A.

Ancient History
1. The Sumerians
❑ The recorded history of the
hospitality industry begins
with the Sumerians, a
group of people who
inhabited an area known
as Mesopotamia, near the
Persian Gulf, by about 4000
BC.

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A. Ancient History
1. The Sumerians
❑ Much of this area, coveting
part of the modern state of
Iraq, was particularly fertile,
allowing many of the
Sumerians to become skilled
farmers and cattle breeders.

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❑ The Sumerians skill at farming enabled them to raise
and harvest sufficient grains to support artisans and
craftsmen who could devote their time and talent to
other activities.

❑ The Sumerian Farmers were eventually able to produce

so much that the had a surplus available to trade.

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 ❑ Sumerians are often
credited with inventing
money and writing,
critical elements in the
evolution of business.

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❑ In addition to growing and trading grain, the Sumerians
became skilled at converting it to alcoholic beverages,
primarily beer. The Sumerian grain beverages were
probably safer to drink than their water.

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 ❑ Local Sumerian taverns were probably among the first
hospitality business.

❑ These were drinking establishments that catered to

people who lived in the immediate neighborhood.

❑The Taverns served various beers and provided a

gathering place for local residents to discuss the issues
of the day.

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 ➢ The lodging industry
developed because of the need
to provide accommodations
for travelers.

➢ Trading between two cultures

created the need for groups of
people to travel often great
distances

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 Along these trade routes, certain
stopping points became favored
out of necessity.

➢ These stopping points became

known as junction points that grew
into trading center and eventually
evolved into cities.

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 Journey segment is the
maximum reasonable distance
traveled in one day along trade
and caravan routes without
junction points

➢ At these journey segments,

lodging facilities became a need. In
China they were called Relay
Houses. In Persia Khans and in
Rome Tabernas.

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 2. Greek and Roman Days
❑ In Ancient Greece, hospitality was provided by certain
elements of religion: missionaries, priests and
pilgrims formed a very large part of the traveling
public.
❑The accommodations were meager, providing only shelter
and the barest of sustenance

❑In the earliest times, they were operated by slaves

who belonged to the temple or holy places.

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❑ In Ancient Rome, the inns were large mansions.
Owners of these inns would not allow guests to stay
unless they carried a “letter of eviction”. Which was
permission to travel from government officials.

❑ Inns and taverns were well established throughout the

empire. Their taverns were called “tavernas”, and the
attached inn was called a “Caponas”, but the general
quality of the taverns and inns available to the public was
poor.

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Department of Hospitality & Tourism
 o In early days in the Near East,
caravans crossing vast desserts,
stopped at caravansaries. These are
accommodation surrounded large
courtyards.

o These were simple structures

consisting of four walls that
provided protection against
marauding enemies who
attacked under cover of
darkness.
Within the walls, Platforms were constructed upon
which the traveler’s slept
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o In the last years of the Roman Empire,
taverns and inns provided shelter for
traveling merchants, actors, and
scholars.

o Accommodations were still

primitive. There were rooms
for people but not stables for
the horses, more often there
were stables but no rooms

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o At some point, innkeepers
began to incorporate food and
beverage service in their
operations

o Another development was the

Roman networks of roads that
crisscrossed Europe and parts
of Asia and Africa. These
roads provided fast and safe
routes for travelers.

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o The history of the hotel is its present form goes
back to the Middle Ages. In the 13th and 14th
centuries, German and English literature made
frequent reference to the “INN”

o The development of the inn in

the late medieval period was
due to the improvements in
security in many European
Societies.

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C. Industrial Revolution

o During the height of the Industrial

Revolution in the 1700’s and early
1500’s there was a great demand
for accommodation as people
migrated to the cities to work

o The emerging middle class

could afford accommodations
when traveling away from
home.

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C. Industrial Revolution

o The Industrial Revolution and the

development of Spa helped the
growth of the hotel industry.

o By 1750, Brighton, Blackpool,

Southern and other English
seaside resorts were
attracting bathers.

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C. Industrial Revolution

o The Industrial Revolution and the

development of Spa helped the
growth of the hotel industry.

o By 1750, Brighton, Blackpool,

Southern and other English
seaside resorts were
attracting bathers.

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 As the evolution of lodging continued,
the wealthy and landed
aristocracy in the world began
to view the many spare rooms
in their castles and estates as
sources of revenue.
The so called precursor of
the modern hotel – The
City Hotel (73 rooms)

Built in New York in 1794, it

is a significant milestone in
the evolution of lodging
because its sole purpose
was to house guests.

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 The Tremont House in
Boston was built in 1828.
It is considered by many
as the first 5 - star hotel
in the world. Its
amenities offered such
as in – room water
pitchers and free soap is
considered to be
revolutionary

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D. Modern Ages
In 1908, Ellsworth Statler opened what
many believed to be the first “modern
hotel” – the Buffalo Statler Hotel in 1908
because of its modern innovation. Those
innovations included:
Fire doors, light switches, private
bathrooms, key holes for easy access,
circulating hot and cold water, full – length
mirror, morning newspaper.

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 Mobley (1925) in Cisco Texas –
the first by Conrad Hilton – the
patriarch of the Hilton Chain of
Hotels, one of Ellsworth Stalter’s
rival

J. Willard Marriott
who started in the
restaurant business
first, opened his first
hotel called the Twin
Bridges in 1957

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In 1952 Kemmon Wilson
reinvented lodging industry
by building 400 family-
friendly motels

In 1953, The First Holiday Inn

Hotel was founded by Kemmons
Wilson in Memphis Tennessee,
his hometowm.

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In 1960, The First
International Holiday Inn
opened in Montreal
Canada.

In 1965, Holiday Inn was the

first hotel to implement Holidex
system which allows guests to
make reservation.

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Kemmon Wilson incorporated
into his design were rooms
that measured 12 by 26 ft.,
including bathroom along with
a swimming pool, telephones
and TV in the room….. And
most importantly no extra
charge for children.

Holiday Inn Hotels are

currently owned by the
InterContinental Hotels
Group.

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 The Accommodation Industry
Three basic needs when people travel:

1. Clean and comfortable bed

2. Warm Shower

3. Meals

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Factors that influence the type of accommodation
to choose:
❑Budget
❑ Length of stay
❑ Location of the Property
❑ Age and gender
❑Cultural background
❑Size of the party

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 Why do people travel?

➢ Holiday/leisure
➢ Business
➢ Convention
➢ Visiting tourist attraction

➢ Visiting relatives and friends ➢ Medical Purposes

➢ Honeymooning
➢ Witnessing an arts or cultural events
➢ Attending sporting event
➢ Shopping ➢ Experiencing history
➢ For religious reason
➢ Educational trips

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