The Motel, Unsettling Icon of Popular Culture

On the 12^th of December 1925, Arthur Heineman opened the first recorded motel along Highway 101 just north of San Luis Obispo, California. As he couldn’t fit in the full name ‘Milestone Motor Hotel’ on the sign, he left it as ‘Motor Hotel’, which then came to be abbreviated as mo-tel. This first example of a functional inn-type respite for motorists featured the easily recognisable single building made of connected rooms with doors facing a parking lot. Heineman chose original Spanish missionary architecture for the façade, which together with its bell tower and sign are still standing, although used for a different purpose.

The invention and popularity of the automobile in early 20^th century America drove many motorists to venture beyond their hometowns. The early bad roads and poor vehicle speeds and reliability required two or more days all-day driving for 400-mile trips such as Los Angeles…