hotel

hotel — noun

1. a building or establishment that offers rooms for overnight guests, who pay for

1.nounA1
Definition

a building or establishment that offers rooms for overnight guests, who pay for the accommodation and sometimes also for meals served on site

Example

Omar booked two nights at a hotel in the city center near the train station.

book + at a hotel + location

There is a small hotel on the beach with rooms under eighty dollars a night.

there is + [adjective] + hotel + price

Common collocations
  • book a hotel
  • stay at a hotel
  • check into a hotel
  • check out of a hotel
  • hotel room
  • hotel reservation
  • hotel guest
Synonyms
  • inn

    smaller and more traditional, often in the countryside

  • motel

    roadside hotel with parking directly outside each room

  • lodge

    rustic accommodation, often in a natural setting like a mountain or forest

Grammar Patterns

a/an + hotel

the + hotel

hotel + noun (modifier)

Usage Note

Frequently used as a modifier before another noun: hotel room, hotel staff, hotel manager, hotel reservation.

Common Mistakes

I stayed at a hostel with a swimming pool and room service.
I stayed at a hotel with a swimming pool and room service.
A hostel offers shared rooms and cheaper rates, while a hotel offers private rooms and more services.
We checked out of the restaurant at noon.
We checked out of the hotel at noon.
'Check out' is used when leaving a hotel, not a restaurant.

2. an establishment, particularly in Britain, that sells alcoholic drinks for peopl

2.nounB2
Definition

an establishment, particularly in Britain, that sells alcoholic drinks for people to consume on site and usually provides meals as well, much like a pub

Example

Chidi and his friends went to the hotel after work for a few beers.

go to the hotel for [drinks]

The hotel on Church Street serves hot meals until nine o'clock every evening.

hotel on [street] serves [food]

Common collocations
  • go to the hotel
  • hotel landlord
  • hotel bar
  • meet at the hotel
  • drink at the hotel
Synonyms
  • pub

    the standard British term for a place serving alcoholic drinks

  • tavern

    more formal or historical term for a drinking establishment

Grammar Patterns

the + hotel

go to the + hotel

Usage Note

This sense is used in British English. In other varieties, 'pub' or 'bar' is the standard word. The building may or may not offer accommodation — context clarifies which sense is intended.

Common Mistakes

The hotel on the corner was very crowded and I could not find a room to sleep in.' (when the speaker meant a pub)
The hotel on the corner was very crowded and I could not find a seat at the bar.
In British usage, 'hotel' can mean a pub, so a lack of sleeping rooms does not contradict the word.

3. a place where customers order and eat meals prepared on site, used especially in

3.nounB2
Definition

a place where customers order and eat meals prepared on site, used especially in British English to refer to a restaurant that may or may not offer accommodation upstairs

Example

Feng took his parents to the hotel for Sunday lunch to celebrate his promotion.

take someone to the hotel for [meal]

The hotel in the old town is known for its French cuisine and fine wines.

hotel + known for [cuisine type]

Common collocations
  • eat at the hotel
  • book a table at the hotel
  • hotel dining room
  • hotel kitchen
  • Sunday lunch at the hotel
Synonyms
  • restaurant

    the standard term for a place serving meals; plainer and more widely understood

  • dining room

    a more formal setting inside a larger establishment

Grammar Patterns

the + hotel

eat at the + hotel

Usage Note

Primarily British. When used this way, 'hotel' does not necessarily offer overnight rooms. In other varieties of English, 'restaurant' is the usual term.

Common Mistakes

The hotel only takes reservations for sleeping, not for dinner.
The hotel takes dinner bookings for the restaurant downstairs.
In British usage, a 'hotel' can refer specifically to its restaurant or dining room.

Word family

  • hotelier
    nounC1
  • hotelkeeper
    nounB2
  • hotel room
    noun phraseA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe places where travellers can sleep overnight, but they differ in size, price, services, and typical location. A hotel is the most general term — it can range from a small city-centre building to a large resort with pools and restaurants. An inn is smaller and cosier, often in the countryside or a historic town, and usually has a restaurant or pub attached. A hostel provides very basic, shared accommodation at low prices, popular with backpackers and younger travellers. A motel is built for road travellers, with rooms that open directly to a car park, so there is no lobby or corridor. A lodge suggests a rustic building in a natural setting such as a mountain, forest, or national park. For example, you might book a hotel for a business trip, stay at an inn for a weekend getaway in the countryside, sleep in a hostel to save money on a backpacking trip, pull into a motel for a single night on a long drive, and rent a lodge for a skiing holiday in the mountains.

hotel ↗inn ↗hostel ↗motel ↗lodge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • hotel on [street name]
  • hotel in [area/neighbourhood]
  • hotel near [landmark]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'hotel' entered English from French 'hôtel', which originally meant a large townhouse or mansion. The French term came from Old French 'ostel' (a lodging or shelter), which traces back to Latin 'hospitālis' (relating to a guest), from 'hospes' (a host or guest). Over time, the meaning shifted from a private townhouse to a building offering paid accommodation to travellers. The same Latin root gave English the words 'hostel', 'hospital', and 'hospice'.