Resorts!
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The Walt Disney World Resort is a prominent example of a modern, self-contained commercial resort. Resorts exist throughout the world, increasingly attracting visitors from around the globe. Thailand, for instance, has become a popular destination. Resorts are especially prevalent in Central America and the Caribbean.
Closely related to resorts are convention and large meeting sites. Generally these occur in cities where special meeting halls, together with ample accommodations as well as varied dining and entertainment are provided.
Types of resorts
A commercial establishment at a resort destinaton such as a recreational area, a scenic or historic site, a theme park, a gaming facility or other tourist attraction competes with other businesses at that destination.. Examples would be hotels in and around Disney World, resorts in St. Martin in the Caribbean, and establishments at Aspen, Colorado in the USA.Destination resort
A destination resort is a resort that contains, in and of itself, the necessary guest attraction capabilities that is to say that a destination resort does not need to be near a destination (town, historic site, theme park, or other) to attract its public. Consequently, another characteristic of a destination resort is that is offers food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping within the facility so that guests have no need to leave the facility throughout their stay. Commonly these facilities are of higher quality than would be expected if one were to stay at a hotel or eat in a town's restaurants. Some examples are Atlantis in the Bahamas, Costa do Sauípe in the Northeastern Brazil, Laguna Phuket in Thailand and Sun City near Johannesburg in South Africa.All-inclusive resort
An all-inclusive resort is a resort that, besides providing all of the common amenities of a resort, charges a fixed price that includes most or all items. At a minimum, most inclusive resorts include lodging, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment for the fixed price.Historical resorts
A famous resort of the ancient world was Baiae, Italy, popular over 2,000 years ago. Capri, an island near Naples, Italy, has attracted visitors since Roman times.Another famous historical resort was Monte Ne, Arkansas, which was active in the early 20th century. At its peak more than 10,000 people a year visited its hotels. It was disenfranchised in the 1930s and flooded in the 1960s and all that remains are ruins
Resorts Condo-hotel
Trump International Hotel and Tower. A condo-hotel or a hotel-condo is a building used as both a condominium and a hotel.This type of residential building meets several needs that make it attractive. As development costs increase, the cost of hotel development can make developing new hotels difficult, especially in major cities. By selling the units as condos, the developer moves much of the development cost to the condo owners. By owning units that can be rented as hotel rooms, the owners are able to get a return on their investment allowing them the ability to own a residence in a resort or major city.
It should be noted that the U.S. Government is very strict about the type of advertising that can be done vis a vis Condo Hotel projects. Some condo projects have advertised themselves as "Real Estate Investments" - since the value of these condos as a real estate investment is not entirely clear - the U.S. Government currently disallows use of this reference when advertising condo hotels.
Condo hotels have been criticized in California for allowing developers to skirt laws designed to protect public access to beaches. Because such a facility has hotel rooms, it can be classified as a public accommodation, even though the majority of the units are privately held, and the facility does little to accommodate the public.
While not intended as a complete list, the most popular locations in the U.S. for condo hotels include: Chicago, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, New York City, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Orlando, Florida.
Luxury resort
A luxury resort, sometimes referred to as an exclusive resort, is a very expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars. Luxury resorts often boast many visitor activities and attractions such as golf, watersports, spa and beauty facilities, skiing, natural ecology and tranquility. Because of the extent of amenities offered, a luxury resort is also considered a destination resort.A luxury resort is an elite luxury property which exhibits an exceptionally high degree of customer service and hospitality. A flawless execution of guest services will be the resort staff's and managements main concern. A luxury resort will commonly also feature a superb architectural interior and exterior design as well as an interesting physical location.
The interior design will normally be elegant with stylish bedroom decor, exceptional dining facilities, and manicured landscaping and meticulous grounds. Luxury resorts will often also be in based in exceptionally desirable and strategic worldwide locations, from beautiful tropical islands, to snow caked mountains, to scenic lakes and rivers, to exhilarating cities. The locations will often be famous for featured activities from skiing to golf, water spots, diving, fishing, sailing and nature walks to glamorous shopping and nightlife entertainment.
A luxury resort may vary greatly in character, style and theme from resort to resort. A luxury resort will, however, normally be characterized by a high level of luxury, sophistication and, of course, price. Accommodations are first class, whether they follow a classic and traditional nature or a more minimalist and modern styling. An unmatched level of comfort will be available at a luxury resort, as well as many personalized services and amenities.
Mega resort
A Megaresort, a type of destination resort, integrates the services offered by a hotel, casino, dining, entertainment, and shopping into a single, large, and highly stylized or themed venue. The hotels along the Las Vegas Strip are most typically thought of as megaresorts owing to their immense size and complexity.The first megaresort is generally considered to have been The Mirage given its size and emphasis on non-gaming entertainment options like shopping and fine dining to draw in customers. Megaresorts use the same fantastic or mythical theme (medieval life at Excalibur, tropical at The Mirage, famous cities, etc.) throughout their properties.
Seaside resort
The seafront of Torquay, a seaside resort in Devon, England.A seaside resort is a resort located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.History of the seaside resort
The coast has always been a recreational environment, although until the mid-nineteenth century, such recreation was a luxury only for the wealthy. Even in Roman times, the town of Baiae, by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy, was a resort for those who were sufficiently prosperous. During the early nineteenth century, the Prince Regent popularised Brighton, on the south coast of England, as a fashionable alternative to the wealthy spa towns such as Bath. Later, Queen Victoria's long-standing patronage of the Isle of Wight ensured the seaside residence was a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home.It was in the mid-nineteenth century that it became popular for people from less privileged classes to take holidays at seaside resorts. Improvements in transportation brought about by the industrial revolution enabled people to take holidays away from home, and led to the growth of coastal towns as seaside resorts. This is perhaps most strongly evidenced in England and Wales, country's shaped such that its coast is no more than 180 km from any point.
British seaside resorts
Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable.Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked.
The Grand Napier and donkey rides at Weston-super-Mare England
Llandudno NapierAs the nineteenth century progressed, British working class day-trippers travelled on organised trips such as railway excursions, or by steamer, for which long Napiers were erected so that the ships bringing the trade could berth.
The popularisation of the seaside resort during this period was nowhere more pronounced than in Blackpool. Blackpool catered for workers from across industrial Northern England, who packed its beaches and promenade. Other northern towns (for example Scarborough, Bridlington and Skegness) shared in the success of this new concept, which spread rapidly to other British coastal towns including several on the coast of North Wales and notably Rhyl, and Llandudno, the largest resort in Wales and known as "The Queen of the Welsh Resorts", a title first implied as early as 1864. Some resorts, such as Bournemouth, were built as new towns by local landowners to appeal to wealthier holidaymakers.
From the last quarter of the twentieth century, the popularity of the British seaside resort has declined for the same reason that it first flourished: advancements in transportation. The greater accessibility of foreign holiday destinations, through package holidays and, more recently, European low-cost airlines, affords people the freedom to holiday abroad. Despite the loyalty of returning holiday-makers, resorts such as Blackpool have struggled to compete against the favourable weather of Southern European alternatives. Now, many symbols of the traditional British resort (holiday camps, end-of-the-Napier shows and saucy postcards) are regarded by some as drab and outdated; the skies are imagined to be overcast (although British summers from the late 1980s onwards have often been warmer and sunnier than at any other time in living memory) and the beach windswept.
In contrast, the fortunes of Brighton, which has neither holiday camps nor end-of-the-Napier shows, have grown considerably, and, because of this, the resort is repeatedly held up as the model of a modern resort. However, unlike the Golden Miles of other British resorts, the sea is not Brighton's primary attraction: rather it is a backdrop against which is set an attitude of broad-minded cosmopolitan hedonism. The resulting sense of uniqueness has, coupled with the city's proximity to London, led to Brighton's restoration as a fashionable resort and the dwelling-place of the affluent.
Other English coastal towns have successfully sought to project a sense of their unique character. In particular, Southwold on the Suffolk coast is an active yet peaceful retirement haven with an emphasis on calmness, quiet countryside and jazz. Weymouth in Dorset offers itself as 'the gateway to the Jurassic Coast', Britain's only natural World Heritage Site. Newquay in Cornwall offers itself as the 'surfing capital of Britain', hosting international surfing events on its shores.
Torbay in South Devon is known is also known as The English Riviera. Consisting of the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, the bay has 20 beaches and coves along its 22 mile coastline, ranging from small secluded coves to the larger promenade style seafronts of Torquay's Torre Abbey Sands and Paignton Sands. Paignton Napier extends into the sea from the popular seafront.
Irish seaside resorts
Resorts Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has a number of seaside resorts. The premier Northern Irish seaside resort is Portrush, often considered as the Northern Ireland's equivalent of Blackpool. Portrush is situated on the north coast of Northern Ireland as has two sandy beaches, a world-famous golf course Royal Portrush Golf Club, amusements, bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Newcastle is another seaside resort in Northern Ireland and is located on the east coast at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.Other quieter and more scenic coastal towns are Ballycastle and Portstewart, both on the Northern Irish north coast.
Resorts Republic of Ireland
Resorts Irish Riviera
The Irish Riviera features the pretty seaside resorts of Youghal, Ardmore, Dungarvan, Cobh and Ballycotton. These are a group of resort towns and villages all set close to the sunny south coast of Ireland. Each town has its own character with its own attractions, places to stay, places to eat, traditional Irish pubs and beauty spots. Youghal has been a favoured holiday destination for over 100 years and is right in the centre of the south coast of Ireland. The town is situated on the banks of the majestic Blackwater river as it reaches the sea. Youghal is well known for its beaches, being the only town in the Republic of Ireland with not one, but two, beaches that have been awarded EU Blue Flag status. Dungarvan is a thriving seaside market town nestled beneath the mountains in the centre of the Irish south coast. Kinsale is often described as a food lovers and yachting town - a great base from which to explore the Irish Riviera. There is a very diverse range of restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. Kinsale is also home to a large and active creative community and there are numerous art galleries, record and book shops and several excellent delicatessens. Cobh is a perfect base for a wide variety of leisure and sport activities including fishing, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, powerboating and of course walking and golf.
Ski resorts
Resorts St. Moritz
A ski area is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain, containing ski trails and vital supporting services. It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding. Normally located in high mountain areas (or at least on well-built-up hills) for optimum snow coverage, they have become ubiquitous in areas where skiing is a popular pastime. The paths are usually marked and known as runs, trails or pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more chair lifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect the various pistes. Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills or bunny slopes). Larger ski areas may use gondolas or aerial trams for transportation across longer distances within the ski area.A ski resort is a ski area plus amenities to make it a destination resort. This includes a village of accommodations and other amenities adjacent to the ski area. Ski resorts often have other activities to engage in besides skiing and snowboarding, such as snowmobiling, sledding, horse-drawn sleds, dog-sledding, ice-skating, indoor or outdoor swimming and hottubbing, game rooms, and local forms of entertainment, such as clubs, cinema, theatre and cabarets. Ski resorts may be self-contained and entirely devoted to ski tourism (for example Vail ski resort) or they may be near a village or town that had a significant existence before the ski resort was built, such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming or Park City, Utah.
Though skiing is less dangerous than many popular sports (such as bicycling, golf, football, swimming and weightlifting), it is widely perceived as being high risk, in part due to significant accident rates as recently as the 1970s. Nevertheless, ski areas usually have at least a basic first aid facility, and some kind of ski patrol service to ensure that injured skiers are rescued. The ski patrol is usually responsible for rule enforcement, marking hazards, closing individual runs (if a sufficient level of hazard exists), and removing (dismissing) dangerous participants from the area.
Ski resorts usually have hotels, bars and restaurants that offer après-ski activities, including cocktails, dining and live music. Traditional ski resorts often have health spas with saunas, hot tubs, masseuses, and swimming pools.
A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in mountains. Common activities include skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating, as well as summer activities such as hiking, mountain biking, golf and tennis.
English Seaside resort
The seafront of Torquay, a seaside resort in Devon, England.A seaside resort is a resort located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable.
Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked. The coast has always been a recreational environment, although until the mid-nineteenth century, such recreation was a luxury only for the wealthy. Even in Roman times, the town of Baiae, by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy, was a resort for those who were sufficiently prosperous. During the early nineteenth century, the Prince Regent popularised Brighton, on the south coast of England, as a fashionable alternative to the wealthy spa towns such as Bath. Later, Queen Victoria's long-standing patronage of the Isle of Wight ensured the seaside residence was a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home.
It was in the mid-nineteenth century that it became popular for people from less privileged classes to take holidays at seaside resorts. Improvements in transportation brought about by the industrial revolution enabled people to take holidays away from home, and led to the growth of coastal towns as seaside resorts. This is perhaps most strongly evidenced in England and Wales, country's shaped such that its coast is no more than 180 km from any point.
British seaside resorts
Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked. The Grand Napier and donkey rides at Weston-super-Mare EnglandLlandudno NapierAs the nineteenth century progressed, British working class day-trippers travelled on organised trips such as railway excursions, or by steamer, for which long Napiers were erected so that the ships bringing the trade could berth.
The popularisation of the seaside resort during this period was nowhere more pronounced than in Blackpool. Blackpool catered for workers from across industrial Northern England, who packed its beaches and promenade. Other northern towns (for example Scarborough, Bridlington and Skegness) shared in the success of this new concept, which spread rapidly to other British coastal towns including several on the coast of North Wales and notably Rhyl, and Llandudno, the largest resort in Wales and known as "The Queen of the Welsh Resorts", a title first implied as early as 1864. Some resorts, such as Bournemouth, were built as new towns by local landowners to appeal to wealthier holidaymakers.
From the last quarter of the twentieth century, the popularity of the British seaside resort has declined for the same reason that it first flourished: advancements in transportation. The greater accessibility of foreign holiday destinations, through package holidays and, more recently, European low-cost airlines, affords people the freedom to holiday abroad. Despite the loyalty of returning holiday-makers, resorts such as Blackpool have struggled to compete against the favourable weather of Southern European alternatives. Now, many symbols of the traditional British resort (holiday camps, end-of-the-Napier shows and saucy postcards) are regarded by some as drab and outdated; the skies are imagined to be overcast (although British summers from the late 1980s onwards have often been warmer and sunnier than at any other time in living memory) and the beach windswept.
In contrast, the fortunes of Brighton, which has neither holiday camps nor end-of-the-Napier shows, have grown considerably, and, because of this, the resort is repeatedly held up as the model of a modern resort. However, unlike the Golden Miles of other British resorts, the sea is not Brighton's primary attraction: rather it is a backdrop against which is set an attitude of broad-minded cosmopolitan hedonism. The resulting sense of uniqueness has, coupled with the city's proximity to London, led to Brighton's restoration as a fashionable resort and the dwelling-place of the affluent.
Other English coastal towns have successfully sought to project a sense of their unique character. In particular, Southwold on the Suffolk coast is an active yet peaceful retirement haven with an emphasis on calmness, quiet countryside and jazz. Weymouth in Dorset offers itself as 'the gateway to the Jurassic Coast', Britain's only natural World Heritage Site. Newquay in Cornwall offers itself as the 'surfing capital of Britain', hosting international surfing events on its shores.
Torbay in South Devon is known is also known as The English Riviera. Consisting of the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, the bay has 20 beaches and coves along its 22 mile coastline, ranging from small secluded coves to the larger promenade style seafronts of Torquay's Torre Abbey Sands and Paignton Sands. Paignton Napier extends into the sea from the popular seafront.
Irish seaside resorts
Resorts Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has a number of seaside resorts. The premier Northern Irish seaside resort is Portrush, often considered as the Northern Ireland's equivalent of Blackpool. Portrush is situated on the north coast of Northern Ireland as has two sandy beaches, a world-famous golf course Royal Portrush Golf Club, amusements, bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Newcastle is another seaside resort in Northern Ireland and is located on the east coast at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.Other quieter and more scenic coastal towns are Ballycastle and Portstewart, both on the Northern Irish north coast.
Resorts Republic of Ireland
Resorts Irish Riviera
The Irish Riviera features the pretty seaside resorts of Youghal, Ardmore, Dungarvan, Cobh and Ballycotton. These are a group of resort towns and villages all set close to the sunny south coast of Ireland. Each town has its own character with its own attractions, places to stay, places to eat, traditional Irish pubs and beauty spots. Youghal has been a favoured holiday destination for over 100 years and is right in the centre of the south coast of Ireland. The town is situated on the banks of the majestic Blackwater river as it reaches the sea. Youghal is well known for its beaches, being the only town in the Republic of Ireland with not one, but two, beaches that have been awarded EU Blue Flag status. Dungarvan is a thriving seaside market town nestled beneath the mountains in the centre of the Irish south coast. Kinsale is often described as a food lovers and yachting town - a great base from which to explore the Irish Riviera. There is a very diverse range of restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. Kinsale is also home to a large and active creative community and there are numerous art galleries, record and book shops and several excellent delicatessens. Cobh is a perfect base for a wide variety of leisure and sport activities including fishing, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, powerboating and of course walking and golf.Resorts County Clare
Lahinch is a bustling seaside resort, and is very popular for holidaymakers because of its long beach, golf links, promenade, and Seaworld (a leisure complex). Lahinch is extremely popular with surfers
Resorts Canada's grand railway hotels
The Château Frontenac in Quebec CityCanadas railway hotels are a series of grand hotels across the country, each a local and national landmark, and most of which are icons of Canadian history and architecture. Each hotel was originally built by the Canadian railway companies, or the railways acted as a catalyst for the hotels construction, and the hotels were intended to serve the passengers of the country's then expanding rail network.Resorts Architecture
Many of the railway hotels were built in the "château style" (also termed the neo-château or "châteauesque" style), which as a result became known as a distinctly Canadian form of architecture. The use of towers and turrets, and other Scottish baronial and French château architectural elements, became a signature style of Canadas majestic hotels, and was even borrowed by the designers of important public buildings (such as the Confederation and Justice buildings in Ottawa). In later years, the railway companies departed from the château style for some of their properties, notably with the construction of Winnipeg's Royal Alexandra in 1906, the Palliser Hotel in Calgary, built in 1914, and the elaborate second Hotel Vancouver, which was done in grand Italianate style quite unlike any of the other Canadian railway hotels.Resorts History
Banff Springs Hotel in 1929 Canada's first grand railway hotel, the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, opened in 1878. Although it was not owned by a railway company, it was built to serve railway visitors from nearby Windsor Station. Given its location next to Montreal's main train station, the Windsor served for years as the permanent residence of executives of both the Canadian Pacific Railway and Grand Trunk Railway.The direct involvement of the railways in the construction and operation of large hotels originated with Canadian Pacific Railway's the opening of the Hotel Vancouver on May 16, 1888, this was the first of three railway owned hotels by that name in Vancouver. Two weeks later, the Banff Springs Hotel was officially opened by the Canadian Pacific Railway on June 1, 1888. CPR president William Cornelius Van Horne had personally chosen the site in the Rocky Mountains for the new hotel, and he envisioned a string of grand hotels across Canada that would draw visitors from abroad to his railway. Van Horne famously remarked: If we cant export the scenery, well import the tourists. (Chisholm, 2001:12) The original Banff Springs Hotel, of wooden construction was accidently destroyed by fire in 1926, and replaced by the present structure.
Canadian Pacific Hotels next built the Château Frontenac in Quebec City, which quickly came to be the symbol of the city and was designed to rival any hotel in Europe. Place Viger followed in Montreal, followed by The Empress in Victoria, British Columbia and the Château Lake Louise in Alberta. The CPRs main competitor, the Grand Trunk Railway, was not prepared to leave the field solely to its rival, and it was similarly determined to build a chain of luxury hotels across the country, even borrowing the château style from the CPR. The GTR built the Château Laurier in Ottawa in 1912, with the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg and the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton following in 1913 and 1915 respectively.
The Château Laurier in OttawaThe GTR was amalgamated into the Canadian National Railway in 1920. During the decades that followed, the CPR and the CNR continued to expand their competing hotel chains across the country. The Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, built in 1958 over that citys Gare Centrale, was perhaps the last true railway hotel built in Canada, although both chains continued to open new establishments in subsequent years (albeit none of them had any connection to the railways, except through their ownership).
In 1988, Canadian Pacific acquired the CNR hotels, and for the first time, many of Canadas railway hotels were operated by the same chain. In 1999, Canadian Pacific Hotels became Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, borrowing a name of a company it had recently acquired. Although Fairmont continues to operate many of Canadas landmark hotels, some of the historic railway hotels are owned and managed by other hotel chains.
Resorts National icons
Despite their age, Canadas railway hotels remain national icons. It is hard to imagine Victoria without the Empress, the Rockies without the Banff Springs or the Château Lake Louise, Toronto without the Royal York, Ottawa without the Château Laurier or Quebec City without the Château Frontenac. (Chisholm, 2001: 7)
Resorts Sanatorium
For the musical group with the same name, see Sanatorium (band). A sanatorium (also sanitorium, sanitarium) is a medical facility for long-term illness, typically tuberculosis. A distinction was sometimes made between a "sanitarium" (a kind of health resort, as in the Battle Creek Sanitarium) and "sanatorium" (a hospital).According to the Saskatchewan Lung Association, when the National Anti-Tuberculosis Association was founded in 1904, it was felt that a distinction should be made between the health resorts with which people were familiar and the new tuberculosis treatment hospitals: "So they decided to use a new word which instead of being derived from the Latin noun sanitas, meaning health, would emphasize the need for scientific healing or treatment. Accordingly, they took the Latin verb root sano, meaning to heal, and adopted the new word sanatorium".
In the early twentieth century, tuberculosis sanatoriums (or sanatoria) were common in the United States. The first tuberculosis sanatorium for blacks was Burkeville, Virginia's Piedmont Sanatorium. Waverly Hills Sanatorium, a Louisville, Kentucky tuberculosis sanatorium, was founded in 1911. It has become a mecca for curiosity-seekers who believe it is haunte. A.G. Holley Hospital in Lantana, Florida is the last remaining freestanding tuberculosis sanatorium in the United States.
Switzerland had many sanitoriums, as it was believed that clean mountain air was the best treatment for lung diseases. The ill of Europe were sent to recover there. The Heliantia Sanatorium in Valadares, Portugal was used for the treatment of bone tuberculosis between the 1930s and 1960s.
After 1943, when Albert Schatz, a graduate student at Rutgers University, discovered Streptomycin, the first true cure for tuberculosis, sanatoriums began to close. Around the 1950's, tuberculosis was no longer a major public health threat and so most of the sanatoriums had reached the end of their lives. Most sanatoriums were demolished years ago.
Some, however, have assumed updated medical roles. The Tambaram Sanatorium in south India is now a hospital of excellence for AIDS patients. The state hospital in Sanatorium, Mississippi is now a regional mental retardation center.
Resorts Former Soviet Union
In former Soviet Union the term has slightly differing meaning. It is mostly a combination of resort/recreation and medical facility intended to provide short-term complex rest and medical service.
