he hotel gym has an selection of dumbbells and I'm wondering what are some exercises I can do with dumbbells that are similar to kettlebell movements?
Absolutely
Dumbbells can be used for Kettlebell Movements.
1. Goblet Squats with dumbbell
2. Presses with dumbbells (bench or overhead)
3. Rows with dumbbells
4. Single-leg something with dumbbells (lunge, reverse lunge, single leg deadlift, split squat, etc.)
Dumbell/Kettlebell Exercises
As John stated, Dumbbell will work for these exercises.
I'd probably stay away from swings and snatches with dumbbells
Dumbbells for Swings and Snatches Work
There nothing wrong with performing Dumbbell Swings or Dumbbell Snatches.
Kettlebell Swings with a Dumbbell, How To
The Dumbbell Power Snatch
Or really any strength building movements with dumbbells?
Dumbbell Strength Training
Kettlebell and Dumbbell Strength Training elicit some a similar training effect.
With that in mind, let's drill down more into this...
Unstable Movements
The more Unstable the Movement is the greater the invovement of the Stabilizer Muscles.
Since Dumbbells and Kettlebell fall into Unstable Movements; they are great exercises for increasing Strength in the Stablizer Muscles.
The downside with Unstable Movements is that the Primary Muscles involve in the movement not OverLoaded; less strength is developed in the Prime Movers.
Muscle Fatigue
One of the issues with Free Weight Training Exercises, is that once Muscle Fatigue occurs, tehcnique is altered.
A Secondly issue is that wth the shift in Technique, the Muscle Invovement in the Exercise changes.
The end result is that you turn the exercise into a completely different movement.
Muscle Fiber
As Muscle Fatigue sets in, the Muscle Fiber shifts from training the "Super Fast" Type IIb/x to the Fast Twitch Type IIa to the Slow Type I.
With that in mind, one of the factors of a well written Training Program is to determine which type of Strength you want to develope; Speed/Power "Super Fast" Type IIb/x, Fast Twitch Maximum Strength Type IIa, or Endurance Type I Muscle Fiber.
Stable Movements
Stable Movcements place the Workload on the Prime Muscles involved in an Exercixe.
Exercise Machines place the Workload on the Prime Muscle in the exercise for that reason.
Thus, the Leg Press, Smith Machine, as well as other Machines are more effective at increasing Strength and Size with the Primary Muscles involved in a exercise.
Leg Press Example
The Leg Press has a predetermined path.
This place the Primary Workload on the Quads.
Secondly, once Muscle Fatigue occurs, the path of the machine continues to place Workload primarily on the Quads; since you cannot alter you technique.
That is one of the reason Bodybuilder employ Machine in their training; it more effective at increasing Strength and Size in the Primary Muscles in the exercise.
The downside is that since the Stabilizer Muscle are taken out of the equation, they are not developed.
Machines and Free Weights
Both have a place in training.
1) Free Weight Training
This is the most effective at developing Strength in the Stabalizer Muscles; not the Primary Muscle in the exercise.
2) Exercise Machines
Greater Strength and Size is achieved with Macines because it places the Workload on the Primary Muscle in the exercise.
3) Balancing Act
A combination of Free Weight Training and Exercise Machine Training enables individuals to maximize their Strength and/orSize results, dependent on how a program is written and followed.