The sentence indicates that 'many' people are afraid of something. Thus, the answer must be something that is commonly known to scare people.
Option A is incorrect. Hotels are a place where one can stay, they are not known to be scary in general.
Option B is incorrect. History means 'an aggregate of past events'. Although some of these events may be scary, but history as a whole is not.
Option C is correct. Fear of spiders, also known as 'arachnophobia', is a commonly known fear. Thus, it is the best fit among the given options.
Option D is incorrect. Patience means 'ability to tolerate delays'. It is not something people are afraid of. Thus, it is incorrect.