Hotels

We do travel a lot so we tend to go to many hotels. We like old and traditional hotels, because people have always been traveling a lot. It is inspiring to reflect on what would have been their motives back then, their worries, their longing for being home instead.

In Spain, such hotels are often part of the network of paradores.

Old hotels

• The oldest in continuous operation is apparently Nishiyama Onsen Keuinkan in Japan, founded in 705. It has been continuously operated by 52 generations of the same family for over 1300 years [1]. That is dedication.

• The oldest hotel in Europe is in England, in Hurley on the bank of the Thames, and known as The Olde Bell. It was founded in 1135, by which time the Nishiyama Onsen Keuinkan had already been over 400 years in operation! It served as a meeting point for Churchill and Eisenhower during WWII.

• The Angel and Royal in Grantham, established 1203, is also interesting as a historical site, with royals as guests (hence the name), holding court, sending death sentences, etc.

• Sanct Peter in Walporzheim deserves a special mention, not so much for its date, 1246, and by then there are many recorded hotels, but for its supposed actual date of operation. I have seen in one (not very reliable) place a mention of year 600 for the building itself (however amongst other wrong facts [2])