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

• 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 luxury conglomerate has just sold its only U.S. hotel, the five-star El Encanto resort in California. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 July 2025

The Shops at Sunset Place in South Miami will be demolished to make way for a new development featuring residential towers, a hotel, offices, a theater and restaurants. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025

Travel + Leisure announced its 2025 World’s Best Awards on Tuesday, marking the 30th year for the list that spans top destinations, hotels, airlines, cruise lines and more. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 July 2025

Other stars, including Sydney Sweeney, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Jenner and others, boarded water taxis at various hotels in Venice ahead of the couple's extravagant welcome party. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025

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

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