Howard Dearing Johnson*, Host of the Highway and The Orange Roof
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Reading Room
US/NY: The McAlpin Hotel history
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Among the many hotels we have "lost" in time was the McAlpin Hotel in NY city. Here is the story of General Edwin Angustus McAlpin (1848-1817), a successful business man.
Baur au Lac: “I want to transfer 10 million from our joint account.”
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"I want you to transfer 10 million kronor from the joint account." — it was impossible for me not to overhear the elderly Swedish couple giving instructions to their banker at Zurich's Baur au Lac hotel.
The Third Hotel
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Andreas Augustin tackled the impossible — and produced a book about the long missing third hotel of the Sarkies brothers. The Strand, Yangon (Myanmar) became a bestseller.
The return of Joan Baez
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During the American War (outside of Vietnam known as Vietnam War) US Folk singer Joan Baez had made the hotel her shelter for almost two weeks and experienced the worst air-raids of mankind.
Gritti Venice: Hemingway’s Window
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Not only can I look down from Hemingway’s window, I can also sit in his chair.
1932: Flying from Europe to Asia
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While a steamship from Europe to Indonesia would have never come near Bangkok, the 1932 KLM schedule from Amsterdam to Batavia in a Fokker F-12 or F-18 was very different.
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Mandarin Oriental Savoy Zurich (former Savoy Baur en Ville)
Johannes Baur, born in Austria in 1795, was a visionary entrepreneur who profoundly shaped Zurich’s hospitality industry. In 1837, at the age...Read More
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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
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In 1952, a group of wealthy individuals including Donald Deskey, the fabled designer (among his works the Radio City Music Hall); Harvey Firestone,...Read More
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You don your safari gear during the day, but you always dress for dinner. Because Mount Kenya Safari Club Nanyuki is an exclusive retreat. High on...Read More