12大酒店集团及丽兹卡尔顿介绍.docVIP

IV. The Development of Modern Hotels In 1960s, the development of new locations fueled the expansion of the U.S. hotel industry. Prior to that time, hotels were built primarily in city centers and resort areas. As commerce and industry spread from urban centers to rural, suburban, and airport locations, hotel companies like Hilton, Sheraton, and Marriott recognized opportunities to develop their brands in these new locations. Although it is best known for the birth of disco, the early 1970s was also a boom time for hotel expansion. For example the completion of the U.S. interstate highway system, along with aggressive sales activity by the major brands, opened new markets in many previously inaccessible cities and towns. In response to this surge in hotel development, companies developed multiple brands aimed at different segments of the traveling public. Several new concepts or facilities were introduced into hotel industry during this period, such as minibar (a small refrigerator displaying products) in 1960, 21-story atrium（中庭）lobby first constructed in Atlanta Hyatt Regency in 1967 and 24-hour room service first implemented by Westin in 1969 Segmentation was heaviest in the lower-priced portions of the industry, as budget and economy chains attempted to distinguish themselves from their competitors. In the mid-1970s, the Arab oil embargo and the subsequent U.S. energy crisis, with its gas shortages, gas rationing（定量配给）, and higher oil and gas prices, crippled the travel industry. Inflation also had a dramatic impact on the lodging industry during this period. As the cost of borrowing funds for new hotel development soared, development all ceased. Pampering the hotel guest was the strategy of the 1980s. Room and bathroom amenities——specialty soaps, sewing kits, mouthwash, shampoo, and a variety of other personal-care items——could be found in most hotels, whatever the rate category. Of course, the higher-rate hotels provided the most elaborate amenity packages.