Is Motel really a "blend of motor and hotel" developed in the 1920s? [closed]
Solution 1:
Many sources, including the Smithsonian, say that the first use of "motel" was when an architect and developer, Arthur Heinemann, built a hotel aimed at motor travellers in San Luis Obispo, California (USA), in 1925. He shortened the phrase "motor hotel" in calling it the "Milestone Mo-tel", and the term went into general use, shedding the hyphen**, as motor travel, and the need for overnight accommodation for motorists, increased in the 20th century.
World's first motel
** Perhaps it was left behind in a Mo-tel; lots of things are.