Hotels

What is the difference between fàndiàn, jiǔdiàn & bīnguǎn ?

你好Peter! This is a tricky one. Essentially they can all mean the same thing: hotel. Originally, they meant different things but as the time passed, they sort of all assumed the same meaning. 饭店 is often referred to as a restaurant but can have the meaning of hotel as well, especially if that hotel started as a restaurant. 酒店 originally was a wine shop and then a liquor shop and slowly moved into restaurant and finally hotel. It is typically used for larger establishments. 宾馆 simply means guesthouse or hotel and has no other meaning. As I said there is no significant difference between the meanings and the name of a hotel (ie whether it includes 饭店，酒店，or 宾馆) is up to the owner of the hotel, much in the same way that people will call their hotel an inn or a lodge. 希望这会有帮助。I hope is of help. - Lin Ping