The word “motel” comes from blending motor and hotel , coined in the 1920s for car travelers on the road.

Quick Scoop: Origin of “motel”

  • “Motel” is a portmanteau of “motor” + “hotel,” created to describe roadside lodging designed for motorists.
  • The term was introduced around 1925 in the United States, when car travel was booming.
  • One of the earliest and most cited uses is the “Milestone Mo-Tel” in San Luis Obispo, California, built for automobile travelers who could park right by their rooms.
  • These places were set up along highways so drivers could pull in easily, sleep, and get back on the road without going into a city center.
  • Over time, the hyphen and capitalization disappeared, and “mo-tel” simply became “motel.”

So when you see or say “motel,” you’re literally saying “motor hotel” in compressed form—a word born with the rise of the automobile and the culture of road trips. TL;DR:
“Where does the word motel come from?”
It comes from “motor hotel,” coined in 1920s America to describe simple roadside lodging for car travelers.