Accommodation: motels

The motel seems like a truly underestimated type of accommodation. In books or movies you always hear people talking about a sleazy motel, a ramshackle motel, a creepy motel even, but a pleasant one rarely gets mentioned. Do they not exist? Why of course they do! You just have to be brave enough to take a risk. 

(Studiohourglass)

While that introduction didn’t sound very appealing, there are most definitely some great motels to be found across Florida. The key point here is what you’re expecting to find at a motel. Is it the same as a hotel? Not really, although some motels do strive to reach these standards.

The biggest difference between a motel and a hotel are the following:

- motels can be found at the edge of town, near a highway while hotels are usually situated downtown.

- the parking lot to a motel is right outside your doorstep and will cost you a few dollars while at a hotel you’ll probably have to park in an underground parking lot and pay good money to keep your car there.

- A motel does not have a reception like a proper hotel does. When you step out of your motel room, you’re outside, unlike in a hotel where your room connects to a nice indoor hallway.

This last point is basically the root of the bad image motels have with many tourists. Since there is no reception, there is also no one who will see your face. This gives one the idea of complete anonymity which is obviously an appealing thought to all the wrong kinds of people: hence the sleazy, shady image. That’s why the all important thing when choosing a place to spend the night is: trust your gut feeling and use common sense. If the place gives you an unsafe feeling even though you’re not really sure why: keep driving until you find a place that looks and feels safe and trustworthy. A ground rule is to avoid places that advertise for adult videos (unless that’s what you’re looking for of course, in which case: go right ahead). A great tool in this department is the Tripadvisor app. Just look up the place you’re thinking of going in, check out the reviews (don’t take them all too seriously) and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect.

Most travelers play it safe and go for well known chains like Best Western, La Quinta and Red Roof Inns.

(Wikia)

Once you’re installed in your motel room, you can be sure to find a television set. Do think twice before you put on a movie because they usually charge extra for those. The same goes for telephone calls. Always check what is included in the price of your room. Considering the heat in Florida, you can be quite sure that there will also be an AC in 99% of the motels.

The price of a motel can vary between $30 and, in some cases, over $100 a night. An average price comes to about $50-$80 per night for a single room.

Hopefully the thought of staying at a motel is still appealing to some of you, there are good ones out there obviously. If you end up staying at one, do leave behind your experiences!

Enjoy!

R&B