> Is that because people park their motor-vehicles there? Regarding Brazilian motels, I'm not sure about the etymology, but it is possible that it was borrowe

> Is that because people park their motor-vehicles there? Regarding Brazilian motels, I'm not sure about the etymology, but it is possible that it was borrowed from English, I guess. Because people DO park cars there. In many (most?) cases, there are individual parking garages (with a door that closes) which open to the specific room. There are no elevators, corridors, or anything that would allow unrelated people to interact. Other than the 'reception', which is essentially a drive-through, you do not have to see or interact with any human beings. Even payment is handled through a small compartment.