The Hospitality Industry:

An Evolution
by Vanessa Casañas

In the beginning... Ancient Greece and Rome, inns and taverns

offered food and board in cities and on trade
routes, while spa towns featured hospitals at
thermal baths for visitors to enjoy some
recuperation. But these places were mostly shared
dormitories with limited facilities, so people
preferred to stay with family friends.

The Middle Ages Monasteries and abbeys provided regular refuge

for travelers. But the inns of medieval Europe are
the true ancestors of the modern hotel. These
staging posts acted as rest stops, providing shelter
and a place to change horses; one of the earliest
of these is the Angel Inn in Lincolnshire. Built in 1203,
it was ran as a hostel by the Knights Templar, and
hosted numerous monarchs over the years

15th Century In the 15th century, English and French law ruled that
hotels keep a register; before long, there were 600
inns registered in England alone. A typical layout
would have been an inner courtyard with bedrooms
either side, kitchens at the front and stables at the
back.

16th-17th Century The first stage coaches started operating on regular

timetables, and coaching inns became a common
sight. Introduction of fixed food menus occurred. Inns
began catering for wealthier clients during the mid
1700s and, as a result, their grandeur and level of
service improved. The industrial revolution also
started in the 1760s, facilitating travel as well as the
construction of hotels in England, mainland Europe
and America.

18th-19th Century Hotels began to proliferate throughout Europe and

North America. The Tremont Hotel in Boston opened
in 1829 and is widely regarded as being the world’s
first modern hotel - it was the first to offer bellboys,
indoor plumbing and free soap.

Mivart’s Hotel in London also opened its doors in 1812

in a single house - by 1854 it would be purchased by
William and Marianne Claridge, who expanded it
into the adjoining five buildings and renamed it
Claridge’s.

At the same time, there was a string of new luxury

hotels such as the The Fifth Avenue hotel in New York
(1859) - the first hotel to provide lifts - the Grand
Hôtel in Paris (1862), the Palais de Würtemberg in
Vienna (1873) and The Savoy in London (1889).

20th Century Hotels began to thrive, and even more prestigious

establishments opened. Most notable were the La
Mamounia in Marrakech (1923); the Waldorf Astoria
in New York (1929); and the first ski resorts in
Switzerland.

During the 1950s, the first casino hotels were created,

as well as the first club village - The Club
Méditerranée - offering sun, sea and sand. This
decade also saw the first transatlantic passenger
flight (1958), the emergence of room service, and the
first TVs in bedrooms, courtesy of Hilton.

By the 1960s, the hotel as we know it today started to

take shape. Hotel chains began offering more
spacious rooms, refined cuisine and a wider range of
services.

The internet revolution of the 1990s put hotel rooms

on the web, and online travel agencies made
competition fiercer than ever. The first Hotel Room
management system also launched in Europe during
this time.

The Modern Hotel The 21st century saw a new surge of designer hotels,
with boutique and design brands mirroring the lifestyle
of a new style-conscious generation. It was also the
time when social media and online reviews impacted
the industry, giving customers more information and
power.

The future of the industry will continue to be shaped by

technological advancements, social media and the
so-called gig economy.