Bob Brown entered the Hotel Lux to attend a conference being held within the hotel. Sam Smith arrived to attend the same conference, registered at the front desk, and obtained a room. Sally Jones also intended to participate in the conference and was in

Question

essence living at the hotel at the time. What relationship exists between the hotel and each of these individuals? What can be said of the hotel's obligations to each individual under these circumstances?

Answer 1

A hotelkeeper is in the business of providing living accommodations to transient persons called guests. The hotelkeeper has a bailee's liability regarding property that may be entrusted into the hotelkeeper's care. At common law, the hotelkeeper was an insurer of any other property that a guest might bring into the hotel. The common law now is subject to state liability limitations.
Bob Brown entered the hotel to attend a conference and therefore is not a guest. There is no relationship between the hotel and Brown.
Sam Smith is a guest, for he is a transient utilizing the services of the hotel proper. The guest relationship was created at the time of registration.
Sally Jones is not a guest but is rather a boarder or lodger because of her semi-permanent residence at the hotel. A lodger is owed a duty of an ordinary bailee of personal property under a mutual-benefit bailment.?