I don't know how they started. They may have started as regular "motels" like in the US and then turned into love hotels because they were usually far away from

I don't know how they started. They may have started as regular "motels" like in the US and then turned into love hotels because they were usually far away from downtown, near highways and that's a better place if you don't want to be seen with someone else? Nowadays "motel" equals "lovel hotel" in Brazil, without exception AFAIK. Cheap motels (in the US sense) that are near highways and are not "love hotels" will just call themselves "hotels" and avoid the sex-related stuff. There are plenty of those. I think it's also pretty common place for people who meet at night clubs and don't want to take their partners back home (in order to keep their privacy). They go to the motel and that's it. Wikipedia doesn't have a lot on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel#South_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel#South_America