The Motels Series contains 826 items from the 1920s to the 1970s, with the majority from the 1930s to the 1960s. Boxes 103-119.

The term Motels came from the combination of Motor and Hotel. Motels commonly have only one or two floors, and rooms can often be accessed directly from a parking lot. In the early days of the twentieth century, as automobile travel became popular, a new array of lodging became available to tourists. Camps, cabins, and motels offered many advantages to the pre-automotive hotels and boarding houses located near railroad stations. They were usually located on the outskirts of town, so motorists didn’t have to deal with downtown traffic, and they could part their cards right next to their rooms.

This series contains four subseries as Margolies had organized them: Motels by state; Motels, various; Motels, guidebooks; and Motels chains.

Motels by State contains 213 items. Some States are further divided by region, such Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, or Catskills. There are also a few items from Canada. This collection mostly contains brochures, with a few maps, letterheads, and menus.

Motels, Various contains 195 items. These items were in a binder that Margolies had labeled: Motels, Various, Wigwams, Alamos, Motel Inn, Camp Grand[e], Misc. Photos, Stationery, Misc. Documents. This eclectic collection consists of photographs, brochures, postcards, letterheads and maps of motels with a “theme” such as wigwams, cottages, or cabins.

The Motel Guidebooks contain 249 guides or directories of member or approved motels, from a particular organization or company. Examples include the National Tourist Association, United Motor Courts, or the Northeastern Motor Court and Cabin Association.

The Motel Chains collection features 169 guides from specific motel chains such as Best Western, Howard Johnsons and Holiday Inn.

Related item: Home away from home : motels in America / John Margolies. Boston, Mass. : Little, Brown and Company Inc., 1996.