Source: KWilson.com, fair use
Jan 5, 1913. The “father of the modern hotel,” revolutionized the travel industry by creating the first standardized chain of clean, air-conditioned hotels with swimming pools and ice machines.
Born at Osceola, AR, in 1951 Wilson became angered by the conditions and costs of hotels he encountered during what he called “the most miserable vacation trip of my life.” From this family vacation, the idea for the Holiday Inn chain was born.
Named after the 1942 Bing Crosby film, Holiday Inns were strategically located next to the burgeoning interstate highway system, where growing numbers of post-WWII families could travel from one to the next, knowing there would be no unsavory surprises. Today, there are Holiday Inns in every state and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Wilson died at his home at Memphis, TN, on Feb 12, 2003.
Read more at http://kwilson.com/our-story/history/.
