WASHINGTON, June 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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SUNDAY, JUNE 26: FIRST MOTEL
Profile America - Sunday, June 26th. Most Americans drive on their vacations and if they don't stay with relatives, they often stay at one of the nation's many motels. The term motel came to have meaning only when the automobile started to dominate the landscape and the term "motor hotel" came into general use. The first motel opened in 1925 in San Luis Obispo, California. The building featured a sign with flashing lights that changed the first letter so that it alternated the words "hotel" and "motel. It had accommodations for 160 guests in individual chalets, each with bathroom, telephone, and a garage. Today, there are close to 50,000 hotels and motels across the U.S., with a total of 4.6 million rooms. Profile America is in its 15th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 2429
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 1281
Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
