Andreas Augustin

Oriental-Mania

( words)

The Orient evokes 1001 associations in us. Around 1900, the Orient was a myth to many. Hotels were baptised 'De L'Orient' or 'Oriental' and inspired legends and fables. In hospitality industry, the myth eventually became synonymous with its associated cities and countries. For most of us, today, the term Oriental Hotel appears to be linked to the city of Bangkok. In fact, many believe that there always was only one Oriental Hotel.

BUT

There were some more in:

Syria/Lebanon, Grand Hotel d’Orient Beyrouth

JAPAN KOBE THE ORIENTAL HOTEL — a modest start

JAPAN KOBE THE ORIENTAL HOTEL with 3rd floor

JAPAN KOBE THE ORIENTAL HOTEL with 4th floor

D'Orient, Tiflis, Georgia (Caucasus)

The (long lost) Oriental Hotel Singapore in the 1920s, in Bras Basah Road.

Algeria: Tiaret Hotel D'Orient ...

Adelaide offered its own Oriental Hotel ...

Canberra had a "private" Oriental Hotel ...

The Grand Hotel d'Orient in Barcelona.

The Oriental Hotel in Chanute, Kansas

ORIENT HOTEL CHEROKEE, OKLAHOMA

NAUVOO, Illinois and a view of its Oriental Hotel in 1915.

The Oriental Hotel in California in bygone days.

An Oriental Hotel in California in bygone days.

The Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang opened over 20 years after the first Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.

The Hotel Orient in Taipei

THE ORIENTAL HOTEL in Springwood, Australia

A letter from the ORIENTAL HOTEL in New York

ORIENTAL HOTEL Manhattan Beach, N.Y.

GRAND ORIENTAL HOTEL COLOMBO

GRAND ORIENTAL HOTEL COLOMBO (it still exists today)

The name inspired not only grand hoteliers, but also private enterprises, like the Bright Oriental Guest House ...

Another Grand Hotel: THE ORIENTAL in Dallas, Texas.

Outside of the Oriental Hotel in Dallas

The Newsstand in front of the Oriental Hotel in Dallas.

Blida, Algiers

… and finally, one more legend: the New Oriental in Galle, Ceylon (now, of course, Sri Lanka). It was renowned for being neither new nor oriental.

Her name was Nesta Brohier, the proud owner and operator of The New Oriental Hotel, and we all adored her. Every classic hotel joke fit perfectly: "There wasn’t a single mosquito (they came in swarms)," or "24-hour room service referred to the time it took for a club sandwich to appear."

Travellers fell for the heavy Dutch armchairs on the terrace, with their wooden flaps to rest your legs, as you leafed through “the latest” newspapers that were at least four weeks old.