IV. The Development of Modern HotelsIn 1960s, the development of new locations fueled the expansion of the U.S. hotel industry. Prior to that time, hotels were built primarily in city centers and resort areas. As commerce and industry spread from urban centers to rural, suburban, and airport locations, hotel companies like Hilton, Sheraton, and Marriott recognized opportunities to develop their brands in these new locations.Although it is best known for the birth of disco, the early 1970s was also a boom time for hotel expansion. For example the completion of the U.S. interstate highway system, along with aggressive sales activity by the major brands, opened new markets in many previously inaccessible cities and towns. In response to this surge in hotel development, companies developed multiple brands aimed at different segments of the traveling public.Several new concepts or facilities were introduced into hotel industry during this period, such as minibar (a small refrigerator displaying products) in 1960, 21-story atrium（中庭）lobby first constructed in Atlanta Hyatt Regency in 1967 and 24-hour room service first implemented by Westin in 1969 Segmentation was heaviest in the lower-priced portions of the industry, as budget and economy chains attempted to distinguish themselves from their competitors.In the mid-1970s, the Arab oil embargo and the subsequent U.S. energy crisis, with its gas shortages, gas rationing（定量配给）, and higher oil and gas prices, crippled the travel industry. Inflation also had a dramatic impact on the lodging industry during this period. As the cost of borrowing funds for new hotel development soared, development all ceased.Pampering the hotel guest was the strategy of the 1980s. Room and bathroom amenities——specialty soaps, sewing kits, mouthwash, shampoo, and a variety of other personal-care items——could be found in most hotels, whatever the rate category. Of course, the higher-rate hotels provided the most elaborate amenity packages. Some first-class and luxury hotels set aside one or more guest floors as "club" areas. For a higher rate, club guests could enjoy a number of special services, including an exclusive club desk for check-in and check-out, and complimentary breakfasts, afternoon teas, evening cocktails, and before-bed snacks served in the club's private lounge.In the early 1990s, the concept of quality service as differentiating factor came to the fore. Hotel companies implemented quality-assurance programs and referred to the quality of their service in their advertising. For the first time, a hotel company—The Ritz-Carlton—won the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. It received the award for the first time in 1992. In 1999 it won the award for the second time. This stood as recognition for its continuous improvement towards quality. Ritz-Carlton implemented total quality management (TMQ) as a means of winning the award and improving its service.Total quality management refers to managerial actions to meet customers need according to control to all the service procedures and consistent improvement of service quality among all departments, all staff and all the service programs.The concept of TQM rests largely on six principles:Produce quality work the first time．．．．．．．．．.Focus on the customer（internal and exter．．．customer）.．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．nalL．eadership．．．．．．．．.．．．．．．．．．and strategyImprove continuously．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．.Encourage mutual respect and teamwork.．．．．．．．．．Empower．．．．．．． the employees to do whatever to achieve hotel goals.Team’s homework: Make a research on the Ritz-Carlton hotel by internet and find out how it managed to accomplish the six principles. Systemize what you find and prepare a presentation for all the other students in the next class.At the end of the twentieth-century and the beginning of the twenty-first, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and information technology changed lodging's competitive environment both here and abroad.The hospitality industry is currently one of the world’s largest employers, and the job outlook for the future is just as favorable. Hospitality is one of the few industries in which it is still possible to weather bad economic conditions, break ground in new markets, and lead their operations into the future.V. The Appendix：Twelve world famous hotel groups.1. 希尔顿酒店集团公司（Hilton Hotels Corporation）：希尔顿国际酒店集团(HI)，为总部设于英国的希尔顿集团公司旗下分支，拥有除美国外全球范围内“希尔顿”商标的使用权。
