hotel

1 of 2

noun

ho·​tel hō-ˈtel 

ˈhō-ˌtel

: an establishment that provides lodging and usually meals, entertainment, and various personal services for the public : inn

hoteldom

hō-ˈtel-dəm 

ˈhō-ˌtel-

noun

Hotel

2 of 2

communications code word

—used as a code word for the letter h

Synonyms

Noun

• auberge
• caravansary
• caravanserai
• hospice
• hostel
• hostelry
• inn
• lodge
• public house
• tavern

Examples of hotel in a Sentence

Noun

check out of a hotel

for their 50th anniversary they stayed at one of the finest hotels in San Francisco

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Reuters reports that the hotel units will cost between $200 and $450 per night. —Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024

The two originating properties in Los Angeles have since closed, but the brand has opened outposts in New York, Miami, London, The Maldives, Hua Hin (Thailand), Ibiza, and Bangkok, with new hotels in development for Melbourne, Lisbon, Brussels, Vienna, Dublin, Dubai, Mexico and Austin. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024

On a recent Saturday morning, Ras Baraka invited constituents to join him in a hotel ballroom downtown. —Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

Ditto for his hotel in Vancouver, which opened in 2017 and closed in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, reopening in 2022 as the Paradox Hotel. —Kyle Khan-Mullins, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French hôtel, going back to Old French hostel, ostel "lodging, accommodation" — more at hostel entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1951, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hotel

• apartment hotel

Kids Definition

hotel

noun

ho·​tel hō-ˈtel 

: an establishment that provides lodging and often meals, entertainment, and personal services for its guests

Etymology

Noun

from French hôtel "hotel," from early French hostel "a place for travelers to spend the night," derived from Latin hospitalis "of a guest, showing hospitality," from hospit-, hospes "host, stranger, guest" — related to hospital, hospitality