Hotel
/hoʊˈtɛl/noun
A building that provides lodging, meals, and other services for travelers.
Did you know?Hotel comes from French *hôtel*, which once meant a large townhouse or mansion, and only later narrowed to a place for paying guests—so the word’s history is about shelter, status, and controlled hospitality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰos-ti-
“guest, stranger”
Latin
Latin
hostis
“stranger, guest; later enemy”
Late Latin
Latin
hospitale
“guest accommodations; lodging place”
Old French
Old French
hostel
“a lodging, inn; a large house”
Middle French
French
hôtel
“a large house or mansion”
17th Century
English
hotel
“a public lodging house for travelers”
Modern English
English
hotel
“a commercial establishment offering lodging to travelers”
Explore more surprising origins