Translingual

Symbol

hotel

1. The letter H in the NATO phonetic alphabet. (This word is not translated, and is hotel in all languages.)

Noun

Singular hotel

Plural hotels

hotel (plural hotels)

1. An establishment that provides accommodation and other services for paying guests; normally larger than a guest house, and often one of a chain.
2. The larger red properties in the game of Monopoly, in contradistinction to houses.
3. The letter H in the ICAO spelling alphabet.
4. (Australian-English, New Zealand-English) A public house, once traditionally providing accommodation, but now rarely.

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and Internet connectivity; snack foods and drinks may be supplied in a mini-bar, and facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, and have conference and social function services.

Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all guests within certain stated hours; to avoid this requirement it is not uncommon to come across private hotels which are not subject to this requirement. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a minimized amount of room space and shared facilities.

In Australia, Canada and Ireland, the word may also refer to a pub or bar and might not offer accommodation. In India, the word may also refer to a restaurant since the best restaurants were always situated next to a good hotel.