A. A hotel owned by a Jewish proprietor should have mezuzos placed in all rooms, as it is used for habitation purposes, (Aruch Hashulchan 286: 48) even when the owner does not reside therein, since he is responsible for the service provided and the cleanliness of the premises. This then becomes as his own house and the clients occupying the rooms as his guests. (Oholei Yeshurun 2: n. 40, quoting R’ M. Feinstein zt”l.) Others maintain that since the owner retains his furniture and fixtures in the rooms, it is similar to a storage facility that also requires mezuza. (Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 286: 18, Kuntres Zera Ya’akov 17: p. 16) However some Poskim assert that no brocho should be recited when affixing the mezuza (K’vias Mezuza Kehalacha 3: 14)
When staying in a Gentile owned hotel, if the room is rented for less than thirty days even in Israel, no mezuza is required. (Chovas Hador 3: 5) If the stay is longer that thirty days, some Poskim maintain that a mezuza should be placed without a brocho, others rule that outside of Israel he is still exempt. (Menachos 44a, Moadim Uzmanim 4: 287, Torah Or quoting R’ Bakshi Doron, Hadar Mezuza p. 112, K’vias Mezuza Kehalacha 4: 10)
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that the owner of a hotel does make a brocho when affixing the mezuzos
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
