IN THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY, the typical hotel* (84.4 percent of all properties) was located in a population or trade center, had fewer than fifty rooms, and was independently owned. Only 4.7 percent of all properties belonged to a chain, and there were only two prominent chains-Sheraton and Hilton. Rooms were small,most had no telephone, and a few lacked a private bath.
Hospitality
Beginning in the mid-1950s, however, hotels began to change, driven by changes in the society around them :
Population growth. The population began growing signification, especially in the South, Mountain, and Pacific regions. The population also began shifting. The Sunbelt (especially Florida and Texas) and the western states (especially Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and California) experienced a tremendous influx of people.
Long life span. Not only did the population grow, it also began to live longer, and a significant number of new household were formed. Many of these new families relocated, moving across the country in record numbers.
Improved incomes. Family incomes improved in the post-World War II economy, and two-income families became more prevalent. After the belt-tightening war years, families suddenly had more money to spend on travel and leisure. It wouldn't be until the 1970s, when inflation began running rampant, that this trend would be curtailed to any great extent.
