Staying by myself

It's not always easy to decide if you should book an expensive hotel or a more affordable motel during a holiday. Here are two situations in which it might be best to opt for the latter.

You want plenty of spending money for your holiday activities

As a general rule of thumb, motels are less expensive than hotels. As such, if you don't have an unlimited budget for your holiday, it may be wiser to opt for motel accommodation.

If you don't, you may find yourself struggling to cover the costs of your daily activities, and having to choose less expensive items or services, simply because you cannot afford the things that you really want.

For example, if you have spent most of your holiday fund on the nicest hotel, you may then have to stick to eating sandwiches from the local food store or cheap snacks from the street markets rather than having delicious, gourmet meals at some of the best restaurants in the city you're staying in.

Similarly, you might only be able to visit the free tourist attractions in the area instead of exploring the fee-charging places that you are genuinely interested in seeing.

In short, the financial restrictions that could result from spending too much money on your accommodation could affect your entire holiday experience and leave you feeling deprived and bored.

You intend to spend most of your time out and about

Motels are generally more utilitarian than hotels; they provide you with all of the basics that you need (such as a bathroom, a comfortable bed and a safe, secure space to leave your belongings) without extravagant amenities that you would find in upscale hotels.

If you were planning to spend a lot of time in your accommodation during your holiday, it might be sensible to book a hotel that comes with a few luxurious treats (such as a mini-bar, a large television or an amazing view of the surrounding area).

However, if like most people, you prefer to spend your holidays out and about, exploring the area and experiencing the local culture, then a motel might be a better choice.

In this scenario, you would really only need a safe, comfortable place to lay your head at night and a bathroom to bathe in each day. As such, it would be a waste of money to stay in a luxurious hotel, as you simply wouldn't be spending enough time there to really enjoy the space.