One of my favorite anecdotes is from about 20 years ago. I was in Querétaro with my now ex-husband, our first year living together. He was a university student, I was a fresh-out-of-university English teacher, and my, we were poor! Our 5th-floor walk-up apartment had a great view, but it was basically void of furniture, save a bed and a bookshelf. Eventually, we bought a used computer that sat on an old chair we’d found in the apartment while we sat on the floor to use it.
When you’re 22 and in love, you don’t need much.
Most of our friends were of equal starving college student caliber. Many of them also had novios, but unlike the lucky two of us, no place to spend — ahem — quality time together.
And that’s how my boyfriend one day came home almost crying with laughter. His friend, who had one of those beat-up old Volkswagen bugs (vochos here, which used to be ubiquitous), had parked in a secluded area with his girlfriend. Soon, much to their disappointment, a police officer knocked on the window.
What did he want? Two hundred pesos to not halt their fun, of course. Thankfully, the friend was ready with a disarming quip: “If I had 200 pesos, we’d be at a motel instead of in my car!”
Ah, the Mexican motel. Truly an institution, though one could be forgiven for not connecting the dots upon their arrival.
As a kid and even a teen, I had no clue about the difference between a hotel and a motel. My family wasn’t the kind to afford too much traveling, and the novelty of staying anywhere besides my or family members’ homes was enough of a luxury.
My sister and I would marvel at the Motel 8 room in a Texas city two hours away. Everything was so clean! Lights above each perfectly made bed! The true delight, however, came from there being a Denny’s across the parking lot.
Freaking. Score.
But when I moved to Mexico, I realized that there was indeed a difference between the two, and that at least here, it was significant.
But first let’s back up a bit to official definitions. A hotel, of course, tends to be bigger, with access to the rooms from hallways rather than from parking lots. They also typically have more amenities and are more expensive.
The word “motel” is a combination of the words “motor” and “hotel” (I looked it up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary). Basically, you can drive to the room you’re staying in. Simple. They also tend to be cheaper, as it’s hard to argue that a view of a parking lot and the freeway are pinnacles of elegance worth paying top-dollar for.
In Mexico, prices between low-tier hotels and motels don’t tend to differ too greatly. The difference comes from their main usages.
Now, I’m not naïve; I know that an affair can very well be carried out pretty much anywhere. But here in Mexico, the motel is the chosen place for one, or simply for a couple to find some alone time.
Why?
The main plus is privacy. Whereas one’s car might be spotted near a hotel or in its parking lot — or someone might see you walking in — motels are the kings of discretion. Spending a few hours alone with your partner? Even if everyone you know drives or walks by the exact place, they’ll never know because your car will be hidden inside your own personal garage to your own personal room, sealed from the outside world. Even when you enter motel grounds, you don’t have to hang out close to the road; most are fortresses.
So first, you get onto the grounds, away from passing traffic; a motel employee comes out to ask what kind of room you’d like, then directs you to an open garage. Once inside, you can close the garage — usually they’re automatic, but I’ve seen simple curtains, too! — and walk up the steps to your room above.
(As a side note, you don’t have to have a car; you can get a taxi to drop you off! A taxi driver once told me that nearly all of his rides on Valentine’s Day, for example, are to and from motels.)
Once there, the extreme discretion continues. There’s usually a kind of turnstile — also private — device on one of the walls that leads to an outside service area for the motel workers. There, you pay for the time you want, and can even order room service! Beer, snacks, condoms, toys — they’ve got it all! It truly is a brilliant business model.
So we’ve already talked about discretion. They’re also cheap, and often available for four or eight hours rather than a full 24. (To be clear, you can rent a room in a motel for the night or for several, and I know plenty of people who do for totally non-sexy reasons. I think most accept dogs!)
For most people, though, motels are simply a place for sex, and motels know it. And that’s how you might, as an innocent traveler just looking to sleep somewhere, might wander into a room with mirrors on the ceiling and a stripper pole. The decor can be interesting for sure, but there are times I’ve gone simply for the pleasure of sitting in hot water (some have jacuzzis!). Bath tubs, in fact, might be the home feature I miss the most when I’m down here.
Anyway! I don’t note these details to be crude, but to let you know what you’re in store for if you don’t already: wonder into a motel unaware, and it’s going to feel real weird.
Why does it seem like they’re all over the place, usually on the outskirts of cities? Well, you’ve got to think about both the culture and logistics around here.
Both because of culture and economic restraints, it’s not traditionally been common for unmarried couples to live together…especially when they’re younger. Think of our poor friend in the vocho above. And with large households but not always large houses, it can be hard to find much private time, or even to have a room of your very own.
When friends come to visit, they’re often shocked to see couples making out, sometimes heavily, in public places. “Well, they can’t make out at their houses with their whole family watching,” I say.
There are plenty of things you can’t do with your whole family watching, it turns out. Motels are the solution that have filled the void.
And where do you say you’re going? Don’t say a motel; think of something plausible!
There’s a motel in Veracruz, for example, that has caused us endless laughing every time we drive by it. What’s it called? “El Cine” (“the movies”), as in, “Be back in a few hours, fam — ¡vamos al cine!”
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
