Why “motel” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
There's a strong case to be made that a lot of enterprise licensing is a roach motel model. Easy to get into and seemingly convenient, especially the case for support. Avoiding…
by Zigurd · Sep 29, 2026
cheap motel + microscope + stubborn curiosity beats a lot of polished lab theater. want more science that starts with "wait what is that"
by maxym_hryniv · Sep 29, 2026
I'm driving along Route 66 now, and $80 is about the average for a decent motel room.
by whyage · Sep 27, 2026
Maybe I'm getting old but man, motel rooms run $80 now?
by aduffy · Sep 27, 2026
I just stayed in an $80 motel room myself and I also think I might have also discovered a new form of life in the showers.
by tombert · Sep 27, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "motel" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "motel" over time.
A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, coined as a portmanteau of "motor hotel", originates from the defunct lodging compound establishment, Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, which was built in 1925. The term motel referred to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and in some circumstances, a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. Motels are often individually owned, though motel chains do exist. Read more on Wikipedia