A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging,
usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often provide a number of additional guest
services such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare. Some hotels have
conference services and meeting rooms and encourage groups to hold conventions
and meetings at their location.
Hotels differ from motels in that most motels have drive-up, exterior entrances
to the rooms, while hotels tend to have interior entrances to the rooms, which
may increase guests' safety and present a more upmarket image.
Basic accommodation of a room with only a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a
washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with en-suite bathrooms and, more
commonly in the United States than elsewhere, climate control. Other features
found may be a telephone, an alarm clock, a TV, and broadband Internet
connectivity. Food and drink may be supplied by a mini-bar (which often includes
a small refrigerator) containing snacks and drinks (to be paid for on
departure), and tea and coffee making facilities (cups, spoons, an electric
kettle and sachets containing instant coffee, tea bags, sugar, and creamer or
milk).
In the United Kingdom a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all
comers within certain stated hours; to avoid this requirement it is not uncommon
to come across "private hotels" which are not subject to this requirement.
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