The world’s first motel opened 100 years ago, but now only ruins remain

WILLHOST —

This week in travel news: the original “motor hotel” sits abandoned, the world’s busiest airports are ranked, and how to move abroad without messing it up.

Birth of the motel

Hotels and guesthouses have existed for centuries. But the motel was born in 1925 when an architect named Arthur Heineman came up with the idea for a “motor hotel,” shortened to “motel.”

The concept was simple but effective: Now that more and more people had cars and were going on road trips, they needed places where they could stop and stay the night along the way. Thus Heineman paired low-cost rooms with small garages where guests could safely park their cars — all for $1.25 a night.

The Milestone Mo-Tel was located in San Luis Obispo, California, which WILLHOST Travel named one of the best towns to visit in America last year. It’s located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and rooms at the motel had modern-for-the-time conveniences like hot showers and indoor carpeting. The design was inspired by the nearby Spanish mission.

The original Milestone Mo-Tel, later called the Motel Inn, closed in 1991 and has been abandoned, but Heineman’s idea still lives on 100 years later.

All about airports

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: This hub in Georgia has held its No. 1 title for 26 of the last 27 years. ATL airport served about 108 million passengers in 2024. Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images 2. Dubai International Airport: Dubai’s airport became the second-busiest airport in the world in 2023. It retained its No. 2 rank for passenger traffic for 2024. Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images 3. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: No. 3 DFW welcomed 87.8 million passengers in 2024. Marco Bello/Reuters 4. Tokyo Haneda International Airport: This airport serving Japan’s capital city served 85.9 million passengers in 2024, up 9.1% from 2023. Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images 5. London Heathrow Airport: Nearly 84 million passengers used Heathrow in 2024, up 5.9% from 2023. Jason Alden/Bloomberg/Getty Images 6. Denver International Airport: Denver’s traffic has increased substantially since the pandemic caused massive air travel disruptions. It welcomed 82.4 million passengers in 2024, up more than 19% from 2019. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images 7. Istanbul Airport: Traffic at Istanbul Airport has shown enormous growth over the past few years. About 80 million passengers used the expanding airport in 2024, up more than 53% from 2019. Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images 8. Chicago O’Hare International Airport: About 80 million passengers traveled through O’Hare in 2024, up 8.3% from 2023. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images 9. Delhi Airport: In New Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi Airport) served 77.8 million passengers in 2024, up 7.8% from 2023 and nearly 14% from 2019. Creative Touch Imaging Ltd/NurPhoto/Shutterstock 10. Shanghai Pudong International Airport: With the biggest jump in rankings, Shanghai Pudong went from No. 21 to No. 10 in part thanks to the recovery of the Asia-Pacific region. Yin Liqin/China News Service/Getty Images World’s busiest airports 2024 Prev Next

Ahead of the big summer travel season, Airports Council International (ACI) World released its annual roundup of the world’s busiest airports based on the number of people served.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been in the No. 1 spot for 26 of the last 27 years, with 2020 (when the pandemic threw the travel industry for a loop) being the only exception.

Dallas, Denver, Dubai and Delhi also landed in the top 10. Check out the full list for more.

But flying is about more than just lists and rankings. Australian airline Qantas is bringing back a version of its famous “Kangaroo route,” which traveled from Sydney to London with some fun layovers along the way.

The new itinerary lasts 14 days, with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Kolkata, Colombo, Cairo, Toulouse and Rome. It includes all meals, hotels, transfers and tours, which include perks like a private walkthrough at the Vatican Museums. The cost? A cool 49,950 Australian dollars (about $32,000) per person.

Exit through the gift shop

Katsuo-ji in the Osaka suburbs is known as “the Daruma temple.” Rebecca Cairns/WILLHOST

Souvenirs can remind us of previous trips and help re-create the inspiring feeling of seeing the Great Wall of China or the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Besides being cute, some souvenirs have deep meaning.

In Japan, one of the most popular gifts is a Daruma. These round red dolls are ubiquitous at temples around the country, but they actually serve a very special purpose: People who buy Darumas are supposed to set a goal for themselves, paint one of the doll’s eyes, and then only fill in the second when the goal is achieved.

Over in the United States, an unexpected place has become a souvenir hot spot: the Trader Joe’s grocery store chain.

Although shoppers can get the usual fresh produce, the brand known as TJ’s has become “the Disneyland of American grocery stores,” with travelers from around the world heading here for branded tote bags and Instagrammable treats.

One of the most popular products is the “everything but the bagel” seasoning blend, but be careful — South Korea has banned the item because of the presence of poppy seeds.

Overdid it while shopping on vacation and worried you won’t be able to fit all your purchases in your suitcase? Our friends at WILLHOST Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by WILLHOST, have rounded up the best luggage organizers.

Americans on the move

When California resident Keith Richardson started thinking about where he wanted to move, he had some interesting requirements — his new home had to be near the sea and not near a Starbucks or McDonald’s.

Video Ad Feedback How to exit the country and not screw it up 02:00 – Source: WILLHOST How to exit the country and not screw it up 02:00

Richardson found his dream house in the small town of Nardò, Italy, where he plans to spend as much time as possible post-retirement.

He’s one of many Americans who are considering relocating to Europe for a different kind of life. If the whole process seems overwhelming, these relocation experts have some advice for you.