In article ,
"RJ" wrote:

Our local PBS station is having a "vacation auction"
where you can bid on 1, 2, or 3 night stays at "resorts"
in Canada, U.S., Carribean, etc.

And this started a discussion with my wife;

When does a hotel/motel qualify as a "resort" ?
Is it a certain level of activities available ? on premises ?
Does an in-house restaurant make it a "resort" ?

Can a motel in a resort town bill itself as a "resort" ?

Opinion? facts ?

For facts, look up the word "resort" in a dictionary. My Webster's says
a resort is a place where people go for recreation. I guess a hotel
could bill itself as a resort; many do. Note that I doubt many motels
advertise themselves as resorts, but you never know. For the difference
between a hotel and a motel, I refer you and your wife to your
dictionary.

In my mind, a resort is a self-contained land-based vacation facility
where there are a variety of restaurants, indoor and/or outdoor pool,
perhaps a spa, excercise facilities, possibly access to a beach, maybe a
golf range, tennis, modest shopping options, and rooms to stay all under
one roof. Many of the casinos along the Las Vegas Strip offer those
features and more. As do most of the hotels at in Disney World, as do
many hotels in scenic mountain areas. Resorts tend to be a lot more
costly than regular hotels though.