It is quite obvious that people get confused between hotel, motel, or inn. Everyone has the basic idea that these terms are related to accomodation and food-related services. Still, many of us don’t know what the exact difference between inn and hotel is! This article will throw some lights on hotel vs inn to give both of them equal justice as both are unique in their own ways.
Hotel
Hotels are established for a commercial purpose that provides rooms or suits to visitors, travelers, business associates, backpackers, and vacationers. Today’s scenario is that you will find many types of hotels in each city in which you can stay for days and get all the services they provide. You will find a separate restaurant in each hotel where you can take your meal or even ask for the room services. Some hotels also have facilities of swimming pool, gymnasium, spa, bar, etc. The bathrooms, along with modern accessories, cupboards, and television, are commonly found in most hotels.
Inn
Inns are specially established to give passing travelers lodging on highways. Such places are basically a small restaurant where people can get some food and drinks. But on top of that, they provide accomodation to rest for short stays for a night or two. After that, the visitors continue their journey again. Generally, inns are not for long stays because of lacking facilities. They are located on highways where there is no such sight-seeing and many food options. Some inns don’t even offer necessary facilities such as hot water or telephone services. They just provide a room where you can spend your free time and get ready for your next journey.
Difference Between Inn and Hotel
- A hotel is huge compared to an inn. Hotels have a building where many rooms are available at the same time. Inns may have 3 to 5 rooms for occupancy.
The hosts usually own an inn. It’s mostly like a homestay. A hotel, on the other hand, is owned by some professionals or partners. It’s 100% commercial.
A hotel has a different appeal than inns because of the decorations and professional staff. Inns are less professional and more liberal. - Hotels are costlier than the inns because of the many services such as full-time attendants, pools, conference rooms, etc.
- Hotels can provide gourmet meals, while Inn visitors will enjoy only the things available in the kitchen or offer by the homeowners.
- Inns are away from the hustle of the city while hotels are generally placed between the cities. On the other hand, many people find inns a bit boring.
- Managers and staff members generally manage hotels, while inns are established and regulated by the owners. They are the hosts as well.
Apart from that, you may find ratings for the hotels such as 2-star, 3-star, 5-star, or 7-star hotels, while the inns may or may not have the grades. Inns do not have separate restaurants, unlike hotels. They have a small section for food and drink. Also, it doesn’t provide a large variety of options. Hotels have larger rooms and inns have smaller rooms compared to the hotels.
Some hotels can accommodate 6 to 8 people in one room and thousands of people at once. Inns have certain limitations. If talking about entertainment and recreational facilities, the inns never invite the artists or singers to perform in front of their customers, while hotels may arrange some programs to entertain their guests. In short, hotels are luxurious, and inns are quite homely.
The Bottom Line
That’s all for inn vs a hotel. You can choose any options between the hotel and inn according to your traveling schedule, budget, and preferences. Determine your purpose of staying and then get the bookings. If you want to live in a hotel, you may have to make a booking before it gets full. Inns generally allow everyone and don’t ask for reservations. So, plan a little earlier and reserve your hotels before starting your journey.
