Animal found in hotel kitchen (3)
I believe the answer is:
elk
'animal' is the definition.
(I have seen 'American animal ' mean 'elk' so perhaps 'animal' could also mean 'elk')
'in hotel kitchen' is the wordplay.
'in' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'ELK' is hidden in the letters of 'hotel kitchen'.
'found' is the link.
(Other definitions for elk that I've seen before include "Asian moose" , "Big deer" , "Type of moose" , "Fraternal American" , "Largest living deer" .)