Tar Heel Travels Goodbye  Tourists Courts Elaborate, expensive amenities transform hotels into destinations By Bill F. Hensley Right: The Holly Inn in Pinehurst mixes old-style elegance with modern amenities

I remember well the first time I stayed in a commercial room away from home. I started to call it a hotel or motel room, but it was neither. It was, in fact, a “tourist court” in rural Georgia, and the time was the mid-1930s when our family made a vacation trip from Asheville to Florida.

The room — actually the family needed three — was in a grove of trees that faced the highway in some off-the-beaten path town such as Baxley or Waycross. There were about 25 or 30 small units that faced the highway and rented for something like a dollar or two per night.

Tourist courts — or “cabins” — were popular in those days and were an option to high rise hotels in a downtown area. But they soon gave way to motels, and eventually disappeared, becoming a part of folklore and invoking nostalgic trivia questions.

My grandchildren will recall a totally different hotel experience in the years ahead. When they look back on their first overnight stay, they will remember a posh room with numerous amenities, often at a stiff price. There will be beds, dressers, TV sets and bathrooms as always, but they will be bigger, more luxurious, more carefully appointed, and contain a variety of frills and gadgets. The transition was brought on by technology and competition.

Since 9/11, many hotels have suffered and occupancy rates have dipped substantially. To try and recoup their losses, accommodations are taking on a new look in an effort to attract more customers. “Nothing is too good for our guests,” seems to be the new marketing technique.

But the customer will pay — perhaps through the nose — for the latest advancements as hostelries compete to enhance images and increase profits. Already, guests are discovering hidden charges for amenities that were used or not used, as the case may be. Some hotels today openly announce a daily fee that includes such diverse items as parking, maid service, use of the spa or workout facility, newspapers, local calls and bottled water.

On a recent visit to Orlando, the hotel in which I stayed — a 1,500-room facility with a large convention center — had a computer in every room along with high-speed Internet access. Such an amenity will be standard at most hotels in the years ahead, I’m told, along with two-line telephones, door bells, safes, minibars, refrigerators, microwaves, alarms and electronic systems for wake-up calls, room service, bellmen and checkout.

The guest may also take advantage of entertainment systems that include television, VCRs, radio, CD players, voice mail and teleconference screens for business meetings.

Several trends have been noted in recent years such as shuttle service, no smoking throughout the facility (including an expensive “room cleaning” charge for those who violate the rule), and “themed rooms” to honor celebrities who have stayed there.

The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, for example, plans to add a Donald Ross suite, an F. Scott Fitzgerald suite and a Bob Timberlake suite to honor the golf course designer, writer and artist who have played significant roles in the resort’s history. The rooms will be decorated with photos and memorabilia associated with the honoree.

Other hotels will seek couples who are seeking romance and will offer a variety of accommodations that feature dimming lights, jacuzzis, waterbeds, chaise lounges, soft music, down pillows, satin sheets and plush carpets.

Are you looking for a package at discounted prices? Then be sure and ask about prices that include everything from room to golf, tennis, spa, shopping, and area attractions. At a San Francisco hotel, a package is available that includes a tattoo or body piercing and daily Tarot readings. Also in California, a speedbutton on a hotel telephone connects the caller to a local shrink.

Nannies, playgrounds and activities for children will be standard at the numerous hotels that will make a strong effort to become a “family destination,” and the establishment that doesn’t have a spa, workout room, numerous pools and health facilities will be as passÈ as yesterday’s newspaper.

Cuisine will always be emphasized at better facilities, so the race continues for celebrity chefs, fancy dining rooms with gourmet meals and expensive decors, along with informal dining, small cafes, snack bars and pizzerias. Lounges will range from large rooms that offer music and entertainment to small, cozy nooks for intimate conversation and drinks.

The smaller, more competitive inns — and chain motels — will probably continue to include breakfast in the rate. That service has been welcomed by a cost-conscious public that is looking for a bargain.

In Las Vegas and other large tourist destinations, mega properties will continue to be built where they count the rooms in the thousands and the square feet in the millions.

Meanwhile, the well-known traditional resorts, such as Pinehurst, The Homestead and The Greenbrier, will continue to stress elegance but will include modern conveniences when appropriate.

Change for the most part is great, but I wonder if we won’t miss the quiet, understated hotel room that was unpretentious but was clean, comfortable and convenient? The past is prologue.

Return to magazine index