59 Different Types of Hotels

So, you are planning a trip.

Maybe it is your first real vacation and you want it to be special, so you are doing all the relevant research, planning every tiny detail. Take it from me, relax, you are going to forget some little, or big, detail, so just strap in and take it in stride. Maybe it is you and your bud or bestie, or it could be you and your whole family.

Another possibility is that you have lost track of how many times you have traveled for work, across the country, or even the world, and you want to know if there is anything different than those economy rooms you have been staying in. They are great for what they are, but at least on this trip, you want to treat yourself to something more. Any way it goes, you need to pre-arrange a place to stay just in case there is a convention in town or something, as everything could be full or there could some other travelers’ nightmare.

You have begun to research what is available to you, but it is just a bunch of jumble in your head. What is the difference between a motel and a hotel, between a hostal and a hostel? What in the world is a boutique hotel? Do I even want to talk about what a love hotel is? Yes, I do because I am here to teach you the nuances of hotel types.

By Ownership and Affiliation

Independent and Single Owner Hotels

May be owned by one or more people, but normally they are family-owned and operated
They do not have to conform to any of the standards, or corporate policies or procedures, set forth by any of the major chain hotels, because they are unaffiliated with them

Franchise Hotels

Independently owned and operated but franchised with a hotel chain
In a franchise, the franchisor guides the owners in his business dealings and lets them operate under their brand’s name
In return, the franchisee pays fees and enters into a contract to do certain things, one of which is to uphold the brand’s standards of service and quality

Chain Hotels

Hotel chains operate under a brand name, usually, a corporation, which sets minimum standards and rules along with policies and procedures to control the activities of its affiliates

By Star Rating and Level of Service

1-Star Hotels

A Budget or Limited Service Hotel
Supposedly low pricing
Minimal service standards
Bare essential amenities
Fundamental decor

2-Star Hotels

A Budget or Limited Service Hotel
Standard pricing
Near minimal service standards
Essential amenities
Basic decor

3-Star Hotels

A Mid-Range Service Hotel
Barely above standard pricing
Average service standards
Extra amenities
Nice decor
Modern conveniences
Hotel staff on the property

4-Star Hotels

A Mid-Range Service Hotel
Above standard pricing
Elevated service standards
Luxurious amenities
Upscale decor
More modern conveniences
Hotel staff on the property

7-Star Hotels

For the most part, it is in Asia and the Middle East, but opulent, prestigious, and cutting-edge hotel properties are popping up around the world – they are called 7-star hotels. Each 7-star hotel is different, but some examples of offerings at the respective hotels in which they were offered are:

Eight attendants for each suite
Helicopter services
Ferrari and Lamborghini rentals
A fleet of Rolls Royce Phantoms
A 24-karat gold iPad available for each room
Butler services – 24 hours a day

By Amenities Offered

Apartment Hotel (AKA a Serviced Apartment)

Residential homes with hotel facilities
Usually, rent for one month to one year

Airport Hotel (AKA a Transit Hotel [inside the transit zone of an international airport])

Located on the airport’s property or in close proximity to the airport
Perfect for travelers with connecting flights
Many offer an hourly rate for just enough time to shower, change clothes, and catch a nap before heading back to the airport

Albergo Diffuso (Alberghi Diffusi [plural])

An Italian hospitality concept
Trying to revive small towns that seem to be dying off
By creating a dispersed hotel in which the different rooms are set up in various places throughout the town
This way, guests are able to see the town for what it is, to witness the life that needs saving

Bed and Breakfast (AKA a B&B or BnB)

Set up usually in an old, large family home
Guests each have their own comfortable rooms for the night
Then, in the morning, they all have breakfast together, often cooked by the owner

Boarding House

A large house that is often the host’s home
Room (rooms) are rented for one or more nights
Some hosts (owners) offer extra amenities like meals and laundry

Boatel (Botel)

A water vessel converted into a hotel
Anything from a docked fishing boat to a large riverboat
If it is a water vessel and has a bed and protection from the elements, it is a boatel

Boutique Hotel

A small hotel that offers its guests some service, amenity – something unique
Usually, under 100 rooms, the theme at a boutique hotel can be anything from fragrances to sushi

Bunkhouse

Not a fancy hotel
In remote and small towns, workers can spend a night while in transit
In the UK, they are like hostels, except they don’t offer near as many tourism services

Capsule Hotel (AKA a Pod Hotel)

Small capsules, not much larger than an average person, allow the guest to sleep for an hour or overnight
So small that they may be stacked on top of each other
Guests often have to climb ladders past other capsules to reach theirs

Casa Particular

A concept of a Cuban homestay
Like a bed and breakfast and a vacation rental in one
A common homeowner rents out a bedroom and offers breakfast, and maybe other meals

Casino Hotel

A hotel where the tenant the hotel depends on for most of its proceeds is a large casino on the ground floor
Common in gambling destinations

Choultry

A place for travelers to rest
Most especially pilgrims heading to Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist temples in and near Asia

Circuit House

Nicer than a tourist bungalow
Good enough for student groups and senior government officials
There is a large hall offering multiple single beds with shelves, and common toilets and showers
Nominal pricing
No provision for food

Condominium Hotel (AKA a Condotel, Hotel Condo, or a Contel)

Like an apartment hotel
The only difference between an apartment hotel and a condominium hotel is the difference between an apartment and a condominium

Conference Hotel (Convention Center Hotel)

A hotel that is part of or that is connected to a conference center
Conference visitors who stay at conference hotels find it convenient to stay close to their interests

Dark Bungalow

For government duty officials
Similar to a small residential structure with limited rooms
Found in a significant location from the perspective of public works
Low prices for moderate facilities

Eco Hotel

Aims to make its impact on the environment minimal
Uses sustainable materials
Puts environmental consciousness at the forefront
Tries to reduce and reverse the effects of climate change

Extended Stay Hotel

Offers all of the modern living’s amenities for guests who expect to stay an extended period of time over that of a typical vacationer
Rooms usually have refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, and extra closet space

Farmhouse

For travelers in search of life outdoors and good food
Farmers with enough land and capital build farmhouses on agricultural land
They then rent them out to make money
The practice is popular in India and England, and in Denmark, they sell farm holidays to an international market through travel agents

Floating Hotels

Old passenger transport ships converted into hotels
They come with modern facilities
Located on the surface of a lake or river

Garden Hotels

Usually a converted, large residence
Noted because of its sizeable and meticulous outdoor gardens
These gardens are often designed and nurtured by famous botanists

Garni Hotel

Usually found in central Europe
A small hotel with no restaurant at all that may offer breakfast

Gasthaus

A type of German lodging
A banquet hall, restaurant, or public bar has accommodations for guests upstairs or in the back where they can stay overnight

Guest House

Accommodates a guest overnight
Can be a large estate, a small house, a villa – any number of arrangements

Heritage Hotels

Usually has historic importance
Converted palaces, fortresses, castles, and other royal property with modern facilities
Often decorated like the era of the prime of the building and property
Gujarat and Rajasthan in India are known for heritage hotels

Heuhotel

“Hay hotel” in German
Hay bales for beds
Some offer private rooms with hay beds
Some share rooms, similar to what they would do in a hostel
Often, heuhotels are erected in a converted barn

Holiday Cottage (AKA a Holiday Home or Vacation Property)

A small apartment or house only used for vacation lodging
Often an owner’s second home that they rent out when vacant

Homestay

A private home offering paid accommodations
OR
When a local family hosts a person volunteering abroad

Hospices

For travelers journeying for a religious reason
The host provides the pilgrims a place to lay their heads, a way to keep warm, and food to eat

Hostal

In Latin America and Spain
Cheap hotel with a bar or small cafe and a private room to rent
Most often family-run

Hostel

Cheap lodging
People from separate parties stay in shared dorms, usually sleeping on bunk beds

Hotelship

A cruise liner, river ferry, or large boat that serves as a hotel
Can hold up to hundreds of guests
May travel during the guests stay

Hotel Barge (Péniche Hôtel [in French])

Popular in Western Europe, especially the UK and France
A trend from back in the 1960s
Commercial river barges, after being removed from service, were converted into unique accommodations for travelers

Hotel Garni

French
Like a bed and breakfast
A furnished apartment or boarding house that supplies breakfast
Has more rooms than a bed and breakfast

Ice Hotel

Built of ice blocks and snow that is tightly packed
A seasonal novelty, usually
Doors and some other fixtures are of everyday materials

Inn

A suburban or rural lodge for travelers’ overnight accommodations
The concept may reach back as far as the Roman Empire

Love Hotel (Sex Hotel)

A short-stay hotel
Rented out long enough for a sexual encounter
Rent by the hour or by the night

Motel

Means “motor hotel”
For car travelers
Motels’ doors are directly accessible from the parking lot, so that a guest can easily access their vehicle

Patient Hotel

Common in Scandinavian countries
For medical patients needing to be near a hospital without needing to be in a hospital room
Also for a patient’s friends and loved ones

Pension (Lodging)

Common in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and in Europe
A small hotel serving three full meals per day
Owner-run, usually

Pension Hotel

Specific to the Philippines
Offers the bare minimum in a hotel at very low prices
Rooms usually have a fan or air-conditioner, a bed, and possibly a chair

Pop-up Hotel

A temporary hotel usually set up to take advantage of some opportunity, like a seasonal event
May happen one time or may happen over and over in different places

Railway Hotel

Hotel built inside of or close to a train station

Resort

Provides many more services, amenities, and activities that are vacation-related than a standard hotel
Possibilities may include childcare, multiple high-end bars and restaurants, and kayak rentals

Rotel

An air-conditioned coach offering transport, food, and sleep
Each passenger has a bed, lamp, mirror, and article rack
A Rotel’s sleeping coach offers a three-tiered room and a bed next to a wardrobe
It has a kitchen with a refrigerator, sink, and cabinets

Ryokan (Inn)

A Japanese inn that has traditional Japanese layouts and furnishings
Guests will find yukata-dressed guests, communal baths, and on the floors will be tatami mats

Ski Resort

A resort hotel constructed on or near a big mountain or skiing park
Primarily for skiers and snowboarders

Suite Hotel

Offers only suite-level accommodations
No offering of common hotel rooms

Timeshare

People go in on a property together
Each of them owns a certain time period out of the year
During that period, they can visit or rent it out

Turbaza

Societ-era accommodations
A large structure found in what most would consider a getaway location, like a secluded beach or hidden forest
They have dozens of rooms for big groups
Still popular in Russia, Ukraine, and multiple other eastern European countries.