Whether traveling for business or pleasure, hotels provide a comfortable environment for a relaxing break. They offer overnight stays for a fee.
The hotel industry has a long and historical relationship with travel. They have been an essential part of connecting people to places. They have also served as public assemblies, decorative showcases, and business exchanges.
The early hotels were large urban luxury establishments. The rapid growth of railroads in the nineteenth century reconfigured the nation’s transportation network, freeing long-distance travel from the river system.
After World War II, the hotel industry grew at an unprecedented pace. The postwar economic boom helped increase commercial travel, making paid vacations a reality for millions of workers.
During the postwar years, Americans ventured abroad in record numbers. The hotel industry also expanded globally to meet the needs of foreign travelers.
A new generation of hotels was constructed in leading commercial centers along coastal trade routes. These hotels became integral parts of mercantilist strategies.
After World War II, the hotel and travel industries became major domestic political battlegrounds. The success of organized labor fueled growth of the industry and increased travel. The three-decade economic boom helped send incomes skyrocketing.
The hotel industry also became a symbol of America’s national landscape. American-owned hotels served as exemplars of capitalism in foreign countries.
Today, the hotel industry is leveraging the increased demand for flexibility. They are also leveraging technology to improve the hotel experience. Some hotels now allow guests to control certain room features with their own devices.