European Hotels: Many of the great European hotels have the word "palace" in their names; and they are truly palatial in conception, design, construction, and operation. Before the recent development of mass travel, travelers were either businessmen, concerned primarily with convenience and economy, or wealthy people, desiring to duplicate abroad the luxury of their homes. Therefore European hotels from about 1750 to the early 20th century were mainly either inexpensive railroad-station hotels for commercial travelers, or hotels de grand luxe, where the mighty could live in style, and where great banquets could be served and international meetings held.
Hotels are generally grouped in four main categories: commercial or transient hotels; resort hotels; residential hotels; and motels, or motor hotels. In the United States about 75% of the hotel rooms (excluding motels) are in com¬mercial hotels, 16% in resort hotels (both sum¬mer and winter seasons), and the remaining 9% in residential hotels. About 80% of the American motel rooms are in commercial establishments and the remainder in resort motels. |
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