Hotel, Motel and Tourist Rooming Houses

All lodging facilities must be licensed. The various lodging definitions are:

"Hotel" – All places wherein sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to transients, in five or more rooms, and all places used in connection. "Hotelkeeper", "motelkeeper" and "innkeeper" are synonymous and "inn", "motel" and "hotel" are synonymous.

"Tourist Rooming House" – Any lodging place or tourist cabin or cottage with 4 or less sleeping rooms, where sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to tourists or transients. "Tourist Rooming House" does NOT include:

  • A private boarding or rooming house, ordinarily conducted as such, not accommodating tourists or transients
  • A hotel or motel
  • Bed and breakfast establishments

A "tourist or transient" means a person who travels from place to place away from his or her permanent residence for vacation, pleasure, recreation, culture, business or employment.

Links and Handouts for more Information

Wisconsin Innkeepers Association

Tourist Rooming House Brochure
TRH brochure cabin.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [214.0 KB]

Tourist Rooming House Cleaning Checklist
TRH cleaning checklist.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [18.1 KB]

Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP 72 – Hotels, Motels and Tourist Rooming Houses
ATCP 72 LODGING.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [140.0 KB]