Kemmons Wilson, who set up Holiday Inn, died last week, aged 90, at his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
Wilson, widely viewed as the father of modern-day hospitality in the USA, was a millionaire by his 30s through property deals, a popcorn business and a jukebox franchise. Despite his riches, though, he was reluctant to spend much money on hotel rooms.
On a road trip in 1951, with his wife and five children, he found US hotel accommodation lacking and overpriced. He made notes, measured rooms, and vowed to start his own value chain.
Holiday Inn, named after a Bing Crosby film, was launched in 1952 in Memphis, Wilson's home town. It broke the mould by putting up kids free, and offering air conditioning, free room TV and swimming pools.
The chain, which now numbers more than 1,500 worldwide, was bought by Bass, now named Six Continents, in 1990 and the head office was moved from Memphis to Atlanta, Georgia. Wilson left the company in 1979.