Hotel project

Derivation - hôte, French - to host

The notion of a 'place to stay' goes back to ancient colonising societies moving through fixed strongholds with 'pit stops' along key routes. Hosting 'travellers' for finanicial return originates from the earliest 'business' travel along trading routes often where harsh climate would require a particular level of protection. Early records show some form of hostelry in major towns. Religious institutions have also traditionally provided 'board and lodging' for those requiring a 'safe house' or simply to top up incomes from land, benefactors etc. Some hotels have had 'residents' who remained by choice or otherwise as semi-permanent guests, sometimes for convalescence or escape. Often writers will cite a particular period or piece of work as owing to time spent at someone else's convenience.
The hotel has come to define a class and section of society according to its design and styling. Hotel types are often based on pre-selecting the appropriate type of visitor - budget hostels, boutique, motel, no-frills-business, designer, classic opulent, art, airport, love, resort, capsule, conference/casino - and this style is generally represented in external appearance, public spaces and advertising - its image. Once inside the chosen environment, like airline seating, overt class related terminology is emphasised for room types - 'economy', 'standard', 'deluxe', 'super deluxe', 'penthouse', 'king suite' - this adds motivation to 'upgrade' and flout personal betterment. Understood social protocols are often tested and morphed on crossing the hotel boundary.