About
Above: The legendary 3 Pageboys at the Oriental in Bangkok, a successful advertising sujet of the late 1980s.
The Most Famous Hotels in the World, established 1986, is the global research centre for hospitality and the development of tourism.
EDUCATION: We educate everybody interested in the hospitality industry by
- access to our archvies
- training in global research
- consideration of historical facts in management decissions
- training "Out of the Box" – the unusual PR and Marketing strategies
Everybody can request to be part of our training sessions by registering here.
We are traders of history, facts and emotions, propelled by our own curiosity.
Since 1986, we have changed the way the world looks at famous historic hotels.
We are the historians of the most famous hotels in the world.
We create history portfolios to enable the most famous hotels to fulfill their historical responsibilities, create databases of bygone times, build exhibitions and dazzle you with stories of legendary events, travellers and important personalities.
Why did we found The Most Famous Hotels in the World?
... to establish a complete list of all hotels of historical significance.
... to research and to record the history of these hotels.
... to create intellectual properties for hoteliers and their educated guests.
... to teach and educate people from all over the world in research and utilisation of the knowlege of historical facts in tourism.
Who founded The Most Famous Hotels in the World®
During the 1980s Andreas Augustin alerted the global hotel industry that valuable historic facts would be lost if not researched and recorded. Over 250 hoteliers responded enthusiastically and joined with their hotels to form the non-for-profit organisation The Most Famous Hotels in the World.
With so many hotels joining, strict rules were put in place. Today, The Most Famous Hotels in the World has grown to over 450 hotels, comprising all legendary names of the trade. Each year a jury sits over applications and selects new (in fact historic) member hotels.
We are the collectors of famous hotels.
As per 2023, over 450
HOTELS have been listed as Select Members of The Most Famous Hotels in the World.
We are the Friends of The Most Famous Hotels in the World.
We are gathering members from all four corners of the world. Please subscribe to our newsletter "Feuiletton" — we welcome interest in our work. Over 1,000 stories await you in our
READING ROOM. Last but not least, please visit our library of
BOOKS.
Famous historic hotels are an unique part of our cultural heritage. They are the venue for important historic events, stage for extraordinary people – staff and guests alike. They were the originators – and today they are the keepers – of hospitality traditions. They are a showroom of technical innovations. We assist famous hotels to research and record their history — and turn this valuable information into a unique guests'-experience.
Which Hotels are listed among “The Most Famous Hotels in the World”? What's the 3x50 rule?
We list all hotels of outstanding historic significance
1. with at least 50 rooms,
2. at least 50 years old as a hotel,
3. at least 50 % of the year open.
What do we do when we completed our historical research?
“The Most Famous Hotels in the World” is specialized in the global historic research and production of fine
books and the installation of permanent
exhibitions about this subject. Since 1986, we have researched the history of over 500 hotels around the world. We have written the histories of many notable establishments. The archives of the organisation holds files of all hotels, who benefit from our internal „web of information“. Visit our bookstore and our reading room for details.
How to become one of the most famous hotels ...?
Like history, a membership at The Most Famous Hotels in the World can not be bought, it must be earned. The independent jury meets every year to select hotels from the nominations. Once selected, the hotel can call itself a “Select Member of The Most Famous Hotels in the World”. All select hotels are listed on this website under ‘HOTELS’. You also find a link to REGISTER A NEW HOTEL.
What is the Path of History?
We install
THE PATH OF HISTORY, a permanent history exhibition, in our partner hotels. Visited by thousands of spectators we are also proud to say that we were honoured by UNESCO for our efforts and works in the UNESCO Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation program.
Below the entrance of the Path of History® at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna, Austria.
Who are The Friends of The Most Famous Hotels in the World?
The Friends of The Most Famous Hotels in the World is a group of extremely cultured, widely traveled individuals, who follow our trail around the world. Visit the ‘
FRIENDS’ and become a corresponding member.
How do we support publishers, producers and press?
Imprints
The language on this site: Our articles and records may contain language, reflecting past practices or terms used in history, that is no longer acceptable. We are committed to addressing the problem of offensive and discriminatory language. We welcome your feedback and any questions or concerns you may want to share.
