AN INTRODUCTION TO RESORTS

By Akhil Thomas

WHAT IS A RESORT


Resort hotels are located in the mountains, on an island or exotic location away from crowded residential areas. More leisurely, relaxed atmosphere, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resort hotels provide special activities such as golf, sailing, skiing.

HISTORY OF RESORT
The roots of the resort concept can be traced to the Romans Period.  In A.D. 1326, Colin le Loup, a Belgian developed a shelter to welcome others by the iron-rich waters of a spring near Lie`ge.  The Swiss became the centre.  The earliest resorts in the United States were were opened in Virginia, New York, and West Virginia.


Seaside resort became popular and it came up in Long Branch, New Jersey, Newport and Rhode Island. The American Civil War changed the nature of many Eastern resorts as they catered to Southern gentlemen who brought their horses (and their slaves) with them for the war. Americas first resort city was Atlantic City. Developed in the late 1800s. Improvements in transportation changed the structure of resorts.

TYPES OF RESORTS
  

Integrated Resorts Town Resorts Retreat Resorts

Integrated Resorts Integrated resorts include holiday sites which offer every possible facility, service and amenities.

Some of the integrated resorts contain a wide range of accommodation from various types of cottages, self-catering apartments, town houses and villas. Main considerations are given to open spacing, landscaping and: other important issues in the resorts. Eg. Disney Land,Sentosa

Walt Disney Integrated Resort ,Florida ,USA

Town Resorts
A town resort combines the usual land users and activities of the town community that is economically focused on resort activity. This type of resort is also typically oriented to a specific attraction feature such as snow skiing, a beach lake or marine recreation, spas facilities etc. The hill stations, developed at the time of Britishers, too are very popular and some of them are considered as town resorts or have nearby resorts. Eg. Atlantic City,Sochi,Cannes

Atlantic Resort, USA

Sochi, Russia

Aspen Resort, Colorado, USA

Ski resort,Quebec,Canada

Retreat Resorts
The retreat resorts operates at small scale, i.e., 25 to 50 rooms but they offer a high quality of services like resorts located in remote areas such as small islands and in the mountains. The only access may be by boat or by small airplanes or by narrow building roads. Some of these resorts are under consideration in India as well at places which are far from the habitations and cities. These can be planned at places like islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, remote hilly areas, etc. Eg. Penn Club London, Holy Isle Scotland

Taj Garden Retreat,Coonoor,Oooty

Categories of tourist resorts

They are categorized on the basis of their services and nature. Holiday Centres Having good scenery, and Summer/winter resorts. Eg. Colorado,Wyoming,Quebec,Bretton Woods Sports Centres As Winter sports, Beach sports, Water sports, and Aero sports. Eg. Intercontinental Goa,Leela Goa,Taj Vivanta Health Centres Spas, Health farms, Mineral springs, and Therapeutic purposes (for curing).
Eg. New Mexico,Utah,Indiana

Centres of outstanding tradition and cultural attractions. Eg. Helsinki, Edinburgh Places of religious significance. Man made attraction Appu Ghar, Essel World. Centres of education, folk museums, art centres and research centres. Eg. Berlin, Chicago Centre of economic importance, places of economic interest, fares, exhibitions and technical centres of business interests. Eg. Dubai, Madrid Centres of scientific importance. Eg. Munich, Stanford Capital attractions Administrative centres Political convention places. Eg. Stockholm, Delhi Mixed centres Recreation, Business conferences and conventions. Eg. Tokyo,HK

Intercontinental Golf Resort,Goa

Cannes, France

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