Motels in Toronto sometimes get a bad rep, but when you're looking for easy booking and cheap lodging under $100, these might be some of your best bets. Motels are just portmanteau for motor hotel, meaning they're perfect designed for those budget road trips to and from the city.

Here are my picks for the top motels in and around Toronto. 

Park Motel

This single-storey budget stop by Kingston Road and McCowan is conveniently located right off Highway 2. Super homey, rooms come with free WiFi and a microwave in case you want to reheat any sad leftovers, though there's a cafe or two nearby if you want to skip that.

Grand Motel

Sitting right off Kingston Road and Morningside, this oldschool low rise offers all the accoutrements of a classic motel: granny duvets, framed pictures of flowers, and the quintessential public pool with a chain-link fence, like in the movies.

New Plaza Motel

Almost directly next to Grand Motel is New Plaza, rivalling the other in prime location and tacky interior. Rooms vary from bare, hardwood-floored bedrooms to gaudy red carpets with pink walls, but the importance is the accommodations are clean, with free WiFi to boot. 

Avenue Motel

After renovations, this Dundas St. East motel is looking a hell of a lot snazzier than it did back in the day. Good WiFi, typically clean rooms and noticeably lower rates than similar motels make this no-frills spot off the QEW and Dixie Road a deal. 

Motel 6

It can be tough travelling long distances by car with furry friends, which is why this pet-friendly motel right off the highway at Winston Churchill Blvd. comes so clutch. With several other locations across the GTA, they also offer free morning coffee—what more can you ask for.