THE HISTORY OF HOTELS

Omni King Edward Hotel- Toronto

Travelers, hungry and tired, were eager and pleased when they reached an inn where they could spend the night. There would be shelter and some comfort along with food, drink and conversation with others. Dancing was allowed in some places, but puritanical villages often discouraged whistling or laughing. And if a man spoke to a married woman, he could expect to be fined!

Offering their guests hospitality has been in evidence since early biblical times. But sometimes there is a “no vacancy sign”. It’s recorded that’s what happened to Mary and Joseph when they were refused accommodations in Bethlehem so many years ago. There was “no room at the inn”.

The innkeeper was very important in colonial times. He was often called the landlord. It was required that he wake early every morning and get right to work! Sometimes he would sleep in his clean clothes to save time and often a splash of cold water from the basin was enough to get him going. If he had a staff, he would wake them next (often they were family members) and each person had his own set of chores to perform.

Facilities offering guests a place to rest and recuperate from their journey is a part of history. Accommodations for travelers sprung up along ancient trading routes. Inns in ancient Persia were often built around a central courtyard called caravanserais. Monasteries and hospitals were both erected to lodge travelers. Then, in France, in the early part of the fifteenth century, laws were passed requiring inns to keep a register of their visitors. About this time, there were approximately 600 inns registered in England alone. This was the start of the hotel industry in Europe.

It was during the 19th century that hotels really sprouted in Europe, England, and America. These lodging places seemed to be everywhere including Denmark, Japan and India. Boston, offering a deluxe hotel called The Tremont House, was the first to offer locks on doors and inside toilets.

The Le Grand Hotel Paris opened on 5 May 1862. Luxury was everywhere and the first elevator in a hotel was installed. The year 1890 equipped the entire hotel with electric lighting. Then in 1901, steam heating was installed and the selling of baskets of wood to warm the guests was no longer necessary. High arched doors and Louis XIV windows defined the exterior of the hotel. Famous artists in painting and decoration helped to make this hotel the grandest in Europe.

In 1982, it became a member of the InterContinental chain. Then in June of 2003, after a multimillion dollar renovation, it re-opened its doors.

The golden years of American hotels came about thirty years before the Civil War. These hotels were larger and more elegant than others and were built in older cities and in boom towns that were non-existent years before. They were meant to pamper their guests and permanent living in hotels became popular for those who could afford it. Everyone had a right to such comfort as long as they could pay for it! Actually, there was much to enjoy without it costing a penny — the lobby and the barroom, for example.

America’s hotels were social centers for the general public, especially where private homes were too small for social affairs on any sizable scale. The prosperous years of the 1920s saw a boom in the hotel industry.

In 1923, the architects Marchisio and Prost built a hotel that, at that time, was considered the most beautiful in the world. Its name was La Mamounia. Built in Morocco, North Africa, the country had a diverse coastline with deserts and high mountains. The name La Mamounia derived from the gardens known centuries ago as “Arset el Mamoun”. The hotel itself was named after Prince Moulay Mamoun, the son of a Sultan. His name was Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, the ruler of Marrakech in the 18th century. A frequent guest to this elegant hotel was Winston Churchill.

Hotels were now built everywhere - including in ski resorts in Switzerland and even very comfortable ones in Montana. The depression following 1929 didn’t prevent the building of the greatest hotel of those times, the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. The name of this hotel was taken from the town of Walldorf in Germany, finer hotels. Some of these hotels pride themselves with up to five stars. Their exceptional service, creative architecture and interior design often offer wellness programs, beauty centers, etc. In 1995, construction began in Dubai with the prestigious Jumeirah Beach Hotels. With the greatest luxury available and impeccable service offered, it is considered a six and seven star hotel.

Many celebrities own hotels: Donald Trump heads the list, owning hotels all over the world — including New York, Chicago, Panama and Toronto. Famous musicians, actors and athletes own hotels. For instance, Leonardo DiCaprio, along with the Four Seasons, is developing an eco-friendly hotel on his private island, Blackadore Caye. Robert DiNiro owns the Greenwich Hotel in New York City, while Clint Eastwood owns the scenic Mission Ranch in Carmel, California. All-inclusive hotels are another way to go. These hotels include all meals, all drinks, many activities and even entertainment.

Hotels today are not only a lodging place for travelers. Developers, architects and designers are much more conscious of the different desires of their guests. They continually work to improve the quality of life in hotels. This is a competitive market, and hospitality suppliers strive to be more and more able to satisfy their guests.

Times have changed a lot, but tired and hungry travelers continue to look for the inn or hotel that offers the needs and comfort they desire.

By Gloria Tietgens Sladek in "History Magazine", volume 17, n.5, June/July 2016, Canada, excerpts pp. 17-18. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.