The Place Of Motels In Western Culture

In the twentieth century motels became a feature of the travel industry. They were intimately connected with the culture of cars and roads that were built to accommodate the millions of automobiles traveling endlessly across different countries, and particularly those countries that had spaces to allow for long distance journeys by car.

Motor hotels were built near motor ways. Typically, they were a series of rooms, sometimes interconnected and always with a parking spaces for cars. In the most convenient places a car could be parked immediately outside a room so that it need not even be unpacked. Travelers could enjoy the comfort of stretching out on a bed, having a cup of tea or a meal and then tumbling into their car the next morning to continue their journey.

When families traveled together rooms that were adjacent to each other could be booked and the children safely accommodated, yet in separate cabins. The absence of corridors and stairways and the relative isolation of cabins made for a homely atmosphere where a family could remain a unit in repose.

In eastern countries where there were more people and fewer cars so during the twentieth century train travel dominated. That is why the portmanteau word, compounded from motor car and hotel tends to be a phenomenon of the west rather than a global word. It is likely to remain so.

Though wealth is shifting rapidly from west to east and though car ownership is on the rise in the east it is unlikely that the density of population will permit a motel culture to develop in those countries in the way that it did in the middle of the twentieth century. The unique nature of the twentieth century motel in western culture has been captured in many films.

One of the most memorable is 'Psycho' in which a guest is stabbed to death whilst taking a shower. The nature of an establishment that can be run on a small private enterprise scale is depicted in the movie. Motels were often in remote stretches of roads that were quiet but with sufficient travelers to make a small scale establishment viable.

As the travel industry evolved it became dominated by freeways, cars with long ranges and multinational hospitality chains. Motels have tended to fade from the scene as massive freeways were built with multiple lanes that makes stopping quite hazardous. Many were converted into other kinds of accommodation or simply closed down because most travelers rushed past.

This has been a sad development for those people who remember the convenience of motor hotels. People who travel frequently by car over long distances found them particularly convenient. Registration processes were reduced to the minimum and one could book in and relax in anonymous privacy. After a short stay one could be on the road again with a minimal administration and expense.

Ironically, developments that threaten the car industry could actually spell hope for motels in the future. Electric cars do not emit carbon but may need to go more slowly and stop more frequently. This development could reduce the range of many vehicles and give the old industry a new lease on life, even if the particular flavor of a 1960s model is never quite recaptured.

By: Adriana N

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