Accommodation vs. Lodging — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 22, 2023
Accommodation refers to a place or means of living or staying, whereas lodging specifically indicates temporary places to stay, such as hotels or guesthouses.
Difference Between Accommodation and Lodging
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Accommodation is a broad term that encompasses any place, facility, or arrangement where people can live or stay. It might be temporary or permanent. Accommodations can range from apartments, homes, and hostels to even situations like living arrangements for students. Lodging, on the other hand, is more specific. It almost always refers to temporary places of stay, such as motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and the like.
In another light, accommodation doesn’t always refer to physical places. For instance, it can be used in contexts like “making accommodations for someone,” which means making arrangements or adjustments for someone's needs or desires. Lodging doesn't have such a broad usage; it primarily refers to places where one might lodge or stay for a short duration.
When traveling, one might search for accommodation options. This could bring up various results like hotels, apartments, or homestays. However, if one were to search for lodging options, the results might skew more towards establishments specifically designed for travelers, such as motels, hostels, or guesthouses.
Accommodation also has a connotation of adjustment or adaptation. For instance, in the world of education, special accommodations might be made for students with disabilities. This implies changes or modifications to standard procedures or equipment. Lodging doesn’t carry such connotations; it’s primarily about staying somewhere.
While both accommodation and lodging deal with places to stay, accommodation has a broader scope, including the idea of adjustment and long-term residence. Lodging is more narrowly defined, predominantly revolving around temporary stays and traveler-specific establishments.
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Comparison Chart
Scope
Broad term covering any place of stay.
Specific term for temporary stays.
Duration
Can be both temporary and permanent.
Almost always temporary.
Usage Beyond Stay
Can mean making adjustments for someone.
Primarily about places to stay.
Connotation
Can imply adjustment or modification.
Mainly refers to establishments for travelers.
Examples
Apartments, homes, hostels.
Motels, inns, bed and breakfasts.
Compare with Definitions
Accommodation
A place where someone can live or stay.
She found an affordable accommodation near the university.
Lodging
A place where one can stay temporarily.
He found a comfortable lodging near the beach.
Accommodation
The capacity of a room or space to contain people or things.
The hall has an accommodation for 200 guests.
Lodging
The act or process of providing or obtaining a place to stay.
Lodging in the city during peak season can be expensive.
Accommodation
Adjustments made to meet someone's needs or requirements.
The school provided special accommodations for the visually impaired student.
Lodging
A temporary residence.
Many tourists sought lodging in the small town's bed and breakfasts.
Accommodation
A settlement or compromise allowing conflicting parties to coexist.
The two companies reached an accommodation regarding the use of the patent.
Lodging
Rooms or buildings providing sleeping places.
The village had few lodgings available for visitors.
Accommodation
An agreement or arrangement.
They made an accommodation to work together on the project.
Lodging
(agriculture) The condition of a plant, especially a cereal, that has been flattened in the field or damaged so that it cannot stand upright, as by weather conditions or because the stem is not strong enough to support the plant.
Accommodation
A room, group of rooms, or building in which someone may live or stay
They were living in temporary accommodation
Lodging
Shelter or habitation.
After a long journey, all they wanted was a warm lodging for the night.
Accommodation
(physical) Adaptation or adjustment.
Lodging
Lodgings Furnished rooms in another's house rented for accommodation.
Accommodation
(physiology) the automatic adjustment in focal length of the lens of the eye
Lodging
Sleeping accommodation.
Accommodation
A convenient arrangement; a settlement or compromise
The prime minister was seeking an accommodation with Labour
Lodging
Lodging refers to the renting of a short-term dwelling. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, food, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.
Accommodation
The process of adapting or adjusting to someone or something
Accommodation to a separate political entity was not possible
Lodging
Temporary accommodation
A fee for board and lodging
Accommodation
The act of accommodating or the state of being accommodated; adjustment.
Lodging
A place to live
Found lodging near her new job.
Accommodation
Room and board; lodgings.
Lodging
Often lodgings Sleeping accommodations
We found the lodgings on the tour rather primitive.
Accommodation
A seat, compartment, or room on a public vehicle.
Lodging
A place to live or lodge.
Accommodation
Reconciliation or settlement of opposing views.
Lodging
(in the plural) Furnished rooms in a house rented as accommodation.
Accommodation
(Physiology) The automatic adjustment in the focal length of the lens of the eye to permit retinal focus of images of objects at varying distances.
Lodging
The act of one who, or that which, lodges.
Accommodation
A financial favor, such as a loan.
Lodging
A place of rest, or of temporary habitation; esp., a sleeping apartment; - often in the plural with a singular meaning.
Wits take lodgings in the sound of Bow.
Accommodation
Lodging in a dwelling or similar living quarters afforded to travellers in hotels or on cruise ships, or prisoners, etc.
The accommodations at that hotel were quite luxurious.
Lodging
Abiding place; harbor; cover.
Fair bosom . . . the lodging of delight.
Accommodation
The act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment.
Lodging
Housing structures collectively; structures in which people are housed
Accommodation
A convenience, a fitting, something satisfying a need.
Lodging
The state or quality of being lodged or fixed even temporarily;
The lodgment of the balloon in the tree
Accommodation
The adaptation or adjustment of an organism, organ, or part.
Lodging
The act of lodging
Accommodation
The adjustment of the eye to a change of the distance from an observed object.
Lodging
Present participle of lodge
Accommodation
(personal) Adaptation or adjustment.
Accommodation
Willingness to accommodate; obligingness.
Accommodation
Adjustment of differences; state of agreement; reconciliation; settlement; compromise.
Accommodation
(countable) The application of a writer's language, on the ground of analogy, to something not originally referred to or intended.
Accommodation
A loan of money.
Accommodation
An accommodation bill or note.
Accommodation
An offer of substitute goods to fulfill a contract, which will bind the purchaser if accepted.
Accommodation
(theology) An adaptation or method of interpretation which explains the special form in which the revelation is presented as unessential to its contents, or rather as often adopted by way of compromise with human ignorance or weakness.
Accommodation
The place where sediments can make, or have made, a sedimentation.
Accommodation
Modification(s) to make one's way of communicating similar to others involved in a conversation or discourse.
Accommodation
The act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment; - followed by to.
Accommodation
Willingness to accommodate; obligingness.
Accommodation
Whatever supplies a want or affords ease, refreshment, or convenience; anything furnished which is desired or needful; - often in the plural; as, the accommodations - that is, lodgings and food - at an inn.
Accommodation
An adjustment of differences; state of agreement; reconciliation; settlement.
Accommodation
The application of a writer's language, on the ground of analogy, to something not originally referred to or intended.
Many of those quotations from the Old Testament were probably intended as nothing more than accommodations.
Accommodation
A loan of money.
Accommodation
Making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances
Accommodation
A settlement of differences;
They reached an accommodation with Japan
Accommodation
Living quarters provided for public convenience;
Overnight accommodations are available
Accommodation
The act of providing something (lodging or seat or food) to meet a need
Accommodation
Something that meets a need; a convenience.
Accommodation
In the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations in order to accommodate a changing knowledge of reality
Common Curiosities
What is accommodation?
Accommodation is a place or means where individuals can live or stay; it can also refer to adjustments made to cater to specific needs.
Are all lodgings accommodations?
Yes, all lodgings are forms of accommodation, but not all accommodations are necessarily lodgings.
Can accommodation refer to something other than a place to stay?
Yes, accommodation can also mean making adjustments or arrangements for specific needs or situations.
What is lodging?
Lodging specifically refers to places where people stay temporarily, such as hotels, guesthouses, or inns.
What's the main difference between the two terms?
Accommodation has a broader usage, covering any place or arrangement for living or staying, while lodging is more specific to temporary stays.
Is a house considered lodging?
A house can be considered lodging if it's rented out for temporary stays, like vacation rentals. Otherwise, it's more commonly just an accommodation or residence.
Do all hotels fall under lodging?
Yes, hotels are a type of lodging, specifically meant for temporary stays.
Would a student dormitory be considered lodging?
While a dormitory can be seen as a type of accommodation for students, it's typically not referred to as lodging since it's meant for longer-term residence during an academic term.
Can the word accommodation have a context outside of housing?
Yes, it can refer to adjustments or compromises made in various situations, such as in education or workplace settings.
Can I use the words interchangeably?
While they overlap in some contexts (like travel), they're not always interchangeable due to the broader scope of "accommodation" compared to the more specific "lodging."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
