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 of hotel

Noun

• hostel
• tavern
• motel

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

The result lands somewhere between a boutique hotel suite and a private coastal apartment. —Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026

The hotels and shops that normally do bustling business during Iran’s Nowruz holiday in mid-March are now expecting to take a hit. —Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026

In Old Montreal, cobblestone streets and 18th-century stone buildings give way to cafés, wine bars, and boutique hotels. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026

The hotel attack is the first time the heart of the capital has been struck since the war with Iran began. —Npr Staff, NPR, 8 Mar. 2026

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
• boutique hotel

Rhymes for hotel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

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