The lodging-house or boarding-house keeper, on the other hand, takes care of more permanent customers, who remain for longer periods and more or less permanently in the same place. The distinction at common law between an innkeeper and a boarding or lodging house keeper is that the innkeeper caters to the traveling public-the transient traveler. A boardinghouse has also been said to differ from an inn or both in being less public in character and in arranging with its patrons to provide for them during some more or less definite period. The major distinction is that in the case of boarding house, the proprietor deals with his or her customers individually with respect to terms and accommodations and exercises the right to reject any or all applicants at his or her pleasure, while in the case of inns and hotels the proprietor deals with the public generally on the basis of an implied contract and may not arbitrarily refuse to receive as a guest one who is entitled to be so received. While there is a certain similarity between inns and hotels, and boarding, lodging, and rooming houses, the two types of accommodations differ from each other in certain fundamental characteristics. As more and more hotels offered parking, this distinction become obsolete and motels became simply informal hotels. Thus, motels were located on high ways and made to be convenient for people traveling in cars. The term “motel” originally applied to hotels which had locales for cars to park (“motor-hotels” become “motels”) when cars first began traveling around the nation and most hotels then did not have designated locations for parking. The word “motel” generally denotes a small hotel where lodgings are available for hire, with a minimum of personal service being furnished by the proprietor. The character of a place as an inn or hotel is determined by the types of facilities available and services offered, and not by the type of structure or the surrounding property.Įstablishments which furnish lodging to transients, although designated motels, may be deemed hotels. The distinctive features of a hotel or an inn are that it receives transient guests and provides lodging. It is not required that a establishment provide food and drink to its guests in addition to lodging to be a hotel. The proprietor of an inn or hotel is an innkeeper or hotelkeeper, respectively.
Any places where transient guests are received and lodged are classified as hotels. The word “inn” at common law meant a place where a traveler was furnished with both lodging and entertainment, including food.
The word “hotel” is usually synonymous with “inn,” especially an inn of high quality. Hotels can be defined as commercial establishments that provide lodging and, often, meals and other services to the public. An inn is not a hotel, is not a boarding house, is not a motel…or are they? What are you paying for when you arrive at the check in desk? When that situation ocurs, suddenly the questions of characterization of the accommodation can be critical. Only when something goes wrong with a room or a stay does the issue of what law applies and who is responsible for the possible damage caused arise. INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS: : Americans like to travel and motels and hotels are as much a part of the average American’s life as restaurants, movies and freeways.