W małym hotelu toaleta jest obok prysznica, a umywalka przy drzwiach.

Because w meaning in takes the locative case when it describes location.

So:

• hotel → basic form, nominative
• w hotelu = in the hotel
• w małym hotelu = in the small hotel

Both words change:

• mały → małym
• hotel → hotelu

That is because adjectives and nouns must match in case, number, and gender.

Because it agrees with hotelu, which is:

• masculine
• singular
• locative

The adjective mały must match that, so:

• nominative masculine singular: mały hotel
• locative masculine singular: w małym hotelu

This is a normal adjective ending in the locative for many masculine and neuter nouns.

Because after w in the sense of location, the noun goes into the locative case.

So:

• hotel = nominative
• w hotelu = locative

Many masculine nouns have locative singular ending -e or -u. For hotel, the correct form is hotelu.

Because obok usually takes the genitive case.

So:

• prysznic = shower
• obok prysznica = next to the shower

This is very common in Polish:

• obok stołu = next to the table
• obok okna = next to the window
• obok prysznica = next to the shower

So the important thing to remember is:

• obok + genitive

Both can describe nearby location, but they are not exactly the same.

• obok = next to / beside
• przy = by / near / at

In this sentence:

• toaleta jest obok prysznica = the toilet is next to the shower
• umywalka przy drzwiach = the sink is by the door

Obok often suggests something directly beside something else. Przy can feel a little broader: close to, by, at.

Because przy takes the locative case, and drzwi is a special noun that exists only in the plural.

So:

• basic form: drzwi = door
• locative plural after przy: przy drzwiach = by the door

This is one of those nouns that English speakers often find strange, because in Polish door is grammatically plural.

Other examples:

• otworzyć drzwi = to open the door
• stać przy drzwiach = to stand by the door

Because Polish often omits a repeated verb when it is easy to understand from context.

The full version would be:

• W małym hotelu toaleta jest obok prysznica, a umywalka jest przy drzwiach.

But Polish often prefers the shorter version:

• ..., a umywalka przy drzwiach.

This sounds natural and avoids repetition.

In Polish, a often links two pieces of information that are related but slightly contrasted or simply set side by side.

Here it works like:

• ..., and the sink is by the door
• or ..., while the sink is by the door

So:

• i = and, simple addition
• a = and/but/while, with a mild contrast or shift

In this sentence, a sounds natural because it presents the location of one thing, then the location of another.

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible.

The sentence uses a neutral, natural order:

• toaleta jest obok prysznica

But other orders are possible, depending on emphasis, for example:

• Obok prysznica jest toaleta = Next to the shower is the toilet
• Toaleta obok prysznica jest... = less neutral, usually part of a larger structure

The version in your sentence is the most straightforward for basic description.

Because Polish does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So:

• hotel can mean a hotel or the hotel
• toaleta can mean a toilet or the toilet

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English would usually add the because the objects are specific in the situation, but Polish does not need a separate word for that.

Yes, it matters because gender affects adjective endings and sometimes verb forms.

Here are the nouns:

• hotel — masculine
• toaleta — feminine
• prysznic — masculine
• umywalka — feminine
• drzwi — plural-only noun

This matters especially in phrases like:

• mały hotel → masculine
• małym hotelu → masculine locative
• toaleta and umywalka are both feminine, which is useful to know in other sentences

In the present tense with jest, gender does not change the verb form, but it still matters elsewhere.

It can mean different but related things depending on context.

Toaleta can mean:

• toilet
• restroom
• bathroom

In this sentence, because it mentions prysznic and umywalka, it clearly refers to the bathroom area or the toilet fixture within it, depending on how the room is arranged.

So the exact English translation can vary a little, even though the Polish is natural.

Yes, it is natural and correct.

It sounds like a simple description of the layout of a small hotel room or bathroom area. The omitted jest in the second part is normal, and the prepositions are used correctly:

• w + locative
• obok + genitive
• przy + locative

So it is a good example of everyday descriptive Polish.