Entries tagged with: Rome

“I hope he is not going to die at my hotel!” Andreas Augustin

“I hope he is not going to die at my hotel!”

Fatal last stays at hotels are of course part of the business, however, the hoteliers main concern is always: "I hope he/she is not going to die at my hotel!" This story could very well start with the famous tourism slogan "See Naples and Die". Enri...

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A Palace on the Strand Adrian Mourby

A Palace on the Strand

In 1900 visitors to London were advised by Baedeker to find a hotel on the Strand. The choice began with 700-room Hotel Cecil, built on the site of Lord Cecil’s Thameside home, then the Savoy (built by Richard D’Oyly Carte who produced ...

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Feuilleton 333 Feuilleton

Feuilleton 333

My dear reader,  In case you find this Feuilleton Ritz-heavy, you couldn't be more right. Since the early 1880s, the name Ritz is simply the better word for luxury.   PUTTING UP THE RITZ  … for sale. This time you ...

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Feuilleton 347 - Ritzy Things You Should Know Andreas Augustin

Feuilleton 347 - Ritzy Things You Should Know

Some Ritzy Things To Spice Up Your Dinner Conversation   During his career, Swiss born César Ritz (1850–1918) managed or owned the following hotels. A buffet in the Bois de Boulogne (his first private enterprise), ... and in l...

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1932: Flying from Europe to Asia TRAVEL

1932: Flying from Europe to Asia

The last stop before Bangkok was Rangoon. After flying over dense jungle, the mountains gave way to flat irrigated paddy rice fields and soon Don Muang, Bangkok’s airport, was reached. In March 1924 the British formed Imperial Airways (the for...

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Bristol - who or what’s behind the popular hotel name HOTELS

Bristol - who or what’s behind the popular hotel name

We were not aware that it was somewhat difficult to document exactly why a hotel is called Bristol. Soon we realised that this was a dilemma all Bristol hotels around the world suffered from. They all told the same story. They were allowed to name ...

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Bucher and Durrer PERSONALITIES

Bucher and Durrer

Franz Josef Bucher and Josef Durrer were among Europe’s leading hotel pioneers in the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1871 the two Swiss entrepreneurs bought a plot of land registered as “Alp Tritt“ high above the Lake of...

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From India in Style (7): Residing Abroad L. Aruna Dhir

From India in Style (7): Residing Abroad

Jagatjit-Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Kapurthala on his visit to Vienna's Hotel Imperial. Not just travel, Indian royalty were also creating second homes in the international playfields of the rich and famous or in the exclusively secluded plac...

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Mourby of Rome Adrian Mourby

Mourby of Rome

Adrian Mourby travelled to Rome and landed in history. In search for a decent 'albergo', two books of The Most Famous Hotels library came to aid. At the time of Italy's Unification in 1870, Rome was already a city of hotels and inns. The...

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Mourby of Rome — Eden Adrian Mourby

Mourby of Rome — Eden

  Our Roving Contributing Editor welcomes the reopening of Rome’s Hotel Eden.   When Cavalier Rufini took his census of Roman hotels for Pope Pius IX in 1855, the city was found to possess many small hotels and inns, some dating ...

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Mourby of Rome — Hotel Minerve Adrian Mourby

Mourby of Rome — Hotel Minerve

The view of Rome from the rooftop terrace of Grand Hôtel de La Minerve is justly celebrated. In 1917 Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Picasso’ s future wife Olga went up there to take photos. At the time Picasso and Cocteau were staying a...

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Summer Time / The Best Concierge Stories HOTELS

Summer Time / The Best Concierge Stories

Concierge stories are traded at famous hotels like good Jewish jokes. They are always a success. Adolfo Facchin made his first steps in the trade at the Excelsior in Rome in 1965, when the colourful Adamo Cecchini was running the concierge show...

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Savoy (Baur en Ville)

Savoy (Baur en Ville)

This is Zurich's oldest grand hotel. When it opened on December 24, 1838, it marked a milestone in the history of the hotel industry. In...Read More

Grand Hotel Lviv (Lemberg)

Grand Hotel Lviv (Lemberg)

Grand Hotel Lviv in 1894 Lviv or Lemberg can be metaphorically described as the westernmost city in Eastern Europe or the easternmost city in...Read More

Bergues, Des

Bergues, Des

In our world, it is no longer a given that simple restraint represents true elegance. To be recognized as one of the oldest purpose-built Grand...Read More

Le Royal

Le Royal

In 1923/24, the construction of a 55-room hotel in Phnom Penh was proposed. Architect Ernest Hébrard, who was largely responsible for...Read More

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