Transcript History of Hospitality

History of Hospitality
• Hospitality is one of the oldest businesses
• First records of travel are recorded on cave walls
about 6000 years ago
• Money, writings, and the wheel had just been
invented.
• These inventions made it easier to travel and conduct
business
Early History
• The hospitality business probably began with the
Sumerians.
• In 4000 B.C. the Sumerians lived near the Persian
Gulf and grew grains that they turned into alcoholic
beverages
• They built taverns and served beer ----these taverns
were some of the first hospitality businesses
• Early traders traveled from region to region to trade
their spices, gold, and other exotic goods.
• They needed places to sleep and eat while traveling.
• People built inns and taverns along the trade routes.
• These inns and taverns served tired, hungry, and
thirsty travelers.
Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire
3 countries played an important role in the early days
of the hospitality business
Ancient Egypt began the tourism trade
About 2700 B.C. the pharaohs built the pyramids
The beauty and majesty attracted visitors
They needed places to eat and sleep
• Ancient Greece had a role in the hospitality
business.
• 2 important contributions
1. the Greek language became the
universally accepted language of
international trade
2. Greek money became the standard of
exchange
Greeks defeated the Romans
• In 146 B.C. the Greeks defeated the Romans
• They developed roads throughout their
empire
• This road system made travel easier and
quicker
After fall of the Roman Empire:
•
After the fall of the Roman Empire, there were many wars and invasions.
•
Travel became dangerous
•
Travel and tourism came to a stop.
•
During the Middle Ages, the churches offered food and a place for
travelers to rest.
•
The Renaissance followed and there was a rebirth of travel
•
Taverns and inns were once again open
Development in the United States
• Our country has made great contributions to the
hospitality business.
• Grand hotels, motels, restaurant chains, fast-food
businesses, and franchises all originated in the U. S.
• As each new mode of transportation developed,
hospitality businesses opened up along the route or
at the stations.
Inns for Stage Coach Travelers
• In the 1600s, stagecoach routes were established in
the U. S.
• Inns soon were built along the routes
• Travelers ate and slept at these inns
• Stages usually arrived at set times. The innkeeper
would have everything prepared when passengers
arrived.
• The innkeeper tried very hard to take care the
travelers needs.
Grand Hotels for Railroad travelers
• During the 1800s railroad travel developed
and spread.
• This was much more comfortable than
stagecoach travel
• It also decreased the length of travel time
• A 110 mile trip would take 11 hours by stage
coach; only took 2 ½ hours by train
• Inns, saloons, and restaurants were built close
to the railway stations
Tremont House Hotel in Boston
• During the railroad boom-the first grand
hotel was built in America
• Grand hotel offered luxury accommodations
• The Tremont House in Boston was built in
1828
• A hotelier was the manager or owner of a
hotel
The Tremont was 4 stories tall.
Elevators had not been invented.
This caused problems for the guests.
Tremont’s hotelier created a new position: bellhop
When he heard a bell ring, he had to hop to it to help
guests.
His job was to carry heavy luggage upstairs
Luxury Hotels in Europe
• Cesar Ritz was raising the standard of luxury
hotels in Europe.
• The Savoy in London, England had high
standards of excellence and luxury
• The Ritz in Paris, France was the 1st to have a
private bath, built in closets, and telephones
Back in the United States
• Back in the U. S., hotel industry pioneers were
developing the hotel chain.
• In the early 1900s Ellsworth Statler developed
his chain of Statler hotels. His rooms had
telephones in each room, full-size closets,
modern plumbing, radios, and free morning
papers.
Motels for Automobile Travelers
• A motel combines basic hotel services with
the convenience for the automobile traveler.
• Early days was called a tourist court or motor
court.
• It was located near a highway.
• Parking was free and usually located right
outside the door.
• Had to carry in your own luggage
Holiday Inn developed by Kemmons
Wilson
• Mr. Wilson was disappointed by the
accommodations he found on a trip to Washington,
D. C.
• He could either stay at an expensive downtown hotel
or at a small motor court that charged extra for his
children and was often not air conditioned, small,
and often dirty
• He decided to develop his own chain that would
meet the needs of a family
• This was the beginning of the Holiday Inn