History of Hospitality

Study Notes

Hospitality is derived from the Latin word "HOSPITARE", meaning "TO RECEIVE A GUEST".
The first hotel in America was the City Hotel in New York (1794) with 73 rooms.
The first five-star hotel in America was the Tremont House (1829-ca. 1895) which featured several hotel "firsts":
- Indoor plumbing
- Indoor toilets and baths
- Reception area
- Locked rooms for the guest
- Free soap
The first "modern" hotel was The Buffalo Statler Hotel (1908) which had innovations such as:
- Fire doors
- Light switches inside the rooms
- Private bathrooms
- Key holes placed directly above doorknobs for easy access
- Circulating hot and cold shower in each room
- Full length mirrors
- Morning newspaper
The Manila Hotel is the oldest premiere hotel in the Philippines, opened in 1912, with 500 rooms. It was the residence of General Douglas Mac Arthur from 1935 to 1941.

Ellsworth M. Statler (1863-1928): Father of Modern Commercial Hotel Industry. He originated the hotel chain concept known as Statler.
Conrad Hilton: King of the Innkeepers, became successful after World War II. He formed the Hilton Hotel Corporation in 1946, after acquiring the 3,000 rooms Stevenson Hotel (now Chicago Hilton).
Cesar Ritz: A hotelier at the Grand National Hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland. He became known for his management abilities which made the hotel one of the most popular in Europe.
William Waldorf Astor and John Jacob Astor IV: William Waldorf Astor launched the 13-story Waldorf Hotel in New York City in 1893. Four years later it was joined by the 17-story Astoria Hotel, erected by William Astor’s cousin, John Jacob Astor IV.
Kemmons Wilson: Started the Holiday Inn chain in the 1950s. He opened his first Holiday Inn in Memphis, Tennessee.
J.W Marriott and J.W. Marriott Jr: J.W Marriott (1990-1985) founded his hotel empire in 1957 with the twin Bridges Marriott Motor Hotel, later renamed the Washington Marriott, in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington D.C.