There is no exact definition of a resort because the word means different things to different people: it can be a large hotel with many facilities, or a cabin by a lake (Ryan and Scheier). The resort industry is divided into three major categories: hotels in resort destinations, full-service hotels in resort destinations, and self-sufficient destination resorts. The first are simply hotels which are located in major holiday destinations such as Florida, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. They provide accommodations, and may have minimal services. The second category, full-service hotels, covers hotels which provide more than just a room for the night. Services may include a fitness center, spa, convention facilities, childrenÆs play areas, pool, restaurants, and shopping so the guests have many of their needs met in one location.
The third category, self-sufficient destination resorts, are completely self-contained destinations such as Club-Med and Disneyland, where the hotel, dining, and recreational facilities are all provided in an area which is totally self-contained, with no need for the guest to stray beyond the resort boundaries for their entire vacation needs to be met. These resorts often have an all-inclusive price for accommodations, meals, and entertainment. There are different types of self-sufficient resorts, such as mega-resorts and fantasy resorts, which combine lodging, meeting-space, amenities and often a fantasy theme; boutique resorts catering to the upscale crowd with a focus on top-quality service and privacy; casino resorts, such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Native Gambling facilities; timeshare resorts, some with major brand names such as Hilton, Marriott International, Hyatt, and Disney; and cruise lines, such as the one recently purchased by Westin (Ryan and Sceier).
Resort guests usually want more than just a restful vacation (Ryan and Scheier). They wanted to be entertained, and to have lots of...