Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Komforthotel

English translation:

comfortable hotel

Added to glossary by Courtney Sliwinski
Mar 21, 2008 23:16
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Komforthotel

German to English Marketing Tourism & Travel Hotel Description
Is there an actual term for this in english. I can't use comfort hotel because this is a hotel chain (and this hotel is not part of it). Boutique hotel doesn't fit the description either. Any suggestions, I'm tired!
Change log

Mar 25, 2008 09:35: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Marketing"

Discussion

Courtney Sliwinski (asker) Mar 22, 2008:
I'm sorry that this question has caused so many problems. There has to be a relatively easy solution though. I don't think it's luxury or first class, because of the rest of the description. It doesn't really have any first class amenities, but those that are fairly standard in hotel rooms. I think a good middle class (or even business class) hotel is what I'm looking for. Thanks for all the efforts!
Courtney Sliwinski (asker) Mar 22, 2008:
@Nicole: You stated that a Komforthotel is usually a three star hotel, then maybe the term I'm looking for is middle class hotel! That would fit the bill!
Nicole Schnell Mar 22, 2008:
Note: "Komfort" is not an English word. It is French and in German usage pronounced as such. There are more languages than E. on this planet. Unfortunately the E-speaking countries failed to secure the copyrights on Latin 2000 ys ago :-)))

Proposed translations

+1
30 mins
Selected

Hotel plus description/adjective

I always hate encountering such Gerlish hybrids.
My advice:
1) Keep English grammar & common sense firmly in mind and write only "hotel" -- you can build in the adjectives "comfortable" or "luxury" or whatever your context calls for somewhere,
or 2) Ask the client to specify what they mean by that non-word: i.e. luxury, high-quality, etc..... If they don't offer a proper answer, see #1.

IMO, it's not my job to incorporate a German author's false assumptions about what the Engl. language will tolerate.
HTH, Beth

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Note added at 13 hrs (2008-03-22 12:34:40 GMT)
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I was not intending to claim that Komfort is English, Nicole, and your extremely inappropriate and disturbingly unprofessional email sent to my personal account has been deleted. Ende der Geschichte.

Working as a translator in Austria for two decades now, I've lost track of how often I've seen "Komforthotel" used, and when I'd ask the client about it, they most often said they meant the obvious – their hotel is "schön, komfortable, ruhig". (Not a one using 'Komforthotel' ever "admitted" they ran a luxury hotel, strangely enough.)

Anyway, I often ended up doing some research about the hotel itself and incorporated that description, to help it sell itself, thus avoiding slavishly translating the term 'Komforthotel' literally.

I see David and Chris's suggestions tend toward this solution too, and I agree with their versions. Your context/client will tell you for sure.

Continuing good luck in parsing this favourite (Austrian-tourism) Gerlishism, Courtney!
:-)
BJ
Peer comment(s):

disagree Nicole Schnell : Wondering about "G. author's false assumptions". A Komforthotel is a hotel with a minimum of three stars, rooms with internet access, etc. Not every word that remotely looks like English is an anglicism.//E. was nice&pointed out typos&hysterical grammar
52 mins
agree casper (X) : What's a "Gerlish hybrid", Beth? I've never come across this before.//Hmmm..I knew the word "Denglish",but hv just learnt a new word ["Gerlish"].Thanks, Beth
2 hrs
Sorry Chetan, I was wrong to assume something like that would be clear. I meant "Ger(man-eng)lish" AKA "Denglisch usage; that is, a word is invented, (too) often without a correct or grammatical meaning.
agree writeaway : I agree with what you mean. I encounter this a lot in Dutch as well. Attempt to sound 'chic' by incorporating (meaningless or incorrectly used) English or other foreign languages. I had no idea 'comfort hotel' is a Latin term ;-)
12 hrs
Yes, that's what the hotels do a lot here -- can't blame them. How many ski shacks in Colorado are called "chalets"? ;-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Ahh Gerlish. Even if the word may not be of English origin, I think you are on the right track. Thanks!"
1 hr

Luxury Hotel

Comfort would be inappropriate here - the common term for this is simply luxury - which conveys the same idea
Peer comment(s):

agree Barbara Wiebking
4 hrs
disagree David Moore (X) : No, Chris - "luxury" is reserved for five-star hotels, which this isn't! Whatever its proprietor may say..."Komforthotel, which he does say, is not a "Luxushotel", or he'd SAY so.
7 hrs
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+2
9 hrs

first-class/excellent hotel

We must bear in mind that hotel standards - and their attendant star ratings - vary widely from country to country. Have you ever stayed in a four-star hotel in Italy? (IMO, they'd need at least ten to reach the English or German "five-star" standard.)

But the site below gives a very fair guide to what the general perception is:

The Human Resources Glossary: The Complete Desk Reference for Hr ... - Google Books Result
by William R. Tracey - 2003 - Business & Economics - 824 pages
... same bunk at different times. hotel classifications In meeting management, ... first class (four star), standard (three star), and economy or budget. ...
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=1574443518
Peer comment(s):

agree Nicole Schnell : Not bad. If hotel rooms / Starbucks coffee / condoms: small is the new medium, medium is the new super-duper. :-)//@Writeaway: Full service hotel?? As opposed to a B&B or Hotel Garni? Sorry, ouch.//The LA Ramada has cockroaches.
2 hrs
agree writeaway : or full-service hotel? @Nicole. ounch? really? "the Ramada Plaza Hotel is a six-year old outstanding full service hotel offering amenities and service for the most discriminating http://www.albahotels.com/dir/102982x494634x495592-Shelton.h...
3 hrs
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