Software
How are hotels different from motels?
Let’s understand the difference between hotels and motels-
Basis of comparison
Hotels
Motels
1. Meaning
Hotels are large-scale establishments that address the needs of business travelers to tourists.
Motels are generally convenient for roadside travelers or are present in smaller towns and cities.
2. Size
The size of hotels is larger than motels. It has over a hundred rooms, multiple floors, and elevators with extra amenities.
Motels have one or 2 floor buildings with fewer rooms, large parking spaces along with access to basic amenities.
3. Duration of Stay
Hotels fulfill the guest's needs on a short-term and long-term basis.
People choose motels for shorter stays such as spending a night or two.
4. Location
Hotels are present in urban areas, near tourist destinations or airports. They are centrally located in cities which are overpopulated.
Motels are present on the outskirts of a town or a roadway.
5. Price of stay
The cost of staying in a hotel depends on the location, brand, demand, and ratings.
Popular hotel brands (Hyatt, Mariott, Radisson, etc.) charge more than $100 /night.
Staying in a Motel is usually a cheaper alternative because it offers basic rooms along with fewer amenities at affordable prices.
6. Amenities
Hotels offer all kinds of amenities that come with different price tags such as a swimming pool, restaurant, bar, gym, jacuzzi, etc.
Motels are confined to short-term stays, so they offer limited amenities to guests such as bed and breakfast.
No swimming pool, conference room, or gym facility is available.
7. Which type of guests
Hotels focus on serving a wide range of guests such as business travelers, and families.
Motels cater to the needs of budget travelers and long-distance road travelers.
How are hotels different from resorts?
Basis of comparison
Hotel
Resort
1. Location
A hotel is present near the airports, city roads, or areas of popular attractions.
Resorts are in rural areas near beaches, forests mountains, or tropical islands so that guests can enjoy the beauty of nature.
2. Target audience
Hotels are the best fit for individuals, business travelers, and couples.
Resorts are a good place for children, families, and adolescents.
3. Purpose of stay
The purpose of the hotel is to provide a comforting stay experience to travelers.
The resort provides a complete vacation experience with private pools, recreational activities, wellness packages, cultural attractions, etc.
When booking a stay at a resort, guests enjoy their vacation hassle-free.
4. Length of stay
Guests plan to stay at a hotel when going for shorter trips.
The length of stay in a Resort range between a few days to weeks.
5. Activites
Hoteliers provide external activities enhancing the overall guest experience, such as theme parks and tourist attractions.
Resorts can conduct a wide range of activities and provide an exclusive location for guests to do hobbies.
6. Price of stay
Hotels are more cost-effective than resorts.
Resorts are more expensive than hotels.
7. Services and amenities
Hotels provide guests with basic amenities such as food, free Wi-Fi, spa services, etc.
Unlike resorts, it provides a room and for each additional service, guests have to incur additional costs.
Resorts have more amenities than hotels, including free dining restaurants, bars, casinos, nightclubs, water sports, etc.
Whether guests stay at a budget-friendly or a luxury resort, they get everything in one package with no additional costs.
How motels are different from resorts?
Basis of comparison
Motels
Resorts
1. Location
Motels are in small cities or on roadside highways.
Resorts are in remote areas or popular attraction sites such as mountains, beaches, or lakes.
2. Services
It provides a few amenities for guests such as a bed and breakfast.
In resorts, guests get everything at one place that makes their vacation wholesome such as dining, recreational activities, entertainment options, multiple restaurants, etc.
3. Cost of stay
Motels are budget-friendly for roadside travelers/tourists.
Resorts are an expensive form of accommodation for you.
Guests go there for pleasure, not for business meetings or anything else.
How software solutions make hotel and resort management easier?
The hospitality industry is an evolving field and so are customer expectations.
In this busy and stressful life, guests are looking for a place where they can interact with nature and get immersive experiences.
No matter whether they’re going on vacation, planning a date, or arranging a get-together with family, hotels, and resorts add value to their life.
But what makes a hotel/resort different from others?
And how do customers even decide that they should visit your hotel and not 1841 hotels worldwide?
Customers rank the hotels based on what accommodation services they get, the location of the hotel, how staff treat them, ratings and reviews, etc.
To ease your workload and maximize your hotel revenue, we came up with a product “HOTEL IN THE BOX” to help you serve your customers in a better fashion.
We provide an online cloud-based solution that simplifies your hotel operations in one place starting from the moment before the guest arrives to post-stay experience.
An all-in-one hospitality suite allows you to manage your room inventory, automate hotel operations, and ease check-in/check-out processes.
The good news is thatthere is no more reliance on OTAs.
Do you want to increase your direct bookings by 20% and increase your hotel profits by 73%?
Try our hotel-in-the-box solution today for free.
