Hotel 14276 225941473 2008-07-16T03:16:01Z AlexiusHoratius 2306142 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225941219 by [[Special:Contributions/165.228.122.231|165.228.122.231]] ([[User talk:165.228.122.231|talk]]) rv spam {{articleissues|article=y|citations missing=June 2007|expert=Tourism}} {{otheruses1|lodging}} {{redirect|Hotel room|1993 HBO television series|:Hotel Room}} {{distinguish|Hostel}} [[Image:The Pierre Facade.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Pierre Hotel]], [[New York City]]]] A '''hotel''' is an establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including [[Bathroom#Types of bathrooms|en-suite bathroom]]s and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and Internet connectivity; snack foods and drinks may be supplied in a [[mini-bar]], and facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, and have conference and social function services. Some hotels offer various combinations of meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the [[United Kingdom]], a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all guests within certain stated hours; to avoid this requirement it is not uncommon to come across ''private hotels'' which are not subject to this requirement.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} In Japan, [[capsule hotel]]s provide a minimized amount of room space and shared facilities. In [[Australia]] and [[Canada]], hotel may also refer to a [[Public house|pub]] or [[Bar (establishment)|bar]]. In [[India]], the word may also refer to a restaurant since the best restaurants were always situated next to a good hotel.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} ==Etymology== [[Image:Hcom 1097758 7 b.jpg|thumb|right|[[Corinthia]] Grand Hotel Royal, [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]]] The word ''hotel'' is derived from the [[French language|French]] ''hôtel'' (coming from ''hôte'' meaning ''host''), which referred to a French version of a [[townhouse]] or any other building seeing frequent visitors, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, ''hôtel'' now has the same meaning as the English term, and ''[[hôtel particulier]]'' is used for the old meaning. The French spelling, with the [[circumflex]], was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier ''[[hostel]]'' spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. ==Classification== The cost and quality of hotels are usually indicative of the range and type of services available. Due to the enormous increase in tourism worldwide during the last decades of the 20th century, standards, especially those of smaller establishments, have improved considerably.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} For the sake of greater comparability, rating systems have been introduced, with the one to five [[star (classification)|stars classification]] being most common{{Fact|date=August 2007}} and with higher star ratings indicating more luxury. Hotels are independently assessed in traditional systems and these rely heavily on the facilities provided.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Some consider this disadvantageous to smaller hotels whose quality of accommodation could fall into one class but the lack of an item such as an [[elevator]] would prevent it from reaching a higher categorization.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} In some countries, there is an official body with standard criteria for classifying hotels, but in many others there is none. There have been attempts at unifying the classification system so that it becomes an internationally recognized and reliable standard{{Fact|date=April 2008}} but large differences exist in the quality of the accommodation and the food within one category of hotel, sometimes even in the same country. The [[American Automobile Association]] (AAA) and their affiliated bodies use diamonds instead of stars to express hotel and restaurant ratings levels. ==Motels== {{main|Motel}} A motel is a hotel which is made convenient for people who wish to be able to have quick access from their parked car to a hotel room.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} == Historic hotels == [[Image:Hotel Astoria.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hotel Astoria]] and a statue of Tsar [[Nicholas I of Russia]] in front, in [[Saint Petersburg]]]] Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss [[Cecilienhof]] in [[Potsdam]], [[Germany]], which derives its fame from the so-called [[Potsdam Conference]] of the [[World War II]] allies [[Winston Churchill]], [[Harry Truman]] and [[Joseph Stalin]] in 1945. The [[Taj Mahal Palace & Tower]] in [[Mumbai]] is one of [[India]]'s most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the [[Indian independence movement]]. Other establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the [[Waldorf Astoria]] in [[New York City]] known for its [[Waldorf Salad]] or the [[Raffles Hotel]] in [[Singapore]], where the drink [[Singapore Sling]] was invented. Another example is the [[Hotel Sacher]] in [[Vienna]] Austria, home of the [[Sachertorte]] or the [[Hotel de Paris]] where the [[crèpe Suzette]] was invented. [[Image:Hotel Ritz Paris.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hôtel Ritz Paris|Hôtel Ritz]] in [[Paris]]]] There are also hotels which became much more popular through films like the [[Grand Hotel Europe]] in [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]] when [[James Bond]] stayed there in the [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] [[Goldeneye]]. Cannes hotels such as the [[Carlton]] or the [[Martinez]] become the center of the world during Cannes Film Festival (France). A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the [[Ritz Hotel]] in [[London]], [[United Kingdom|UK]] ('Putting on The Ritz'), the [[Algonquin Hotel]] in New York City with its famed [[Algonquin Round Table]] and [[Hotel Chelsea]], also in New York City, subject of a number of songs and also the scene of the stabbing of [[Nancy Spungen]] (allegedly by her boyfriend [[Sid Vicious]]). Hotels that enter folklore like these two are also often frequented by celebrities, as is the case both with the Ritz and the Chelsea. ==Unusual hotels== Many hotels can be considered [[destination hotel|destinations in themselves]], by dint of unusual features of the lodging or its immediate environment: ===Treehouse hotels=== Some hotels are built with living trees as structural elements, for example the Costa Rica Tree House in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, [[Costa Rica]]; the [[Treetops Hotel]] in [[Aberdare National Park]], [[Kenya]]; the [[Ariau Towers]] near [[Manaus]], [[Brazil]], on the [[Rio Negro]] in the [[Amazon Basin|Amazon]]; and Bayram's Tree Houses in [[Olympos]], [[Turkey]]. ===Cave hotels=== Desert Cave Hotel in [[Coober Pedy, South Australia]] and the Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the [[Pedro Antonio de Alarcón|author]]) in [[Guadix]], Spain, as well as several hotels in [[Cappadocia]], Turkey, are notable for being built into natural [[cave]] formations, some with rooms underground. ===Capsule hotels=== [[Capsule hotel]]s are a type of economical hotel that are quite common{{Fact|date=April 2008}} in [[Japan]]. Similar hotels are now also found in Europe.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} ===Ice and snow hotels=== {{main|Ice hotel}} The Ice Hotel in [[Jukkasjärvi]], [[Sweden]], and the Hotel de Glace in Duschenay,­ [[Canada]], melt every spring and are rebuilt each winter; the Mammut Snow Hotel in [[Finland]] is located within the walls of the [[Kemi]] snow castle; and the Lainio Snow Hotel is part of a snow village near [[Ylläs]], [[Finland]]. ===Garden hotels=== [[Garden hotels]], famous for their gardens before they became hotels, include Gravetye Manor, the home of garden designer [[William Robinson (gardener)|William Robinson]], and [[Cliveden]], designed by [[Charles Barry]] with a rose garden by [[Geoffrey Jellicoe]]. ===Underwater hotels=== Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as [[Utter Inn]] in [[Lake Mälaren]], Sweden. [[Hydropolis]], under construction in [[Dubai]], will have suites on the bottom of the [[Persian Gulf]], and [[Jules Undersea Lodge]] in [[Key Largo]], [[Florida]] requires [[scuba]] diving to access its rooms. ===Other unusual hotels=== *The [[Library Hotel]] in [[New York City]] is unique in that each of its ten floors are assigned one category from the [[Dewey Decimal System]]. * The [[Burj al-Arab]] hotel in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], built on an artificial island, is structured in the shape of a boat's sail. * The former [[ocean liner]] {{RMS|Queen Mary}} in [[Long Beach, California]] uses its first-class staterooms as a hotel. * The Jailhotel Löwengraben in [[Lucerne, Switzerland]] is a converted prison now used as a hotel. *The [[Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel]] in Doha, Qatar is known as the [[Pyramid of the Gulf]] due to its pyramidal structure. ==World record setting hotels== === Tallest === The tallest hotel in the world is the [[Burj Al Arab]] in [[Dubai]] at 321 metres{{Fact|date=April 2008}}, which however will soon be surpassed by the nearby [[Rose Tower|Rose Rotana Suites]] at 333 metres (1,091 feet).{{Fact|date=April 2008}} === Largest === The hotel with the greatest number of rooms is the [[MGM Grand Las Vegas]] in [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]], [[USA]], with a total of 6,276 rooms.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} In 2006, [[Guinness World Records]] listed the [[First World Hotel]] in [[Genting Highlands]], [[Malaysia]] as the world's largest hotel with a total of 6,118 rooms.<ref> [http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=237233 Genting's First World Recognized As World's Largest Hotel], Bernama.com</ref> === Oldest === According to the [[Guinness Book of World Records]], the oldest hotel still in operation is the [[Hoshi Ryokan]], in the Awazu Onsen area of [[Komatsu, Ishikawa|Komatsu]], [[Japan]] which opened in 718.<ref>[http://www.ho-shi.co.jp/jiten/Houshi_E/home.htm Hoshi Ryokan website, accessed [[22 June]] [[2008]]]</ref> == Living in hotels == A number of public figures have notably chosen to take up semi-permanent or permanent residence in hotels. *Actor [[Richard Harris]] lived at the [[Savoy Hotel]] while in [[London]]. Hotel archivist Susan Scott recounts an anecdote that when he was being taken out of the building on a stretcher shortly before his death he raised his hand and told the diners "it was the food".<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6990706.stm ''Home Suite Home'' – BBC News]</ref> *In 2007, media around the world reported that David and Jean Davidson, a retired couple originally from Sheffield, stayed at a Newark,Nottinghamshire & a Grantham, Lincolnshire location for a combined total of 22 years, making the lodge their home. The retired navy sailor and his wheelchair-bound wife found the cost of their stay comparable with living in a house, but with the benefits of maid service and meals. Following their departure, the motel named their room "The David and Jean Davidson Suite." ==See also== {{commons|Hotel}} * [[Apartment hotel]] * [[Bed and breakfast]] * [[Eco hotels]] * [[Hospitality services]] * [[Hostal]] * [[Hostel]] * [[Luxury resort]] * [[Motel]] * [[RevPAR]] (measurement of hotel performance) * [[Serviced apartment]] * [[Vacation rental]] == Gallery == <center><gallery> Image:Torre Libertad Mexico D.F.jpg|St. Regis Hotel & Residences, [[Mexico City]] Image:Dariushhotel1.jpg|[[Dariush Grand Hotel]], [[Kish Island]], [[Iran]] Image:hoteladams.jpg|A hotel in [[Adams]], [[New York]] which has preserved its 1890s exterior and interior Image:castle.combe.hotel.arp.jpg|The Manor House Hotel at [[Castle Combe]], [[UK]], originally built in the 14th century Image:View of H.Top Calella Palace.jpg|H.Top Calella Palace in [[Spain]] Image:DirkvdM cienfuegos state hotel.jpg|A state hotel in [[Cienfuegos]], [[Cuba]] Image:Leningradka.jpg|[[Hotel Leningradskaya]] in [[Moscow]] Image:NH_Barbizon_Palace.jpg‎|[[Hotel NH Barbizon Palace]] in [[Amsterdam]] Image:DSC02052.JPG|The [[Oberoi Hotels|Oberoi Udaivillas]] in [[Udaipur]], [[India]]. Image:Klagenfurt Hotel Woerthersee 19022008 22.jpg|"Hotel [[Woerthersee]]" in [[Klagenfurt]], [[Carinthia]], [[Austria]] Image:Padrutts-Palace.jpg|The [[Badrutt's Palace Hotel]] in [[St. Moritz]], [[Swiss Alps]] Image:Dolder Grand Hotel - Aussen-Zentralturm.jpg|[[Grand Hotel Dolder]] in [[Zürich]], [[Switzerland]] </gallery></center> == References == {{reflist}} {{Tourism}} [[Category:Hotels| ]] [[Category:Travel]] [[ar:فندق]] [[bs:Hotel]] [[br:Leti]] [[bg:Хотел]] [[ca:Hotel]] [[cs:Hotel]] [[da:Hotel]] [[de:Hotel]] [[et:Hotell]] [[es:Hotel]] [[eo:Hotelo]] [[fa:هتل]] [[fr:Hôtel]] [[gl:Hotel]] [[ko:호텔]] [[hi:होटल]] [[hr:Hotel]] [[id:Hotel]] [[it:Albergo]] [[he:בית מלון]] [[la:Deversorium]] [[lb:Hotel]] [[lt:Viešbutis]] [[hu:Szálloda]] [[nl:Hotel]] [[ja:ホテル]] [[no:Hotell]] [[pl:Hotel]] [[pt:Hotel]] [[qu:Tampu wasi]] [[ru:Гостиница]] [[scn:Arbergu]] [[simple:Hotel]] [[sk:Hotel]] [[sl:Hotel]] [[sr:Хотел]] [[sh:Hotel]] [[fi:Hotelli]] [[sv:Hotell]] [[ta:விடுதி]] [[th:โรงแรม]] [[vi:Khách sạn]] [[tg:Меҳмонхона]] [[tr:Otel]] [[uk:Готель]] [[yi:האטעל]] [[zh:酒店]]