The Travel industry is a global service industry that is centred on the movement of people from one place to another, and the associated services that support it. It includes the hospitality and hotel industries as well as airlines, railways, ferries and tour operators.
Guests stay in hotels for a variety of reasons, from leisure to business. Most rooms are rented out on a prepaid basis in advance, either by booking online or by calling a telephone number or visiting a physical location (often known as walk-ins). The reservation can be booked by a travel agency, an individual hotel or through a global distribution system (GDS) which connects to many different hotels and acts as an intermediary for the booking of rooms.
Hotel prices may vary depending on the location, with higher rates charged for those in cosmopolitan areas and during the peak season. Prices also depend on whether the hotel is an independent property or part of a chain, as well as how its ratings are awarded (for example some hotels have their own star rating systems and others use an external rating agency).
Many hotels provide wake up calls for their guests, and this can be automated by programming the room phone to call at a specific time. Hotels may also charge a fee in addition to the standard rate, which provides access to facilities such as fitness centres, swimming pools and high-speed Internet. This is often referred to as a resort fee or hotel fee.