Is it necessary to mention that many or most (which I highly doubt) motels are run by Indian immigrants?Pdxgoat 21:16, 7 Feb 2004 (UTC)

You can have your doubts, but this contention of motels run by Asian Indians is supported in an February 27, 2002 article of USA Today. It may seem like a stereotype, but according to the article, there are 17,000 Indian-owned motels, to be precise. In fact, I'll quote from the article: "Asian-Indians own more than 17,000 hotels and motels, representing more than half of all economy lodging in the USA, says the Asian American Hotel Owners Association."

Read the article and weep: http://www.usatoday.com/money/general/2002/02/27/minority-biz.htm

What's the copyright status of the picture? --Robert Merkel

The link to United States highway system was correct. Motels started in the 1920s and 1930s in response to the US highway system and not the Interstate highway system which started in the 1950's.

The copyright status of the picture should be considered in question, as the picture is from the site linked at the bottom of the article. It's on the page for California (http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/motelcalifornia.html) and there is a copyright notice at the bottom. If nobody else cuts it over the next day, I will. User:ClaudeMuncey

I've now removed the image link:

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/calroute66motel.jpeg

-- Egil 09:07 May 2, 2003 (UTC)

Curiously, in Brazil, Motel has another conotation. The term is used for Hotels that host suite rooms for couples. I heard some people reffering to these kinds of hotels (or Motels) as Hotels-by-the-hour or 1-hour hotel. The nicest Motels in Brazil have huge suites (some of them can have 400 or 600 square metters) with Jacuzi, dance floor, sauna, steam rooms and even retractable ceeling.

--Pinnecco 18:12, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's the same here in Taiwan, for many of the motels (especially high-end designer motels) are commonly used as hourly hotels. They have very huge room, some of them even have 2-story room with a mini waterfall or small swimming pool inside. Although they do offer a 12-hour long stay to motorists, most of the customers who go to thus kind of motels see them as love-hotels which are very popular in Japan.--SElefant 16:41, 9 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]