Except where the context otherwise requires, the definitions given in this section govern the construction of this chapter:
(a) “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, social club, fraternal organization, joint stock company, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, trustee, syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.
(b) “Hotel” means any structure, or any portion of any structure, in the City of Palo Alto which is occupied or intended or designed for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes, and includes any hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel, studio hotel, bachelor hotel, lodginghouse, morninghouse, apartment house, dormitory, public or private club, mobilehome or house trailer at a fixed location, or other similar structure or portion thereof, even if such structure is also used for other purposes, including residential purposes.
(c) “Occupancy” means the use or possession, or the right to the use or possession, of any room or rooms or portion thereof in any hotel for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes.
(d) “Transient” means any person who exercises occupancy or is entitled to occupancy by reason of concession, permit, right of access, license or other agreement for a period of thirty consecutive days or less, counting portions of calendar days as full days. Any such person so occupying space in a hotel shall be deemed to be a transient until the period of thirty days has expired unless there is an agreement in writing between the operator and the occupant providing for a longer period of occupancy.
(e) “Rent” means the total consideration paid by a transient, for the occupancy of space in a hotel, whether or not received by the operator, including, without limitation, transaction service fees and any unrefunded advance reservation or other rental deposit. For purposes of this definition, rent shall be valued in money, whether it is received in money, goods, labor or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits and property and services of any kind or nature, without any deduction therefrom whatsoever.
(f) “Operator” means the person who is proprietor of the hotel, whether in the capacity of owner, lessee, sublessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee, or any other capacity. Where the operator performs his or her functions through a managing agent of any type or character other than an employee, the managing agent shall also be deemed an operator for the purposes of this chapter and shall have the same duties and liabilities as his or her principal. Compliance with the provisions of this chapter by either the principal or the managing agent shall, however, be considered to be compliance by both.
(g) “Rental agent” means any person other than an operator who collects rent from a transient for the transient’s occupancy of a hotel.
(Ord. 5290 § 1 (part), 2014; Ord. 4032 § 1, 1991: Ord. 3704 § 1 (part), 1986: Ord. 2567 § 1 (part), 1970)