The Rise of the Luxury Hotel Industry

The history of the rise of the luxury hotel industry is a fascinating story. With the start of the industrial revolution, in the 1760s, hotels began to be built across Europe and the United States. Later, holiday resorts began to pop up along the French and Italian Riviera. In Boston, The Tremont House was the first deluxe hotel in a city centre. It provided "inside toilets, locks on the doors, and an 'a la carte' menu."

The Holt Hotel in New York City was the first to provide its guests with a lift for their luggage. In 1822, in Venice, Giuseppe Dal Niel transformed an old palace into a hotel and gave it the name, "Le Danieli." In the spring of 1834, L'Hotel des Bergues was built on the shore of Lake Geneva. In New York, the New York Hotel was the first hotel to be equipped with private bathrooms.

In 1970, construction of hotels began to increase in order to accommodate the traveling business person. Hotel chains started to offer a wide range of services and their rooms became more spacious and luxurious, as well as offering fine dining.

The next development in the hotel industry began in 1980 and was highlighted by more creative marketing. As well, hotels began to adapt to a wealthier clientele. During this time, hotels near airports, hotels for conferences, health hotels, ski holiday hotels, holiday villages and marina hotels began to emerge across the country.

In 1984, work began on a hotel of the prominent sultans' residence, the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul. Managed by the Kempinski chain, it opened its 322 rooms to guests in 1991. The resulting hotel defined luxury and elegance. Also during this period, Far East countries such as China and Japan began to develop luxury hotel accommodations for wealthy tourists and business people. International chains were also expanding across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia targeting the wealthy.