hotel

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

communications code word

—used as a code word for the letter h

hoteldom

3 of 3

noun (2)

ho·​tel·​dom hōˈteldəm 

plural -s

: hotels and hotel workers

you can't talk connectedly to anybody except … to a minor part of hoteldom and of officialdom

—Laura Z. Hobson

Synonyms of hotel

Noun (1)

• hostel
• tavern
• motel

Examples of hotel in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Food and drink Tucked to the left of the lobby is Senses, the hotel’s all-day dining outpost. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026

Many have been transformed into hotels, where guests can live out their aristocratic dreams behind stone walls and high gates. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026

Other hotels, such as the Fairmont Orchid near Kona on the island of Hawai’i, combine culture and art with hands-on classes beneath the palms. — Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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