Hired in 1986, Bodett ad-libbed the line, “We'll leave the light on for you”while in the recording studio for the first time and the slogan was both an instant and lasting success, staying with the chain for over 25 years and counting.

Two California contractors, William Becker and Paul Greene, saw a need for an economy motel on the California coast. They opened a 52-room motel in Santa Barbara, offering a good night's sleep for the low, low price of just $6 per night (cash only). Fittingly, they decided to name it Motel 6.

Motel 6 Since 1986, he has been the spokesman for the motel chain Motel 6, ending commercials with the phrase, "I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we'll leave the light on for you."

Motel 6 and Studio 6, the no-frills budget hotel chains that once offered rooms for $6 a night, are being sold by French parent Accor for $1.9 billion. Their new owner, an affiliate of private equity firm Blackstone Group, already owns Hilton Worldwide.

The term "motel" originated with the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo, originally called the Milestone Mo-Tel, which was constructed in 1925 by Arthur Heineman. In conceiving of a name for his hotel, Heineman abbreviated motor hotel to mo-tel after he could not fit the words "Milestone Motor Hotel" on his rooftop.

Motels: Motels were originally called “motor hotels,” targeted toward family and business travelers who were traveling by car. Motels usually offer a basic level of accommodation and simple amenities, as they are designed to meet the needs of people who might only be staying one or two nights.

Motels: Motels were originally called “motor hotels,” targeted toward family and business travelers who were traveling by car. Motels usually offer a basic level of accommodation and simple amenities, as they are designed to meet the needs of people who might only be staying one or two nights.

Size and scale: Motels tend to be smaller establishments with fewer rooms, while hotels are larger and offer a more extensive range of facilities. Inns fall somewhere in between, typically smaller in scale compared to hotels but larger than most motels.

Ever wonder why you've never stayed in a hotel room on the 13th floor? The answer is simple: The floor doesn't exist. It all comes down to triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13.

Money. Hotels sell one product - hotel rooms. And since they have a limited number of rooms, they need to keep occupancy rates as high as possible every night to make the most revenue they can. Overbooking is a revenue management strategy that hotels use in order to account for last-minute cancellations and no-shows.

The term "motel" originated with the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo, originally called the Milestone Mo-Tel, which was constructed in 1925 by Arthur Heineman. In conceiving of a name for his hotel, Heineman abbreviated motor hotel to mo-tel after he could not fit the words "Milestone Motor Hotel" on his rooftop.

Part of G6 Hospitality, Motel 6 is the largest owned and operated hotel chain in North America.