A hotel is a type of paid lodging on a short-term basis, usually on a commercial scale. Hotel accommodations range from modest to luxurious, and include the services of a staff. They may also include a variety of amenities for the guest, such as toiletries, a television, and upholstered chairs. The hotel industry provides a global service to business travelers and tourists, whose demand is growing rapidly. Guests stay at hotels for a variety of reasons, including convenience, cost and comfort.
A hotel can be a large building or an entire complex of rooms. It may contain a lobby area with reception desks, dining room and bar, meeting rooms, and conference facilities. A hotel may also contain a swimming pool, gym, spa, or tennis or basketball courts. It is usually situated in a tourist area or an urban center. A hotel may have multiple types of rooms, including executive suites, junior suites, and standard suites.
The term “hotel” is a French word, derived from the Latin hotelem (adj. to hotel), and also from the Arabic al-hilala, meaning “the house of hospitality.” Traditionally, it was used to describe a public place where travelers would find accommodation for a night or two during their journey. The first known use of the word was in 1580.
The modern hotel has become a globally accepted professional career field and academic field of study, with many degree programs offering hospitality management studies, including training in the skills needed to operate hotels. The hotel industry is an essential provider of a vital service to the community, and it contributes significantly to economic development and employment.
Hotel management is a specialized field, and the structure and size of a hotel’s team varies. A hotel may have a general manager, department heads for different functions within the hotel, middle managers and administrative staff. It may also have a number of auxiliary support personnel and contractors.
A motel, originally called a motor hotel, is a type of hotel that is designed to cater to road travellers, particularly those on a driving holiday or who are working while on the road (travelling salespeople and truck drivers). They were commonly built in the 1950s and 1960s, often adjacent to major highways, and offered basic amenities, such as beds, a shower, and toiletries. The doors to rooms opened directly into the parking lot, unlike in a traditional hotel, which has interior hallways leading to each room.
Hotels have long been associated with luxury and status, with the Ritz Hotel in London being referred to as “putting on the ritz” in Irving Berlin’s song “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and the Algonquin in New York City serving as the inspiration for the literary group of the same name. Other well-known hotels in popular culture include the Knickerbocker Hotel, where actress Phyllis Diller was stabbed by her boyfriend Sid Vicious, and the Hotel Chelsea, the setting for the murder of Nancy Spungen by her boyfriend Richard Beymer.
