The hotel industry is the section of the service industry that deals with guest accommodation or lodgings. By most definitions, the hotel industry refers to hotels and many other forms of overnight accommodation, including hostels, motels, inns, and guest houses. However, it does not usually include long-term or permanent forms of accommodation.

Due to the nature of hotel services, it is closely associated with the travel and tourism industry.

Defining what we mean by the hospitality industry is important. After all, it is a broad field. While most people have a basic idea of the types of businesses that count as hospitality brands, a far smaller number can provide a coherent and satisfactory explanation of what the industry is and is not.

The hospitality industry refers to various businesses and services linked to leisure and customer satisfaction. A defining aspect of the hospitality industry is that it focuses on ideas of luxury, pleasure, enjoyment, and experiences instead of catering to necessities and essentials.

One common area of confusion concerns the difference between the hotel and the hospitality industry, with many people mistakenly believing the two terms refer to the same thing. However, while there is a cross-over, the difference is that the hospitality industry is broader in scope and includes multiple different sectors.

The hotel industry is solely concerned with providing guest accommodation and related services. By contrast, the hospitality industry is concerned with leisure in a more general sense. As a result, it covers accommodation, restaurants, bars, cafés, nightlife, and many travel and tourism services.