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A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), a guest house is a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use of visitor accommodation. The owner usually lives in an entirely separate area within the property and the guest house may be as a form of lodging business.
In some areas of the world, guest houses are the only kind of accommodation available for visitors who have no local relatives with whom to stay. Among the features which distinguish a guest house from a hotel or inn is the lack of a full-time staff.
Under the 1956 Hotel Proprietor Act in the United Kingdom, while hotels have an obligation to accept travelers "in a fit state" if they have empty rooms, guest houses are allowed to be more selective. [1]
Bed and breakfasts and guest houses in England are family-owned and the family lives on the premises, though family members are not normally available during the evening. However, most family members work a 10- to 12-hour day from 6 am as they may employ part-time service staff. Hotels maintain a staff presence 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, whereas a guest house has a more limited staff presence. Because of this, check-in at a guest house is often by appointment. An inn also usually has a restaurant attached.
In India, a tremendous growth can be seen in the guest house business especially in Delhi-NCR (national capital region) where progress in the IT sector and the Commonwealth Games 2010 were the two most influential factors. Nowadays the guest house accommodation sector has improved significantly, with even a home converted guest house also offering 3-star equivalent facilities to its guests.
In the United States, the term guest house may refer to rooms in private homes. [1]
Generally, there are two variations of paying guest house:
In the first version of the guest house, the guests get to live with a family where they get shelter and food (bed and breakfast) only, and for the rest of the jobs like washing clothes and utensils, cleaning of room or area around their bed is to be done by the guests. In the second version, the guests receive some amenities necessary to live life comfortably like a fully furnished room, comfortable bed, air-conditioner, television, water supply and, last but not least, security.
A big plus point of a professionally run paying guest accommodation service is that the owner follows the safety norms set by the local government. Some of the important safety points include:
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator, and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a television, and en-suite bathrooms. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities.
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accommodation for horses.
A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, coined as a portmanteau of "motor hotel", originates from the defunct lodging compound establishment; The Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, which was built in 1925. The term referred to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and in some circumstances, a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. Motels are often individually owned, though motel chains do exist.
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms. Private rooms may also be available. Hostels are popular forms of lodging for backpackers, however very few impose age limits, so hostels are an option for travellers of all ages and styles. The benefits of hostels include lower costs and opportunities to meet people from different places, find travel partners, and share travel experiences. Some hostels, such as in India or Hostelling International, cater to a niche market of travelers. Different hostels can be known for offering different experiences. For example, one hostel might feature in-house social gatherings such as movie nights or communal dinners, another might feature local tours, one might be known for its parties, and another might have a quieter place to relax in serenity, or be located on the beach. Newer hostels focus on a more trendy design, some of which are on par with boutique hotels. Some may cater to older digital nomads, global nomads, and perpetual travelers who prefer slightly more upmarket private rooms or a quieter atmosphere. Hostels may also differentiate themselves by being environmentally friendly ecohostels. In countries where wages are lower, the cost of staying at a hostel may be similar to staying in a budget hotel.
A capsule hotel, also known in the Western world as a pod hotel, is a type of hotel developed in Japan that features many small, bed-sized rooms known as capsules. Capsule hotels provide cheap, basic overnight accommodation for guests who do not require or who cannot afford larger, more expensive rooms offered by more conventional hotels.
A boarding house is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. It normally provides "room and board," with some meals as well as accommodation.
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear nemaki and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. during the Keiun period, which is when the oldest hotel in the world, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, was created in 705 A.D. Another old ryokan called Hōshi Ryokan was founded in 718 A.D. and was also known as the world's second oldest hotel. Such inns also served travelers along Japan's highways.
Holiday Inn is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division of Bass Brewery from 1988-2000, Six Continents from 2000-03, and IHG Hotels & Resorts since 2003. It operates hotels under the names Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Holiday Inn Resorts. As of 2018, Holiday Inn has hotels at over 1,100 locations.
This article describes the hotels in London, England.
Holiday Inn Express is an American-based mid-priced hotel chain within the IHG Hotels & Resorts family of brands. Originally founded as an "express" hotel, their focus is on offering limited services at a reasonable price. Standard amenities lean toward the convenient and practical which cater to business travelers and short-term stays. As of September 2019, there are 2,826 Holiday Inn Express hotels featuring over 292,000 rooms worldwide. The chain's concept was intended to target the "upper economy" market segment.
Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end hotel and resort properties. It is uncommon for room service to be offered in hotels that are not high-end, or in motels. Room service may also be provided for guests on cruise ships. Room service may be provided on a 24-hour basis or limited to late night hours only. Due to the cost of customized orders and delivery of room service, prices charged to the patron are typically much higher than in the hotel's restaurant or tuck shop, and a gratuity is expected in some regions.
The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and beverage services, event planning, theme parks, travel agency, tourism, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars.
Fairfield by Marriott is a franchised economy to midscale hotel brand of Marriott International. The properties target guests willing to accept fewer amenities for lower prices. Cost-saving measures included standardized building architecture and bedding, and the absence of a full-service restaurant, but a complimentary hot breakfast.
An apartment hotel or aparthotel is a serviced apartment complex that uses a hotel-style booking system. It is similar to renting an apartment, but with no fixed contracts and occupants can "check out" whenever they wish, subject to the applicable minimum length of stay imposed by the company.
Casa particular is a phrase meaning private accommodation or private homestays in Cuba, very similar to a bed and breakfast, although it can also take the form of a vacation rental. When the meaning is clear, the term is often shortened to simply casa. Today, many casas particulares are rented through online agencies, some specifically Cuban, and others that work worldwide.
A roadhouse or stopping house (Canada) is a small mixed-use premises typically built on or near a major road in a sparsely populated area or an isolated desert region that serves passing travellers, providing food, drinks, accommodation, fuel, and parking spaces to the guests and their vehicles. The premises generally consist of just a single dwelling, permanently occupied by a nuclear family, usually between two and five family members.
The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel is a historic hotel in the suburban city of Dearborn, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It opened in 1931 and closed in February 2023 for renovations. It was conceived by Henry Ford, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport hotels. It is located at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard near The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and the world headquarters building of Ford Motor Company. Albert Kahn designed the Dearborn Inn in the Georgian architectural style. The Dearborn Inn is owned by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and managed by Marriott International.
The Susse Chalet brand was a chain of franchise hotels with all locations in the United States in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Hotels featured free local calls, dataports, expanded cable television, and continental breakfast. Most properties offered meeting facilities and swimming pool. The chain was sold in 2000 and the brand phased out shortly after.
IHG Army Hotels is a collection of private-sector hotels located on Army installations and Joint Bases throughout the United States. It is the result of a partnership between IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), Holiday Inn Express (IHG), and Lendlease. This partnership was formed in response to the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program by the United States Army. The army's request for qualifications (RFQ) sought to fulfill specific requirements that included improving the quality of on-post lodgings throughout the U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. This RFQ sought entities with experience in the management of room inventory and hotel service, expertise in construction, and financing experience relating to the upgrades and renovations of existing on-post Army lodgings. The United States Army awarded the PAL program to Lendlease with a 50-year lease deal, and IHG, with a 25-year management agreement with options to extend. As part of the RFP agreement, these hotels provide lodging to service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, government and civilian contractors, military families, veterans, civilians and retirees. There are 76 IHG-branded hotels with about 11,600 rooms located on Army bases in the U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Media related to Guest houses at Wikimedia Commons
Holiday villas travel guide from Wikivoyage
The dictionary definition of guest house at Wiktionary
