什麼是旅館

提供住宿、餐飲等各項商業性質服務給旅客的建築物。人類社會自古代就有客棧（Inn）的存在，用以服務商人及其他旅行者（例如羅馬帝國時代的道路系統沿線）。中古歐洲的修道院在危險地區也會經營客棧，以保障來往旅客有個避難休息之處。十八世紀馬車旅行漸多，加上後來的工業革命，大幅刺激了客棧的發展。到了鐵路時代，以享樂為目的的旅行開始流行，才造成了現代旅館的出現，大型旅館通常也都蓋在火車站附近。1889年開幕的倫敦薩伏依旅館（Savoy Hotel），使用了獨特的電氣化裝置及服務，為現代旅館奠下新標準；而1908年開幕的美國紐約州水牛城（Buffalo, N.Y.）史特勒旅館（Statler Hotel），提供了更高等級的商務客房服務，則是旅館發展的另一個里程碑。第第二次世界大戰之後，新設的旅館普遍大型化，很多並設在機場附近。連鎖式旅館也開始普及，使得采購、銷售及預約都更有效率。現在的旅館大致有三種類型：過境式旅館；休閒式旅館，主要是供度假旅客使用；以及住宿型旅館，是一種提供餐宿服務的公寓式建築。亦請參閱motel。

hotel

Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the traveling public on a commercial basis. Inns have existed since ancient times (e.g., along the Roman road system during the Roman Empire) to serve merchants and other travelers. Medieval European monasteries operated inns to guarantee haven for travelers in dangerous regions. The spread of travel by stagecoach in the 18th century stimulated the development of inns, as did the Industrial Revolution. The modern hotel was largely the result of the railroads; when traveling for pleasure became widely popular, large hotels were often built near railroad stations. In 1889 the Savoy Hotel in London set a new standard, with its own electricity and a host of special services; the Statler Hotel in Buffalo, N.Y. (1908), another landmark, catered to the growing class of business travelers. After World War II, new hotels tended to be larger and were often built near airports. Hotel chains became common, making purchasing, sales, and reservations more efficient. Hotels fall into three categories: transient hotels; resort hotels, intended primarily for vacationers; and residential hotels, essentially apartment buildings offering room and meal service. See also motel.