06/23/2026
Checking In, 46 Years Later: The 3 Biggest Changes in the Motel Business
If you told me 46 years ago what it would look like to run a motel today, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Nearly half a century in this business teaches you a lot about hospitality, but more than anything, it teaches you how fast the world moves.
When I look back at how we used to operate compared to now, the evolution is mind-blowing. If I had to pick the three biggest shifts that changed everything, they all come down to technology, visibility, and security.
1. From Cord Boards to Cell Phones: The Dying Dial Tone
When we first bought the motel, our front desk looked like something out of an old movie—we actually operated a physical cord-board switchboard with just five phone lines. Not long after, we decided to modernize and upgraded to a Mitel Super Switch system. Back then, cutting-edge tech came with a staggering price tag. We had to lease the system for about $2,000 a month. Once you tacked on AT&T’s hefty line charges, we were burning through nearly $3,000 every single month just to keep the phones ringing.
Within a decade, the tech landscape shifted. Phone systems plummeted in value; our next system only cost a couple hundred bucks a month, though the monthly service fee still bit us at around $1,000. Today? We spend a grand total of about $150 a year on phone service. And honestly? We barely even need them anymore. Every guest walks through the door with a smartphone glued to their hand.
2. The Death of the Highway Billboard
In the early days, if you wanted drivers to know you existed, you had to catch their eye on the asphalt. We used to pour money into three massive billboards along the interstate, costing us a cool $3,000 a month to maintain our roadside presence.
Fast forward to today, and our highway sign count is exactly zero. The physical billboard has been entirely replaced by the digital landscape. Now, our "billboard" is just our internet presence, costing us a mere $200 a year for web hosting. Instead of looking out the windshield for a place to sleep, travelers are looking down at their screens—and finding us just as easily.
3. Trading Heavy Iron Keys for Digital Codes
The final major game-changer came about a decade ago when we finally retired our physical room keys and upgraded to digital door locks.
In the old days, managing keys was a constant logistical headache. Today, we can instantly wipe and reprogram lock codes the second a guest checks out. It has been a massive time-saver for our staff and provides a level of guest security we could have only dreamed of 46 years ago.
The neon lights might still look the same from the road, but behind the scenes, running a motel has transformed from a heavy, expensive analog grind into a sleek, streamlined digital operation. I can't help but wonder what the next 46 years will bring.
View our website: https://www.bakersmotel.com
