Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): أهلا وسهلا في الفندق.

It is the standard Arabic phrase for 'Welcome,' but literally it translates to '(You have reached) family and an easy place.' أهلا means 'family' or 'people' and سهلا means 'smooth' or 'easy land.' It is a traditional way of saying you are among friends and in a comfortable place.

Why do both أهلا and سهلا end with that 'an' sound?

That 'an' sound is a grammar marker written with the double diagonal stroke at the end of the words (called tanwin). It shows that these words are the object of a hidden, implied verb. Even though we just say 'Welcome!', the traditional grammatical meaning is an action: 'You have met family and stepped on an easy place.'

Why does the sentence use في (in) instead of the Arabic word for 'to' (إلى)?

In English, you welcome someone to a place, but in Arabic, the standard expression uses في (in). You are literally saying 'Welcome in the hotel.' It is a great reminder that prepositions rarely translate perfectly word-for-word between English and Arabic!

Is the 'l' sound in الفندق (the hotel) pronounced?

Yes, it is! The first letter of the word for hotel is ف (fa), which is a 'moon letter.' This means the ل (lam) in the word for 'the' (ال) keeps its normal 'l' sound. Therefore, it is pronounced 'al-funduq', not 'af-funduq'.