A hotel det is sailor speak for Hotel Detachment. This is a group of sailors whose sole purpose is to provide Navy ships with services when they are in a foreign port. They are stationed at ports that will see many navy ships show up over a period of time. These ports might be anywhere the Navy decides to make them.

For example while on our Med Cruise we spent a good deal of time in the Red Sea. Since there is no US Naval base in the Red Sea the Navy set up a Hotel Det in Hurghada Egypt. While operating around the Red Sea there is next to no contact with a carrier and thus more than likely no mail delivery.

The hotel det will provide mail collection and delivery. Provide the ships crew with vans to get around town. Make arrangements to either dock the ship or provide liberty launches. And possibly the most important service they set up for incoming ships, garbage disposal.