According to NFPA 101, a hotel is a building or buildings that has sleeping for more than ________ people and is primarily used by transients for lodging.

• A. 10
• B. 16
• C. 14
• D. 18

Answer: (B)

NFPA 101 classifies lodging based on how many people sleep there. A hotel is a building or portion that provides sleeping accommodations for transient occupants and has sleeping for more than sixteen people. That threshold matters because once a lodging exceeds sixteen occupants, it falls into the hotel category, which carries specific life-safety requirements like enhanced egress and fire protection considerations. If the lodging has sixteen or fewer occupants, it isn’t regarded as a hotel under this definition and would be covered by a different occupancy category with different rules. So the number that fits the blank is sixteen.