Analysis of the Hotel Industry
Industry Profile
The need for lodging for individuals after traveling a great distance from home has been around since mankind began living inside of dwellings. To serve this need, hotels, or as they were more commonly referred to, inns, were created as a means to accommodate these travelers. In fact, the first recorded inn in America opened in 1607. Since their introduction they have grown in complexity, amenities, price, and number, however, their purpose has remained to provide paid lodging typically on a short-term basis. Despite a common purpose, it is said that “hotels are as different as the many family and business travelers they accommodate.” Today there are several categories of hotels, each of which serves a slightly unique purpose. They include upscale luxury, full service, select service, limited service, motel, extended stay, timeshare, casino hotel, and destination club. Depending on which category a hotel belongs to, it may provide a refrigerator, oven, stove, microwave, mini-bar, coffee maker, bathrobes, and Jacuzzi bathtubs, along with access to a swimming pool, fitness center, business center, and conference facility. Nevertheless, despite its category, it is customary for hotels in each of the categories to provide guests with a bed, bathroom, television, telephone, and alarm clock.
The hotel Industry is a sub industry within the travel and hospitality industry. According to the bureau of labor statistics, there were 64,300 establishments that provided accommodations to suit travelers’ different needs and budgets as of 2008. Over the last few decades, a few large national hotel chains have dominated the hotel industry; many of which have hotels that fall in several of the categories of hotels in hopes of appeasing different groups of travelers. This has been supported by guests who are loyal to particular brands due to their dependability, known quality, and familiarity.