Throughout history, travel and hotels have intertwined in a mutually beneficial relationship. Hotels provide travelers with accommodations and services while helping to connect them to places and people.
Hotels are essential to a traveling experience. They act as a hub for commercial travel. They offer services such as transportation and room service. Some hotels even offer meeting rooms.
In the United States, hotels have expanded at an unprecedented rate since World War II. The interstate highway system created the ideal environment for hotel growth. Moreover, the rapid growth of railroads reconfigured the nation’s transportation network.
During this period, hotels appeared in settlement areas of the West and the mountains. They also appeared in frontier settlement areas of the East. They also served as decorative showcases, business exchanges and public assemblies.
The relationship between traveling and hotels reached a peak during the post-World War II period. The postwar economic boom spurred incomes to skyrocket. This increased commercial travel, and hotel rates spiked to unprecedented heights.
The postwar economic boom also led to the proliferation of price comparison websites. These sites allow travelers to compare different travel services and find the best deals. The best time to book a hotel is about two to three months before a trip.
There are also a variety of cancellation policies available from hotels. Some allow travelers to change their reservation up to 24 hours before arrival, while others require a 72 hour notice. In addition, some hotels provide credit vouchers in lieu of cancellation fees.