'unit' in a hotel context

[Kenny同志]

Hi folks,

 

Does a 'unit' refer to a room in a hotel context, for example, as in 'non-smoking unit' or 'ground floor unit'? I find the term a bit vague.

[889]

Yes, but it's more commonly used in a housing context. An apartment block or condo, for example, would contain indivdual units.

[Kenny同志]

In that case, it could have been clearer.  Thank you 889.

[imron]

As you asked about Australian hotels in another thread, in an Australian context, a unit is often a single-storied, ground floor apartment, often grouped with a number of other similar units on a single property.  It can also be an apartment in a block of flats.

 

It is almost certainly not a single room in a hotel.  I would expect a unit to have at least a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room.

[Kenny同志]

I didn't realise this term could mean something so different in another variety of English! Thanks for the information, Imron.

 

To be on the safe side, if you don't mind one more question, what does 'ground floor' refer to in Australian English? It's also a term that can be interpreted differently in different countries.

[imron]

It means the same as first floor in China - e.g. the floor that is at ground level and that you use to enter the building.

[Kenny同志]

I see. Thank you Imron. : )

[roddy]

In the US there's such a thing as a condo hotel - which might explain the use of 'unit' in a hotel context. My initial reaction was that it might be used to refer to all types of accommodation - singles, doubles, suites, family rooms, standard, superior, with or without balcony, etc, but not sure that's right. 

[889]

There are also extended-stay hotels providing multi-room suites. Nonetheless, in a hotel environment "unit" doesn't sound too warm or welcoming --trailer parks have units -- so outside formal rules and regulations, I doubt you'd come across it too often.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks Roddy and 889.

 

In fact, I am still a bit confused. The document is from an Australian company but American spellings are used. I am at a loss as to which definition of the term I should follow.

 

For what it is worth, the topic is on motels.

[889]

If the document is for customers, I'd probably go with the friendlier rooms (or suites if the motel has them).

 

If the document is for industry insiders or potential investors, I'd probably go with the more technical units.

 

It would sound pretty odd if the front-desk guy said, "Here's the key to your unit." You'd think you were staying in a storage facility.

 

But nothing odd about a prospectus speaking of a motel as "50-unit property." Search "unit hotel" (with quotation marks) on Google for examples.

[imron]

@Kenny, can you provide any more context?

[Kenny同志]

Thanks again 889 and Imron.

 

@Imron

 

The document is from a company called ABC and addressed to those moteliers who are its members. ABC requests them to provide details about their motels, based on which ABC complies a directory to market their services.

 

The term ‘unit’ appears several times in the document. For example, in the guidelines, a sentence says ‘If you wish to decrease the total unit numbers in your listing, please state, in writing, the reason why’. And there is a standalone phrase that says ‘non-smoking unit’ and another ‘unit numbers’.

 

Note: the first example sentence is altered in some way to make it unidentifiable.

 

PS: The document is badly written, with quite some grammatical mistakes and inconsistencies in terminology. I also find ‘unit numbers’ very confusing. Why not just ‘unit number’ or 'number of units'?

[889]

"Unit number" would sound llke the number on the door of a particular unit.

 

As to why "unit numbers" against the clearer "number of units," I guess these people are in the business of producing a directory and like to keep things short. Think of it as business talk. As such, it doesn't bother me.

[Kenny同志]

Yes, I think 'number of units' is the what the author intended to say. Thank you 889.

[imron]

A unit in a motel context will typically be larger than a hotel room, and would also have its own entrance/door from the outside (compared to a hotel room which only has entrance and doors from the inside of the hotel) e.g. something like this.

[Kenny同志]

A unit in a motel context will typically be larger than a hotel room, and would also have its own entrance/door from the outside (compared to a hotel room which only has entrance and doors from the inside of the hotel) e.g. something like this.

 

That makes sense in the whole context! Thanks again, Imron.