When Tennessee architect-builder Kemmons Wilson took his family on vacations across the country, he always had the same complaints: the motels were dirty, the rooms were too small, children were charged the same as adults, there was not enough bathroom space, and so on. He decided to do something about it: he would open his own motel chain. First, however, Wilson took his family on a cross-country trip, staying at dozens of motels, taking meticulous notes on room dimensions, service quality, conveniences at the front desks and rooms, and, of course, price.

Upon his return, Wilson determined from his research the "optimal" room for a family of four — size, facilities, and "extras." Most significantly, he decided that children would stay free in his motel. In 1954 Wilson opened the first Holiday Inn of America outside Memphis. By 1962 there were 280 of the green...