The hospitality industry is one of the oldest in the world because travelers have always
needed a place to rest their heads.
Hotels may start with another purpose or get built over the foundations of even more historic
buildings.
Most historic hotels have been modernized with technology, but you can see the marks
of the ages.
Their ability to withstand wars, fires, and other disasters is inspiring.
These resilient buildings can stand for decades or even centuries.
The truly special ones have been in the same family for multiple generations.
Keep watching to look inside the oldest hotel in the world.
Hotel de Coronado- San Diego This hotel was built in 1888.
Since then, it’s gathered a guest list that includes Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, and
Jimmy Stewart.
It was even used as the filming location for Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like it Hot.
The 679-room hotel has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
It also has a fitness center, two pools, a spa, a restaurant, a variety of shops, and
more.
A stay will make you feel like a celebrity.
The Willard InterContinental- Washington, DC
This hotel was built in 1816 as a series of six homes but was remodeled into a 12-story
hotel in the 1900s.
Almost every president has stayed here, and it’s also where Martin Luther King Jr. wrote
his famous I Have a Dream speech.
The lobby has impressive terrazzo floors and marble columns.
There’s also a French restaurant called Cafe du Parc that’s earned a Forbes Travel
Guide recommendation, a fitness center, and a spa.
There are 335 rooms, and a standard one starts at $250.
Palmer House- Chicago, Illinois Potter Palmer built this hotel in 1871 as
a gift for his bride Bertha.
It fell to the Great Chicago Fire thirteen days later but was rebuilt in two years.
The lobby’s chandeliers and painted ceilings will immediately draw you in.
There’s also an indoor pool, spa, and fitness center.
Frank Sinatra and Charles Dickens are just a few of the famous faces that have come to
see its beauty.
Rooms start at about $170.
The Peabody- Memphis, Tennessee This 464-room hotel opened in 1869 and was
renovated in 1925.
It’s known for being the location of Elvis Presley’s senior prom and for its daily
duck parade.
The on-site restaurant, Chez Phillips, was voted one of the most romantic in the country.
If you want to impress your date, you can rent a Romeo and Juliet Suite with loft bedrooms,
a spiral staircase, and parlors with a fireplace or wet bar.
Traditional suites start at $226 a night.
Omni Parker House- Boston, Massachusetts This 161-year-old, 551-room hotel was founded
in 1855 and is the longest continuously operating hotel in the United States.
It was also the first to offer running water and elevators.
It’s been attracting plenty of well-known names since then.
Charles Dickens gave his first reading of A Christmas Carol, JFK proposed to Jackie,
and Ho Chi Minh baked in the basement kitchen.
Speaking of the kitchen, it’s one of the best places to get Boston cream pie.
The lobby still features old-fashioned seating and photos, but modern touches such as a state-of-the-art
gym and flat-screen TVs have been added to the rooms.
A standard room with one bed starts at $260.
Kelly House Hotel- Edgartown, Massachusetts This historic hotel opened in 1742 and was
once known as simply “The Tavern.”
It was a resting place for sailors during the American Revolution.
You can enjoy a drink at the colonial pub and restaurant like they did hundreds of years
ago or relax at the private pool.
A one-bedroom suite ranges from $400-$600.
Concord’s Colonial Inn- Concord, Massachusetts This is an even better place to go if you
want to experience American Revolution history during your stay.
Erected in 1716, this was likely the first hotel in what would eventually become the
United States of America.
It also played an important part in the war, serving as a military hospital, weapons storehouse,
and morgue.
It officially became an inn in 1889, and its history makes it one of the best for ghost
hunters and fans of paranormal activity.
Book a night for as low as $144 if you dare.
El Convento- Puerto Rico King Phillip IV ordered this Carmelite convent
in 1646.
It fell into disrepair and was closed in 1903, becoming a retail store, dance hall, and flophouse.
The hotel that sits here today pays homage to its former beauty with marble bathrooms,
Andalusian tile floors, mahogany beams, and a 350-year-old Nispero tree in the courtyard.
It also has modern amenities such as a fitness center, pool, hot tub, and flat-screen TVs.
Petit Palace Posada del Peine Hotel-Madrid, Spain
This hotel was built in 1610 and is the oldest in Spain.
Its name translates to Haircomb’s Inn.
This clever name allegedly comes from the fact that each room originally had a comb
with a piece of string attached to it to stave off burglaries.
Gripsholms Värdshus-Mariefred, Sweden This building was erected on the foundation
of a Carthusian monastery in 1493.
It then became a hospice in 1609 and is Sweden’s oldest hotel.
You’ll get a truly historic experience while sleeping on beds made from 500-year-old wood
found underground during a renovation.
Hotel Krone- Solothurn, Switzerland This hotel opened in 1418, but it didn’t
become popular until it had a few important guests.
The French ambassador and his group showed up in 1554 and decided they wanted to make
it look as much like the Palace of Versailles as possible.
Hotel Krone became an opulent spot that attracted all of the most dedicated party animals in
Europe.
It’s closed pending a $20 million renovation, but that only goes to show how much of a palace
they’d turned it into.
Like and subscribe for more of the best historic travel sites.
Keep watching to look inside more of the oldest hotels in the world.
Goldener Adler- Innsbruck, Austria This hotel was built in 1390 and is a must-stay
for any fans of The Sound of Music.
The real Von Trapp Family stayed here.
They’re not the only famous names, either.
Others include Mozart, Goethe, Joseph II, Ludwig I of Bavaria, and several other Austrian
kings and noblemen.
The rooms have been modernized but the history of the important hotel is still on display.
It has thick walls, timber ceilings, and stained glass.
Hotel Roter Hahn- Rothenburg, Germany This hotel was opened in 1380.
Merchants and commoners have stayed, but so have royalty.
Gustav Adolph, King of Sweden, reportedly stayed twice.
The hotel is also surrounded by legend.
Its owner, Mayor George Nusch, reportedly saved the town of Rothenburg during the Thirty
Years’ War.
General Czerklaz Tilly said he would spare them if anyone could drink a gallon of wine
in an hour, and George did.
Other versions of the story said he had to eat seven saltines in 60 seconds.
Whatever the truth is, it’s an important part of German history, and that alone makes
it worth a stay.
Al Cappello Rosso- Bologna, Italy This hotel outside of Bologna’s walls, built
in 1375, was more of a safehouse.
It protected traveling Jews despite giving them rigid rules to follow.
The Ufficio delle Bollette was a government building that sat right next to the hotel.
It made sure that they didn’t break the law by not staying in the hotel or staying
for more than three days.
Al Cappello Rosso has modernized itself since its inception.
It has themed rooms such as the American Icon Suite and the Typewriter Room.
Orso Grigio This hotel opened in Austria as Grauer Bar
which translates to Grey Bear in 1300.
It was moved to Italy and kept the same name but in Italian.
The hotel provided lodging for travelers and salesmen in the city of Ronzone when it was
a thriving market town.
It also served as a military hospital during WWI.
The Old Bell- United Kingdom There are actually two hotels that bear this
name in the UK.
Both are old, but one is a bit more ancient than the other.
The Old Bell in Malmesbury dates back to 1220.
It was a home for guests and dignitaries and once had the second-largest library in Europe.
Other signs of its storied past include the hooded stone fireplace and the eight stone
coffins in the basement.
The Old Bell in Hurley is the oldest, opening in 1135.
It was meant as a place to stop during pilgrimages to the nearby St. Benedict.
It housed everyone from kings to commoners and was also an important meeting place during
war.
Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower reportedly stopped here during WWII, and plans
in the 17th century to overthrow James II were held in its secret tunnel.
Zum Roten Baeren- Freiburg Germany This is the oldest hotel in Europe.
It was built in 1120 before the town it sits in was even founded.
The resilient building has lasted through the Black Plague, witch hunts, revolutions,
and three wars.
It’s had 51 landlords who’ve all kept its original name and architecture.
Hoshi Ryokan- Komatsu, Japan Many of the most historic hotels are in the
Land of the Rising Sun.
Hoshi Ryokan is only one example.
It’s also the one with the most interesting story behind it.
The legend behind this hotel says that a Buddhist priest instructed his disciple, Garyo Houshi,
to build a hotel here.
It was right on top of naturally healing hot springs, making it a perfect place to stop
and relax.
Garyo Houshi’s descendants have been running it ever since, and all 46 of them have his
name.
Nishiyama Oseken- Japan This hotel is the only one that even comes
close to Hoshi Ryoken’s record.
In fact, it’s the oldest continuously running hotel in the world.
Nishiyama Oseken has been in business since 705 AD.
Fujiwara Mahito founded it, and it’s been run by the same family for 52 generations.
Its most famous attraction is Mochitani no Yu.
These baths received water directly from the hot springs that’s so clear you can drink
it.
It’s been attracting celebrities since before that term existed.
Japan’s first shogun, They include Tokugawa Ieyasa, and Koujen, the 46th emperor.
There are 37 rooms in the traditional Japanese style.
They begin at $408.
What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
Let us know in the comments.