Kiu ajn gasto povas peti lokan mapon en la hotelo.

Kiu ajn means any or whoever/whichever ... at all, depending on context. In kiu ajn gasto, it means any guest.

The word ajn adds the idea of no matter which. So the phrase suggests that there is no restriction: any guest is allowed to ask.

They are similar, but not identical.

• kiu ajn gasto = any guest, whichever guest
• ĉiu gasto = every guest, each guest

So:

• Kiu ajn gasto povas peti... means that no matter which guest you mean, that guest can ask.
• Ĉiu gasto povas peti... means every single guest can ask.

In many situations, both are possible, but kiu ajn often feels a little closer to English any.

In Esperanto, many correlatives can work not only as pronouns but also as noun modifiers.

So:

• kiu? = which one? / who?
• kiu gasto? = which guest?

The same pattern works with other correlatives:

• tiu gasto = that guest
• ĉiu gasto = every guest
• neniu gasto = no guest

So kiu ajn gasto is perfectly normal Esperanto for any guest.

Because gasto is a noun, and Esperanto nouns normally end in -o.

Here:

• gast- = the word root related to guest
• -o = noun ending

So gasto means guest.

Because mapon is the direct object, and the adjective lokan has to agree with it.

In Esperanto:

• direct objects usually take -n
• adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in both number and case

So:

• mapo = a map
• mapon = a map as the direct object
• loka mapo = a local map
• lokan mapon = a local map as the direct object

That is why both words get -n.

Because Esperanto peti is directly transitive. It usually takes its object without a preposition.

So:

• peti mapon = to ask for a map
• literally, Esperanto is more like request a map

This is very common for English speakers to notice, because English often uses ask for, but Esperanto normally just uses peti + object.

Because Esperanto does not use a separate word like English to before the infinitive.

The infinitive form itself already shows that the verb is in the infinitive:

• peti = to ask
• povi = to be able to / can

So:

• povas peti = can ask

After verbs like povas, volas, devas, and similar verbs, Esperanto simply uses the infinitive directly.

Esperanto has no indefinite article.

That means:

• mapo can mean a map
• la mapo means the map

So lokan mapon means a local map, not the local map.

Esperanto only has one article, la, and it is definite.

It means in the hotel or at the hotel, depending on natural English translation.

In this sentence, it most naturally tells you where the asking happens: the guest can ask for a local map while in the hotel / at the hotel.

Because Esperanto word order is flexible, context helps decide what a phrase attaches to. Here, most readers will understand en la hotelo as modifying the action peti rather than describing the map.

No, Esperanto word order is fairly flexible, because endings show the grammatical roles.

For example, lokan mapon is clearly the object because of -n, so it does not depend entirely on position.

The given sentence is natural and clear, but other orders are possible if you want a different emphasis. For example, you could move en la hotelo earlier or later.

Still, the original order is a normal, straightforward way to say it.

Ajn usually follows a correlative and adds the meaning ever, any, or no matter which/where/when, depending on the word it follows.

Examples:

• kiu ajn = any / whoever
• kie ajn = anywhere / wherever
• kiam ajn = anytime / whenever

So in this sentence, kiu ajn gasto means any guest whatsoever.

The usual position is directly after the correlative, as in kiu ajn, not before it.