The concept of hotels is rather old. Ages ago, people who traveled used to stay in what were called inns. With time, the inns turned into hotels and innovations started coming in. However, the basic concept remains the same. A hotel is an establishment that provides accommodation on a short term basis. Hotels can be found in well, every city and town of the world. Even some villages have their small establishments that allow visitors to spend time there.

As with most other products, the hotel quality varies according to the money one is willing to pay. From the small budget establishments that charge nominal rates and provide basic amenities to large worldwide chains of hotels that charge a fortune but make sure the amenities and service are value for money, hotels have it all. There are hotels where one has to pay for everything and there are others where every conceivable need is taken care of along with the room charges. In the United Kingdom, hotels are legally bound to serve food and drinks within certain hours. There are those private hotels that are exempt from this law. In countries like Japan, there is a concept of capsule hotels that provide shared facilities within a fixed amount of room space that is a bare necessity. In India, the term hotel is also associated with restaurants.

Due to the huge surge in tourism worldwide, the concept of hotels has changed drastically. People these days associate comfort and service with the name hotel. It is almost impossible to run an establishment that doesn't have the qualities stated already. There are hotels that range from 1 to 5 stars - the higher the star, more the luxury.

Among the hotels that have stood the test of time are Schloss Cecilienhoff in Potsdam, Taj Mahal Palace and Tower in Mumbai, Waldorf Astoria in New York City, Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Hotel de Paris in Paris, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, Ritz Hotel in London, Grand Hotel Europe in Saint Petersburg, Algonquin Hotel, Hotel Statler and Hotel Chelsea in New York City. All these hotels transformed themselves with time and continue to entertain guests even now.

Some hoteliers have changed the concept by going different. Hence, one can find tree house hotels, cave hotels, capsule hotels, ice and snow hotels, garden hotels and underwater hotels! An extension of hotels can now be found in resorts that are built to cater to one particular trade. The casino resorts of Las Vegas are an example of resorts.