ACCOMMODATION

Dannya Sadanandhan
 Tourist Accommodation

Accommodation constitute a vital and fundamental part of tourist supply

and an important feature of the total tourist image of a country,
the expansion of tourism inevitably brings about the development of
accommodation .

According to WTO Report on accommodation sector ,

tourist accommodation is used to denote the facilities
operated for short term accommodation of guests ,
either with or with out service, against payment and according to fixed rates.
 Early History
 The early history of accommodation for travellers can be said to have its origin in the
Greek word “Zenia “ .By this word ancient Greece meant not only hospitality but also
all forms of protection given to a visiting stranger. In ancient Greece ,hospitality was a
sort of divine order. The city of or a town itself was a bound to offer hospitality to a
visitor and protect him from any discomfort.

 Travelling during this period was not an easy affair, travellers were mainly
diplomats,philosophers,intellectuals,and researchers. There were no lodging facilities
and guests were invited by noblemen.

 Travellers who left his home required accommodation at his destination and during
journeys which couldn‟t be completed in a single day, he needed overnight
accommodation. The institution of inns came into being. Inns can perhaps be
considered to be the first of such accommodation units which catered to be the needs of
travellers in early times.

 During Roman empire many such inns were established which provided food, drink and
also entertainment to weary travellers.
 Early History
 Later when travelling began to be undertaken in coaches ,travellers were lodged in
„Hostelries‟ situated at the relay stations where both the travellers and their horses
found rest and food. From this time onwards ,hospitality was not always offered free.
Payment for accommodation used was being resorted to.

 After the advent of Christianity, it was the church which came to the rescue of the
travellers. Monasteries took over the role of providing lodgings and facilities to
travellers who were mainly pilgrims. Every large monastery had a person responsible
for reception of visitors and their wellbeing. Accommodation and hospitality provided
were free.

 By the 15th century the institution of inn once again developed in several countries in
Europe, specially in England and France. During 17th and 18th centuries, the facilities
provided in the inns were expanded.

 In the United states of America another type of accommodation unit, known as the
„tavern‟ ,was opened in the year 1634 by a man called Samuel Coles .
 Early History of accommodation in India
 In India ,the concept of shelter for travellers is not new. The historical records are
replete with the mention/references of viharas,dharmasalas,sarais,musafirkhanas etc.
These establishments provided a home to all wayfarers ,be they pilgrims ,scholars,
adventures or merchants.

 The ancient Buddhist monks were probably the first to institutionalise the concept of a
shelter in India

 The Sarais in India like the inns in Europe stood all along the well-travelled
routes.They provided food and shelter to the traveller and to be primitive but they
conformed to the life style of that age.
 The Hotel
 The institution of hotel had its beginning in the early fourteenth century. The first hotel
in the classical sense, the forerunner of the present day existing complex unit, is said to
have been created in Paris in the year 1312.Other similar hotels were soon established
in France ,Holland,Italy,Germany and many other countries.

 By the year 1820,hotel became accepted term to describe a place where people stayed
for the night and took their meals on payment.In 1820s the first tourist hotel opened in
Switzerland.

 The year 1860 Thomas cook introduced hotel coupons.

 After the introduction of the motor car and air transport , a large number of hotels
sprang up at various tourist areas and destinations.
 Definition of Hotel
 Hotels provide accommodation, meals and refreshments for irregular periods of time
for those who may reserve their accommodation either in advance or on the premises.
In broad terms ,hotels provide facilities to meet the needs of modern traveller.

 The dictionaries define hotel in several ways ,

”a place which supplies board and lodging‟ ,

“a place for the entertainment of the travellers”

“large city house of distinction, and a public building”

 Categories of Accommodation
 Accommodation can be categorized in different ways. These could be categorized by
location,price,by type of visitors and by type of facilities they offer.

 Luxury hotels are at one end of the scale while budget or economy hotels are at the
other end. Some are within city limits or in city centres while others may be in
suburban areas.

 Some properties may cater to business travellers while others may cater to families on
holiday. Another way to categorise properties in on the basis of whether they are fully
serviced, partially serviced or non serviced. It is however ,difficult to place
international lodging accommodation in to strict exclusive categories.
 Categories of Accommodation
 According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
there are eleven different types of accommodation plus two other categories. The other
categories refer to other “hotels and similar establishments” and supplementary means
of accommodation.

 Following are the main categories of accommodation.

1. International Hotels
2. Commercial Hotels
3. Residential Hotels
4. Resort Hotels
5. Floating Hotels
6. Capsule Hotels
7. Airport Hotels
 International Hotels

These hotels are modern western style luxury hotels classified based on an internationally
accepted system of classification grading and located in almost all metropolitan and other large
cities as well as at principal tourist destinations.

Usually, they are located at a prime location in the city. There categories range from 7 to 1 Star
grade depending upon the facilities and services provided by these hotels. In addition to
accommodation various other facilities are provided to make the stay more comfortable.

These facilities include – information counters, banquet halls, conference facilities, a number of
shops, travel agency, desk business centre facilities, money changing and safe deposit facilities,
theme restaurants, beverages, swimming pool, gymnasium, health clubs and other entertainment
programmes in the form of games, music and dance, etc
 Commercial Hotels
These hotels mainly depend upon individual travellers,
middle budget tourists and many of the guests are repeat
guests.

Most of the commercial hotel receive guest who are on

business although some have permanent guests.

These hotels are located near the business or commercial

centres and have easy access to transportation.

They provide accommodation, parking space for guests

and their visitors, restaurants and sometimes business
centre facilities as well.

Size of such a hotel varies from small to medium.

 Residential Hotels
These hotels are known as apartment house or apartment hotels with the availability of
conventional hotel services.

These hotels are largely located in big cities and mostly operate under the European
Plans.

The tariff of rooms in these hotels is charged monthly, half yearly or yearly basis and is
charged for either furnished and unfurnished accommodation.

These hotels were developed in USA where people discovered that permanent living in
hotels offers many advantages.
Services and amenities provided in these hotels are comparable to those of an average
well regulated home.These are very popular in USA and popularly known as Pension.
 Resort Hotels

 Resort hotels cater to the needs of the holiday maker, the tourist and those,who by
reasons of health, desire a change of atmosphere.
 Resort hotels are located near the sea, mountain and other areas abounding in natural
beauty.
 Rest, relaxation and entertainment are the key factors around which resorts are built.
 The primary motive of a person visiting them is rest and relaxation which he is looking
for ,away from his routine ,busy work life.
 The type of services and amenities located in resort property include recreation
facilities such as swimming pool, golf course, tennis courts,skiing,boating,surf riding
and various indoor sports.

 Resorts can be of various types and can be classified on the basis of climate and
topography.
Summer Resorts
Winter Resorts
Hill Resorts
All season Resorts
Health Resorts
Resort Hotels
 Floating Hotels

 Floating hotels as the name suggests, these hotels are located on the surface of the
water.
 It may be on the sea or on a lake.All the facilities and services of a hotel are provided
here and these are very popular in many countries.
 In some countries old luxury ships have been converted into floating hotels and are very
popular among tourists.
 The atmosphere they provide is exclusive and exotic. In India floating hotels in the
form of houseboats are very popular with tourists.
 Capsule Hotels

 Capsule hotel is the newest innovation in the budget hotel market. The first of its kind
was opened in Osaka in Japan in 1979.The capsule is a box made of glass reinforced
plastic or cement ,p[en either at one side or one end, in which are concentrated some of
the functions of a traditional hotel room bed, a clock,radio,tv,flexible lighting ,a box of
valuables and a miniature table for writing.
 Rooms in a capsule hotel are generally lined up in double decker fashion along a
central aisle as in sleeping compartment of a train.
 Toilets and washrooms, wending machine room, and lounge are close by on each
floor,of the hotel.
 The functions of each capsule are controlled by close circuit TV Camera.
 The hotels cater mainly to business travellers
 The low tariff and vintage locations are the major factors for their popularity.
 Airport Hotels

 Airport hotels, as the name suggests are located near the airports primarily to cater to
the needs of transit passenger, airport crew as also passengers of delayed or cancelled
flights. The various facilities provided in these hotels are designed to offer comfort and
convenience to the air travellers.
 The various services may include parking and shuttle services to and from the airport
terminal. The hotels may also provide services for business travellers for organising
meetings, conferences and conventions etc.
THANK YOU