History Main / NoTellMotel

Also called a "fleabag hotel" or more euphemistically as a "day-use hotel", it's the sleazy motel that rents rooms by the hour and/or lets you pay in cash. The clerk doesn't ask what for and doesn't ''want'' to know.

Also called a "fleabag hotel" or more euphemistically as a "day-use hotel", it's the sleazy motel that rents rooms by the hour. The clerk doesn't ask what for and doesn't ''want'' to know.

* Shown perfectly in the "Full Moon" episode of ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet''.

* One features in the Music/{{Heart|Band}} song ''All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You'', where the singer has a one-night stand.

* The Music/ConorOberst song Gossamer Thin features the lines: "She likes the new pope / she's not scared of Hell / they meet once a week at a secret motel"

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill'' has two:

The No Tell Motel is where [[SmithicalMarriage philandering affairs]] and criminal deals take place. Human nature being what it is, that also makes it the site of gruesome unsolved murders. Long story short, if you have something you can drink, smoke, snort, shoot, fuck a member of TheOldestProfession, or have a BackAlleyDoctor take out a bullet, but don't have a convenient/affordable and discreet place to carry out the activity in question at, you go here to do it.

* Apparently in ''Film/HomeAlone2LotsInNewYork'', the motel the [=McCallisters=] are staying in Florida, according to the condition and their shocking gasps.

* The Ocean View Hotel that ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' and his family go to in "Arthur's Family Vacation" (which ''always'' has a vacancy) is like this; there's no view of the ocean, the room has pictures coming off the hinges, lousy mattresses on the bed that sink under weight, leaky ceilings, and an abnormally small pool (to which D.W. comments "[[SarcasmMode Our bathtub is bigger than this!]]").

** In Season One, Dick Grayson has the other Titans hide from the Nuclear Family in a run down motel owned by a divorcee who admits she has no idea how to run it profitably after her husband left. She makes an [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan unsubtle pass at her handsome guest]], which he pretends not to notice.

-->'''Carmen''': "Arthur, there's a machine in the bathroom that sells... ''things''."
* ''Series/StrangerThings'': Billy invites Mrs. Wheeler to one of these using the euphemism "private swim practice". He is driving to it when he gets captured and possessed by [[BigBad The Mindflayer]].
* ''Series/NightCourt'': Dan Fielding, the womanizing assistant district attorney, occasionally mentions local by-the-hour hotels in the New York City Area that he use for his sexual trysts. Mostly we only hear about such hotels but never see them except for one episode where he takes a women he is at the time completely unaware is psychotic. She proceeds to hold him hostage there but he is later rescued by his workmates who figure out where he is by going to all the local fleabag by-the-hour motels near the courthouse one by one till they find him.
* ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'': The surly desk clerk describes his place of employment as having bad water pressure, no cable or Wi-Fi and an ambiance that is "a heady mix of imminent tragedy and broken dreams." The only selling point is discretion; if you stay there, nobody will know. Even if law enforcement inquires, the clerk has a lousy memory and bad handwriting.

* One features in the Music/{{Heart|Band}} song ''All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You''.

* Apparently in ''Film/HomeAlone2'', the motel the [=McCallisters=] are staying in Florida, according to the condition and their shocking gasps.

* When he is released in ''Film/PsychoII'', Norman Bates is ''shocked'' to find that this is how the Bates Motel is being run. He promptly sacks the manager, the hilariously sleazy Dennis Franz.

* In an episode of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren '', Peg drags Al away from a meeting he's having with the founders of his church so that he can take her out for her birthday, with him complaining the whole time. The next day, Marcy humiliates him in front of his congregation by showing pictures of their evening--dancing, dinner, a Broadway show, and a stop at one of these type of places, called "The Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em" Motel. Adding insult to injury, despite his previous annoyance, Al is clearly ''genuinely'' enjoying himself in every picture.

->''"Every night in a different place\\

You're my no tell lover."''
-->-- Music/{{Chicago}}, ''No Tell Lover''

* ''Film/InTime'' also has their own variation.

Low-lifes on the run, hitting, con artists, prostitutes turning tricks, and the detectives who want to talk to them, will all end up here sooner or later.

* The cinematic trailer for ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' takes place in a fleabag actually named this.

The No Tell Motel is where [[SmithicalMarriage philandering affairs]] and criminal deals take place. Human nature being what it is, that also makes it the site of gruesome unsolved murders. Long story short, if you have something you can drink, smoke, snort, shoot, or fuck but don't have a convenient/affordable place to carry out the activity in question at, you go here to do it.

Low-lifes on the run, prostitutes turning tricks, and the detectives who want to talk to them, will all end up here sooner or later.

* During Marvel's ''Comicbook/CivilWar'', Spidey, Aunt May, and Mary Jane ended up stashed at one of these after he switched sides. The hourly rate was more than the rate for a whole night, to Peter's confusion.
* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'': The Corinthian is first encountered in one of these-- along with a sleazy owner dropping off room service and a teenaged male prostitute tied up in the bathtub. [[SerialKiller Of course, he ends up dead. It's quite possible that this is the Corinthian's regular modus operandi, but he was on the road already, after all.]]

* '''Series/NightCourt''': Dan Fielding, the womanizing assistant district attorney, occasionally mentions local by-the-hour hotels in the New York City Area that he use for his sexual trysts. Mostly we only hear about such hotels but never see them except for one episode where he takes a women he is at the time completely unaware is psychotic. She proceeds to hold him hostage there but he is later rescued by his workmates who figure out where he is by going to all the local fleabag by-the-hour motels near the courthouse one by one till they find him.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': The ''Sweet Cuppin' Cakes'' [[YouMeanXMas Decemberween]] special is called "Cactus Coffee and the NoTellMotel". There is, of course, neither a No-Tell Motel or cactus coffee involved, but Eh! Steve's mouth does explode the universe, and Ready For Primetime does a tiny, tiny dance. Even Strong Bad is stumped and he ''created'' the show.