Hotel industry: General information on the hotel industry

A bit of hotel history: During Antiquity, hotels offered food and lodging to travellers. The Roman Empire used them in particular as relays for its armies. After the barbarian invasions, only furnished houses remained, which most often became lairs of highwaymen and brothels.
In the Middle Ages, the hotel (written ostel) still had the meaning of “welcome place for guests, hospital” (like the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris) before losing it to the pro...