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“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”  ― Ernest Hemingway

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”  ― Ernest Hemingway
HOTELS

ALL SELECT MEMBER HOTELS

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ARTICLES—NEWS—HISTORY

BOOKS

BOOKS ABOUT FAMOUS HOTELS

Welcome

Dear Traveller;
Welcome to The Most Famous Hotels in the World, the keepers of the archives of the legendary icons of hospitality. 
Famous historic hotels are an unique part of our cultural heritage. The Most Famous Hotels in the World is research centre and publisher of fine books about legendary hotels. We work hard to deliver our share to treasure the past in order to safeguard the future. 
So much more „About“ us

ABOUT THE HOUSES

Grand Hotel Lviv, Ukraine,  (under research). It opened in 1893 in the city of Lemberg (Lviv), then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Galle Face Galle Face Hotel, Colombo Ceylon (Sri Lanka), 1864 
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: 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!

USA Chicago | Ambassador East hotel: Marilyn Monroe in town to promote her latest movie "Some Like It Hot", enjoying a cigarette on the rooftop terrace.

Amazing Tales of the East Bangkok Thailand: The Oriental Bangkok - The Amazing Tale of Thailands most Famous Hotel

2023: Cambodia — A Tale of Two Hotels: Raffles Le Royal and Grand Hotel d'Angkor

Fascinating ExhibitionsPath of History — Walls TALK! - our exhibitions

 

News

Bond of Brothers — the First Asian Hotel Chain Andreas Augustin

Bond of Brothers — the First Asian Hotel Chain

( words)

Arriving from Armenia, settling on the island of Penang, the Sarkies formed the first Asian group of hotels, long, before Raffles became a hotel chain — The Story of A Family

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REVIEW: Worth the Detour, A History of the Guidebook Andreas Augustin

REVIEW: Worth the Detour, A History of the Guidebook

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‘But why, oh why, do the wrong people travel, when the right people stay at home?’ asked Noël Coward, and Nicholas Parsons seems to have the answer: 'Because they have guide books!’

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Around the World in 80 Hotels (1) HOTELS

Around the World in 80 Hotels (1)

( words)

In 1873, the journey Around the World in 80 Days took Jules Verne's novel character Phileas Fogg from London to London — via Europe, India, China and America. But did you know that this figure was inspired by William Perry Fogg (27 July 1826 – 8 May 1909) an American adventurer and author. In our story we visit 80 of The Most Famous Hotels in the World. The first part of our journey takes us from England to Scotland.

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SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN Andreas Augustin

SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN

( words)

Der Neue Guide für Schloss Schönbrunn … Wieder einmal haben sich Andreas und Carola Augustin auf ein Thema konzentriert, dass sie seit Jahrzehnten begleitet. Generationen-übergreifend - sozusagen! MEHR ...

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VENICE 1822: Dal Niel opens Danieli Adrian Mourby

VENICE 1822: Dal Niel opens Danieli

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ITALY; VENICE / On 24 October 1822 an entrepreneur from Friuli in the Veneto opened up the piano nobile of Palazzo Dandalo to the public. Giuseppe Dal Niel had had a novel idea. By 1824, he converted it into a hotel. As Venetians had already nicknamed this busy little man Danieli, that was the name that Dal Niel gave to his new venture.

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Imperial World HOTELS

Imperial World

( words)

"Imperial" is a very popular hotel name. It still features prominently in the post-colonial world – a reminiscence of a bygone era.

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Ritz-Carlton: The Beginning Andreas Augustin

Ritz-Carlton: The Beginning

( words)

Ritz-Carlton's name is based on The Carlton in London and the Ritz in Paris. The first Ritz-Carlton opened in New York in 1911.

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The Randolph — A Perspective of Oxford Adrian Mourby

The Randolph — A Perspective of Oxford

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Teaching exists at Oxford since 1096 and developed accordingly from 1167, when King Henry II banned English students from attending the University in Paris. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. Its most famous hotel is comparatively young. The Randolph opened in 1866. It very quickly established itself as what it was always intended to be: a suitable place for both visiting dignitaries and parents to stay when in Oxford.

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The Greenbrier and its dress-code Stan Turkel

The Greenbrier and its dress-code

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The Greenbrier is a National Historic Landmark, world-class resort, and, at times, army hospital and, later, bomb shelter of 1100 people including 535 senators. The present structure opened in 1913. 26 presidents have stayed at The Greenbrier. Not surprising: the hotel has a whole website on dress code and - call us old-fashioned- we at The Most Famous Hotels in the World like that very much!

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The Willard Washington Stan Turkel

The Willard Washington

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American author Nathaniel Hawthorne observed in the 1860s that “the Willard Hotel more justly could be called the center of Washington than either the Capitol or the White House or the State Department.”  

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Feuilleton 391: THE WALDORF CAMPAIGN, Hotels lost in History Andreas Augustin

Feuilleton 391: THE WALDORF CAMPAIGN, Hotels lost in History

( words)

Andreas Augustin’s irregular newsletter appears on this website and is delivered to the inbox of all our subscribers.

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The Modest Mr Ritz or: Taking over the Frankfurter Hof Andreas Augustin

The Modest Mr Ritz or: Taking over the Frankfurter Hof

( words)

On March 1, 1895 the Frankfurter Hof was leased to a consortium consisting of César Ritz, Otto Kah from Baden-Baden and the brothers Otto and Ferdinand Hillengass. The Hotel Aktiengesellschaft corporation demanded an adequate rent and hoped to at least make a good return on it. The big-mouthed Swiss shooting star of hospitality, César Ritz, had gambled high to get the contract, now he must show what he was able to do.

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The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

Since decades “The Oriental”, as it is affectionately known by travellers from all over the globe, leads the lists of all...Read More

Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel

The historic building (top, slide to the right): The "new" Raffles main building in 1899. It opened on 18 November 1899, featuring the all new...Read More

Le Royal

Le Royal

In 1923/24, the construction of a 55-room hotel in Phnom Penh was proposed, with Ernest Hébrard as architect. A visionary planner, he was in...Read More

Galle Face

Galle Face

The Galle Face Hotel was established in 1864, five years before the Suez Canal came into operation. A journey through the Suez Canal was a...Read More

Half Moon

Half Moon

In 1954, a group of wealthy individuals including Donald Deskey, the fabled designer (among his works the Radio City Music Hall); Harvey Firestone,...Read More

Your Next Trip

Chelsea
(1884/1903)

A renovated staircase in New York's latest reopening of a legend. Highly praised famous hotel.  This... Read more

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