Originally Posted by
Distilled
Or OP may be referring to overnight connection as booked, even without delay. The only time I have heard of this is some specific airlines in PAID first class on long haul international travel. Even then airline specific.
No, the answer is exactly the opposite of what OP seemed to think. Most overnight layovers do not receive any hotel room, that is up to you.
Agree with above that with delays, sometimes this is done for mechanical delays but generally not for weather. Sometimes the high level elite passengers will get special consideration, but not the masses.
"Once upon a time" many European airlines used to off special programs. If you crossed TATL on the national airline in Business Class but it was not your final destination in Europe then they'd give you a free hotel for the night.
For example, if you were going to SF to Paris you could fly KLM to Amsterdam then connect to Paris. If you did that then KLM would give you a free night at the Sonesta in Amsterdam and you could connect the next day. Simply a way of getting you to use their flag carrier when you didn't need to. Since it didn't cost any more for the ticket, I used to do that several times a year as I was flying to Paris and hated Air France.
Don't know if they still do that.