Hotel Program

The Tennessee Department of Health is responsible for permitting and inspecting hotels to ensure compliance with the Tennessee hotel law and rules. 

A hotel is defined as "any building or establishment kept, used, maintained, or advertised to the public to be a place where sleeping accommodations are furnished for pay to transients or travelers whether or not meals are served therein, regardless of what term the owner or operator uses to describe the establishment."  Additionally, "furnished for pay to transients or travelers” means offering sleeping accommodations by the day.