Motel 6 Spokesman Tom Bodett Settles Lawsuit Against Chain

Tom Bodett, who for nearly four decades told travelers in radio and TV ads that at Motel 6 “we’ll leave the light on for you,” settled his lawsuit accusing the motel chain of using his name and voice without permission after their relationship broke down.

The settlement was disclosed by Bodett and Motel 6’s immediate parent G6 Hospitality in a filing this month in Manhattan federal court.

Terms were not available. Lawyers for Bodett and G6 did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Bodett accused Motel 6’s new owner, India-based OYO, of missing a $1.2 million annual payment due in January, prompting him to sever ties.

He said Motel 6 nonetheless kept using his name and voice on its national reservation phone line, violating federal trademark law and his contract, which was to end last month.

Motel 6 denied wrongdoing and accused Bodett of breaching the contract, excusing the payment, a July court filing shows. The lawsuit began in June.

Bodett, 70, is an author and voice actor known for appearances on National Public Radio and in several Ken Burns documentaries.

He had been Motel 6’s lead spokesman since 1986, and said he ad-libbed the chain’s tagline.

OYO is a unit of Prism, formerly Oravel Stays, which bought Motel 6 from Blackstone Real Estate for $525 million in December 2024.

(Reporting by Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )