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.

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 flat-screen television, and en-suite bathrooms.