Zeppelin's entire album (IV) was written during a lengthy stay at the Bon-y-ar cabin in the Swiss Alps if memory serves. The band was taking a badly needed break and getting 'away from it all' while working on new material.
From what I've read, and this is strictly from memory.... Plant woke up one morning and heard Page downstairs working on some catchy guitar stuff. As he descended the stairs, he began to sing the words to what would later become Stairway to Heaven. They sat down and worked the lyrics out on paper, in mere minutes. The other two guys woke up and later claimed there was magic in the air that day. They literally wrote the greatest smash hit of all times in a single morning IN A CABIN IN THE WOODS!
I have every version of the song I can find and still prefer the studio version on IV. They really nailed it. Hotel is a pretty decent song and the Eagles did some fine work, don't be offended... But nothing I've ever heard comes close to the pure rapture of Stairway. Even Zeppelin couldn't top it!
Regards,
Callahan