Hostel, Hotel and Motel, what is the difference?

Idiomas

21/07/2015

When teaching the conversation class, Vacation I sometimes get asked what the difference is between a Hostel and a Hotel and also a Motel.

We all know what a hotel is; a hotel provides paid lodging to tourists and may also provide a number of other services or amenities, such as a restaurant, swimming pool, and/or spa. The more amenities a hotel has the more stars it has, stars can range between 1 to 5 stars, and some can be 6.

Well a hostel is like a hotel, but cheaper and is sometimes called ‘a backpackers’. Hostels are very popular for people who are younger and like to travel and visit various countries and cities in a short period of time. Hostels are not like hotels where all the rooms are individual; hostels have dormitories where there can be 12 beds in the same room, in Munich there is a hostel that has 40 beds. If you stay in a non-private dormitory then you’ll need to share a bathroom but if want your own space then you can get a private room with an en suite or without an en suite to give you more privacy. A hostel is also a great place to meet fellow travelers as you need to share the facilities.

Motel is a word derived from the term "motorist's hotel."  A motel is like a hotel but with bare essentials, motels are commonly found in The USA and Canada for people who frequently travel long distances and need to place to sleep to break up their journey.