Chris Ryan

With reference to the hotel and hospitality sector a clich is that the standard of accommodation is a significant component in the generation of satisfying travel experiences. A poor standard of hotel room or poor service in a restaurant may not in itself necessarily impede enjoyment of a holiday, but equally the potential for complaint and loss of satisfaction with the total trip remains high. A full literature exists with reference to the role of hotel accommodation and reference can be made to concepts such as the critical incident, confirmation-disconfirmation models of satisfaction and, from a service perspective the importance of emotional labour and the creation of a theatre of service. A second clich is that the demand for accommodation is a derived demand; that is it is the wider appeal of a destination that may be the major determinant for a trip and the requirement for accommodation is a consequence of that initial decision to travel. While this may still be true for the greater part, increasingly caveats have to be stated that modify the clich .

The emergence of urban stays and short break holidays have made a feature of the accommodation as a reason for travel away from home. The weekend break is a long established form of holidaying, having a modern history that commenced, at least in the U.K. with offers such as those of Grand Metropolitan Hotels and British Rail in 1964 that were marketed under the "Stardust" Holiday brand. This was subsequently taken...