English Reference
noun

hotel

n.
US /hoʊˈtɛɫ/ UK /həʊtˈɛl/ ho·tel UK spelling hotel's, hotel's

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    a building where you pay to stay in a room, usually for a few nights while on a trip.

    an establishment providing paid accommodation and services for travelers, typically larger and offering more amenities than a guesthouse.

    Simple

    We stayed in a small hotel near the beach during our summer holiday.

    In context

    The business travelers preferred the hotel near the airport because it offered high-speed internet and a twenty-four-hour fitness center.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Dialect

    in some places like Australia, a word for a pub or a bar where people go to drink.

    a public house or licensed premises, primarily used for the consumption of alcohol.

    Simple

    He met his friends at the local hotel for a drink after work.

    In context

    In many rural Australian towns, the local hotel serves as the primary social hub for the community to gather and share news.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Dialect

    in South Asia, a word often used for a restaurant or a place to eat.

    any dining establishment or restaurant, regardless of whether it provides overnight accommodation.

    Simple

    We stopped at a small hotel on the side of the road for a quick lunch.

    In context

    The sign for the hotel advertised fresh vegetarian meals, though the building itself had no rooms for guests to stay overnight.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical

    the word used for the letter 'H' when speaking clearly over the radio.

    the code word for the letter 'H' in the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet.

    Simple

    The pilot spelled out the flight code as 'Alpha-Bravo-Hotel'.

    In context

    To ensure clarity over the static-filled radio frequency, the dispatcher used 'Hotel' to confirm the eighth character of the serial number.

  5. 05 C2 Proficiency ArchaicFormal

    a very large and grand private house in a city, especially in France.

    a large, grand private residence or mansion, specifically an 'hôtel particulier' in a French context.

    Simple

    The old hotel in the center of Paris was once home to a famous duke.

    In context

    The architecture of the seventeenth-century hotel reflected the immense wealth and social standing of the aristocratic family that commissioned it.

Usage hotel room


Etymology tree Proto-Italic *hostipotjālis Latin hospitālis Old French ostel Middle French hostel French hôtelbor. English hotel Borrowed from French hôtel, from Middle French hostel, from Old French ostel, from Late Latin hospitālis (“hospice, shelter, guesthouse”), from Latin hospitālis (“hospitable”). Doublet of hostel and hospital.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin hospitālis
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated