The American Plan, sometimes abbreviated as AP in hotel listings, means that the quoted rate includes three meals a day, i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the American plan, the meals are provided by the hotel kitchen.
Some hotels offer guests the option of being on the American plan or paying a la carte for food consumed in their facility. Travelers choosing a hotel in a remote location where there are not many restaurants — or none at all — need to stay at a hotel that offers an American plan.