Accommodation

In tourism, accommodation is regarded “home away from home,” typically for overnight stays. A dictionary definition might refer to accommodations as a room in a hotel, where tourists can sleep. Gunn (1979) referred to it as service facilities. Most people think of it in terms of hotels, inns, or lodges.

The history of accommodations is connected to that of civilizations (Levy-Bonvin 2003). Historically, it can be traced to the Greeks and Romans building at thermal baths and places for caravan travelers on the Silk Road or for crusaders going from Europe to Jerusalem. As the Industrial Revolution began, so did the building of hotels in city centers, often as focal points. Famous hotels, Le Grand Hotel Paris, Palmer House in Chicago, Waldorf Astoria in New York City, Savoy in London, and Negresco in Nice, have all become part of a global culture. Accommodations are a key part of the infrastructure of the tourism industry and critical to the tourists.

Accommodations by type

STR Global (2014...