Welcome
Dear Traveller,
Welcome to Famous Hotels, your guide to the world's legendary hotels. Founded in 1986, we are the only independent organisation dedicated to the well-researched histories of these iconic establishments.
Our focus is on hotels that, while historic, continually innovate to stay at the forefront of modern hospitality. We are not a reservation platform or affiliated with any hotel group. Instead, we delve into the rich legacies of over 450 renowned hotels worldwide. Independent and reliable.
Led by the esteemed hotel historians Andreas and Carola Augustin, our expert team crafts engaging narratives that bring these stories to life. We are grateful to the grand hotels worldwide for preserving and advancing the tradition of exceptional hospitality.
SPOILER ALERT: We are not supporters of false claims, fabricated opening dates, invented histories, or any such nonsense that is occasionally published. We take every notification of potential misinformation very seriously, pursue it diligently, and strive to find a solution in cooperation with the hotel concerned.
In Print
GRAND HOTEL in the city of LVIV, UKRAINE — in 1894, one of the places of longing of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lviv, capital of Galicia. Symbol of the anti-russian politics of Austria. Venue of the 1894 grand international exhibition. Right on time, the Grand Hotel opened in April 1894. Admittedly, there will be better times to write a book about a hotel in Ukraine. Nevertheless, we have explored the history of the Grand Hotel in Lviv. Once again Andreas Augustin spins a tale of hospitality. More
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: MANDARIN ORIENTAL SAVOY
Every city in the world has a hotel legend. The Sacher in Vienna, the Ritz in Paris, Raffles in Singapore. The list is long. But Zurich has not one, but two hotels that still enjoy worldwide fame after nearly 200 years, both founded by the same hotelier and both – in their early years – bearing his name. HOTEL BAUR (today Savoy Mandarin Oriental) is Zurich's oldest grand hotel, followed by BAUR AU LAC. Austrian hotelier Johann Baur (inset) opened HOTEL BAUR as the first of his two world class hotels of the city on December 24, 1838. It would become a milestone in the history of the hotel industry. More ...
CAMBODIA: RAFFLES
An exciting story if you (as a hotel) were born in the famous twenties. Travel was still in its infancy. Great ocean liners, luxurious trains, the first airplanes with seats as wide as armchairs in an English club, where lobster, caviar, and roast beef were served from the trolley. And then the thrilling news: in the jungles of Cambodia, a 1,000-year-old city had been rediscovered. The temple complex of Angkor Wat. Everyone had to go there. Absolutely! Two hotels keep this story alive. — A Tale of Two Hotels: Raffles Le Royal and Grand Hotel d'Angkor
Travel is not merely a transfer from A to B, nor is it about ticking off landmarks. For many artists, it has been a source of inspiration. The Singing Butler (1992) is an oil-on-canvas painting by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano. More in Art in Hospitality
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA: Galle Face Hotel
To the right you see the Indian Ocean. Its "rollers" were praised by Sherlock Holmes inventor Arthur Conan Doyle while staying at the Galle Face Hotel. In 1864, on 31 December, the name Galle Face was first mentioned in connection with a proposed hotel building in that location. We have researched the history of this splendid palatial hotel along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and found more than one gem of fabulous history telling.
VIENNA, AUSTRIA: Hotel Imperial, 1873: What would the Austrian capital be without its imperial Habsburg' history? This is another imperial tale. To the left the former palace of the Prince of Wuertthemberg, transformed into the Hotel Imperial (right). Can you spot the difference? One "storey" had been added! The full "story" can be read here.
USA CHICAGO, Ambassador East hotel: A hotel at the crossroads between East and West, between New York—the First City—and Los Angeles, San Francisco, and of course, Hollywood. Thus, Chicago became known as the Second City. When the continent was still traversed by train, everyone had to pass through here. The Pump Room in the Ambassador East Hotel Chicago, however, was definitively the number one stop on the route between the Atlantic and the Pacific for decades. Our picture above: Marilyn Monroe on the terrace of her suite. She was in town to promote her latest movie "Some Like It Hot".
Amazing Tales of the East 
BANGKOK "THE ORIENTAL"
There is a unique charm over this exceptional hotel complex situated directly on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. It began with women in elegant dresses and men in white suits with tropical helmets. Today, the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok is not only one of the best hotels in the world but also a preserver of a unique history closely tied to the Thai royal family. Bangkok Thailand: The Oriental Bangkok - The Amazing Tale of Thailands most Famous Hotel
Fascinating Exhibitions
At some point we have started putting our books up on walls. We create bespoke exhibitions called "Path of History"— Walls TALK! - visit our exhibitions
