Etimology
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.
noun
hotel (plural hotels)
(now chiefly historical) A large town house or mansion; a grand private residence, especially in France. [from 17th c.]
An establishment that provides accommodation and other services for paying guests; normally larger than a guesthouse, and often one of a chain. [from 17th c.]
(South Asia) A restaurant; any dining establishment.
(international standards) Alternative letter-case form of Hotel from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
The larger red property in the game of Monopoly, in contradistinction to houses.
The guest accommodation and dining section of a cruise ship.
(Australia, western Canada) A pub.
Examples
When gold-digging commenced in California, the writer was staying at an hotel in Wellington, New Zealand, where a Yankee trader was also staying. Seated at the dining-table, the latter was discoursing of the business he was doing […] .
Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.
Related words
synonyms
See also Thesaurus:lodging place
related terms
hostel