Barbara Bullard, age 13, of Rock Island, I11., for her question:
WHEN WAS THE FIRST HOTEL BUILT?
A hotel is an establishment that provides overnight lodging for the public. The first ones go back to ancient times. Back about 3000 B.C. owners of some private homes provided rooms for travelers. The accommodations were often crude and uncomfortable.
It wasn't until the 1700s when the quality of inns started to improve. In England, especially, quality started to develop as more people began to travel for pleasure.
The first building in the United States that was constructed specifically as a hotel was the City Hotel, which opened in New York City in 1794. During the 1800s, American innkeepers became the leaders in hotel development. At that time, only the wealthy could afford to stay at European hotels. Many hotels in the United States offered comfortable, inexpensive rooms.
The rooms in early hotels had many beds but no locks on the doors. In 1829, the Tremont Hotel in Boston became the first hotel to provide private rooms with locks. The Tremont also introduced the practice of supplying soap and a pitcher of water in each room.
An American hotel operator named Ellsworth Statler expanded services in the early 1900s. He was the first to provide private baths and full length mirrors in each room.
During the mid 1900s, many hotels owned by one person or one company were built in cities throughout the United States. These hotels make up hotel chains, which can operate more efficiently and at less expense than most independent hotels. Some chains operate hotels in many different countries.
In the United States today there are almost 20,000 hotels and in Canada there are about 5,000. They range in size from large buildings with more than 3,000 rooms to small inns that have as few as a half dozen or 10 rooms.
The rates of some hotels include both lodging and meals. This method of payment is called the American plan. Hotels operating by the European plan include only the room. Food is extra.
Some hotels offer the continental plan, which includes a small breakfast in the price of the room.
Motels differ from hotels chiefly in their building designs. Most hotels occupy one multistory building that has a central lobby on the main floor. Restaurants and shops are located off the lobby, and most of the guest rooms are upstairs.
Most motels consist of one building or a group of buildings. They serve automobile travelers primarily and so they have a parking lot from which the rooms can easily be reached.
During the mid 1900s, motels became increasing popular because they charge lower rates and have a more casual atmosphere than most hotels. The increase in auto travel also stimulated motel development.
The growth of motels caused a decline in the use of hotels.
Most commercial hotels are near the airport or in the downtown area. They serve mainly business travelers. Many provide luxurious surroundings and a wide range of services. There are often a number of restaurants, ranging from inexpensive coffee skips to elegant dining rooms. Some also offer music, dancing and other entertainment. Often they can provide banquet and convention facilities.