Breakdown of Was für einen Aufzug hat das Hotel?
haben
to have
das Hotel
the hotel
was für ein
what kind of
der Aufzug
the elevator
Questions & Answers about Was für einen Aufzug hat das Hotel?
Why do we use einen in Was für einen instead of just ein?
The phrase was für ein- changes its ending based on the noun it describes. Here, it describes Aufzug (elevator), which is a masculine noun (der Aufzug). Because the elevator is the direct object that the hotel has, it takes the accusative case. The masculine accusative ending is -en, making it Was für einen.
Does the word für force the accusative case here?
Normally, the preposition für always takes the accusative case. However, in the fixed question phrase was für ein- (what kind of), für loses its normal preposition power. The case of ein- is decided only by what the noun is doing in the sentence. It is accusative here because it is the direct object of the verb hat. If it were the subject, it would be nominative: Was für ein Aufzug ist das? (What kind of elevator is that?).
Why is das Hotel at the end of the sentence?
In German question-word questions, the verb must be in the second position. The entire phrase Was für einen Aufzug acts as one single block of information (position 1). The verb hat takes position 2. That pushes the subject, das Hotel, to the other side of the verb into position 3.
What is the difference between asking Was für einen Aufzug and Welchen Aufzug?
Was für einen asks about the characteristics or type of the elevator (for example, is it a glass elevator or a freight elevator?). If you asked Welchen Aufzug (Which elevator?), you would be asking someone to point out a specific one from a known group (like the one on the left versus the one on the right).