Inns - The Evolution of Hotels

There are so many versions on the evolution and history of Inns that, at least for me personally it's difficult to say hey, this is the way everything started and this is when it started. However, logically and analytically speaking, one found many facts hidden facts between the lines of history. It is left then to your judgement to draw conclusions.

The necessity for travel should have triggered the demand for overnight sleepover places. Where in fact the traveller could rest his horses, wash himself, eat good food with a glass or two and have a sound sleep before embarking upon the journey further the following day. The annals so implies. Alehouses used to serve the travellers with home brewed beer and allow him to settle the barn or the kitchen. Inns would offer primarily room or dormitory accommodation with attached or shared bathrooms initially and as demand grew, rooms were supplied with attached baths.

The principles governing the stay of the traveller were framed by the innkeeper and were quite strict. The key door of the inn would close at a particular hour and from then on, you could not enter even although you were a guest. Since travel conditions days past were tough, people normally would travel alone. Many Inns would therefore not allow travellers with families to stay. One had to consume the fixed breakfast prescribed by the Inn Keeper and on shared tables. The Inns enjoyed good occupancy and business in the lack of any alternative.

From those medieval days to the current day, the Inns have covered plenty of ground, seen enormous developments and embraced changes in the merchandise, style and operations of contemporary Inns. Even the traveller has changed to guests who no further arrive on the horse back; he is a jet set traveller with totally fresh pair of demands and expectations. Inns are now full service hotels, meeting the demand criteria of the guests. The brands command a price premium since the demand for rooms are very high.

The factor which used to characterise early day inns are, they were mostly or generally on the intersection of two major roads, or at the entry of a city or close to the railway station no more holds good. Today one finds Inns anywhere and everywhere. Airports, down town, city centre, beach or resort location, specially on ski resorts and golf resorts or for instance even included in a mixed development.

Since Inns are perceived as budget hotels, offering economical rates for its rooms and food and beverages, they normally attract the bulk of mid market segment and like a relatively higher occupancy. Inns also have a reduced operating overheads and therefore even after lower revenues, are able to generate a healthier contribution to the underside line. This cost benefit benefit of the product has prompted most of the big hotel chains to enter the Hotels Inn segment. It is really a profitable business niche from investment angle.

Some of the big ticket Inn sign boards would read like the Fair Field Inns by Marriott Hotels, Days Inns & Quality Inn, Holiday Inns by Intercontinental Hotels, Premier Inns, Residence Inns, Park Inns, Hampton Inns and Suites, Sleep Inns and the list goes on. The benefit of big corporate launching Inn brands has been many folds. It gives a quality stamp to the Inn product and offers the ability to the Inn tag to ride on the trunk of upscale tags like the city hotels, down town hotels, luxury hotels pousada em gramado etc.

Today, some hotels inns are of the same quality in product development and quality as any luxury hotel or a 5-star hotel. They have good sized and well-appointed guest rooms, 2 to 3 gourmet restaurants, bars, pubs, discotheque, business centre, health club with a well-fitted gym, swimming pool. Meeting spaces and the works, yet they are shy to drop the "inn" tag afraid to loose the special status they enjoy. Inns would not like to obtain drowned in the deep ocean of the hotel world and loose their identity. Inns really are a different world. Inns remind you of the nostalgic time journey of hotel evolution.