PERSONALITIES

Marco Polo about Xian

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Teleseme: 104 good reasons to call the staff

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International hotels around 1900 were filled with inventions lavishly described in their promotional literature. The Teleseme was the sophisticated mechanical assistant that fulfilled (almost) all wishes.

Famous Firsts

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Gaudi’s New York Grand Hotel

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Few people know that in 1908 the catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852 - 1926) imagined a skyscraper for New York City.

Andreas Augustin: Speech at Launch of Edinburgh Caledonian book

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"Dear Lord and Lady Provost..." — At the occasion of the launch of the book The Caledonian Edinburgh, Andreas Augustin held this speech in 2004

Welcome Ever Smiles*

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Receiving an important guest at European hotels in the 1920s involved a whole army of staff. If the occasion requires it, this hasn't changed at some hotels.

Howard Dearing Johnson*, Host of the Highway and The Orange Roof

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Songbirds at Raffles

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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.

Marquet, Georges

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Belgian Georges Marquet was the owner of many fine hotels and the president of Les Grands Hotels Europeens.

Wachtveitl - Why don’t you do some work ?

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When businessmen take over an enterprise as promising as the Oriental Hotel one would imagine that facts and figures are all important.

L’Hôtel - C’est moi!: Anna Sacher

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