History of Hotel in Timeline

A hotel is a commercial establishment offering short-term paid lodging. Accommodations range from basic rooms with essential amenities to luxurious suites with extensive facilities like kitchenettes, entertainment systems, and en-suite bathrooms. Hotels vary in size and price, with larger, more expensive hotels offering guest facilities such as swimming pools, business centers, gyms, restaurants, spas, and event spaces. Rooms are typically numbered for easy identification. Some high-end hotels feature uniquely decorated rooms, while others, like capsule hotels in Japan, offer minimal sleeping spaces with shared facilities. Meal packages are sometimes included as part of a room and board arrangement.

1945: Potsdam Conference

In 1945, Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, Germany, gained fame for hosting the Potsdam Conference with World War II allies Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Joseph Stalin.

1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964

In 1964, Title II of the Civil Rights Act was enacted in the United States, prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin in public accommodations, including hotels.

1990: First Ice Hotel

In 1990, the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, was built, becoming the first ice hotel in the world.

1999: First glass igloos built in Finland

In 1999, the first glass igloos were built in Finland. They later became the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort with 65 buildings, 53 small ones for two people and 12 large ones for four people.

2001: Hotel de Glace Opens

In 2001, the Hotel de Glace in Duschenay, Canada, opened as North America's only ice hotel.

2006: First World Hotel listed as world's largest

In 2006, Guinness World Records listed the First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, as the world's largest hotel with a total of 6,118 rooms.

2011: Hoshi Ryokan title as oldest hotel expires

Until 2011, the title of oldest hotel was held by the Hoshi Ryokan, in the Awazu Onsen area of Komatsu, Japan, which opened in the year 718, as the history of the Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan was virtually unknown.

October 2014: Anbang Insurance Group Purchases Waldorf Astoria

In October 2014, the Anbang Insurance Group purchased the Waldorf Astoria New York in Manhattan for US$1.95 billion.

2021: Modular Hotel Rooms Introduced

In 2021, a New York-based company introduced new modular and movable hotel rooms which allow landowners and hospitality groups to create and easily scale hotel accommodations.