Hotel: An American History
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When George Washington embarked on his presidential tours of 1789?91, the rudimentary inns and taverns of the day suddenly seemed dismally inadequate. But within a decade, Americans had built the first hotels?large and elegant structures that boasted private bedchambers and grand public ballrooms. This book recounts the enthralling history of the hotel in America?a saga in which politicians and prostitutes, tourists and tramps, conventioneers and confidence men, celebrities and salesmen all rub elbows. Hotel explores why the hotel was invented, how its architecture developed, and the many ways it influenced the course of United States history. The volume also presents a beautiful collection of more than 120 illustrations, many in full color, of hotel life in every era.
Hotel explores these topics and more:
· What it was like to sleep, eat, and socialize at a hotel in the mid-1800s
· How hotelkeepers dealt with the illicit activities of adulterers, thieves, and violent guests
· The stories behind America’s greatest hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria, the Plaza, the Willard, the Blackstone, and the Fairmont
· Why Confederate spies plotted to burn down thirteen hotels in New York City during the Civil War
· How the development of steamboats and locomotives helped create a nationwide network of hotels
· How hotels became architectural models for apartment buildings
· The pivotal role of hotels in the civil rights movement
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
 The New Stardard, By
This review is from: Hotel: An American History (Hardcover)
While this comprehensive history of the American hotel surely will become required reading for students in hospitality programs, it is not the sort of history of hotel management and technology that one might expect of a text book in this field. Rather, this seems to be the “American Studies” genre, primarily concerned with viewing the hotel as a phenomenon in a larger cultural context of the place and times. While more attention to management practices and technology might have enriched the book, it serves a sufficient purpose as cultural history. The author clearly has done much homework, searching local newspapers across the nation for anacdotes about hotels. Naturally, what was reported was not behind-the-scenes hotel operation, but what would interest the public–the “front of the house” events. All of us who have favorite historic hotels and their histories will regret that much has been missed, but considering the vast scope of his subject, the author has done a superb job.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A Wonderful Book About the Rise of Hotels,
This review is from: Hotel: An American History (Hardcover)
Lucky me. A friend gave me this wonderful book about the rise of hotels and the hospitality industry in the United States. What an eye-opener. The author, an academic, has done massive, serious research and has come to some extremely interesting conclusions. Who would have dreamed what an important part of our social history hotels are, or what they have meant to us economically (including the rise of the railroads). As someone who has traveled extensively, I can attest that some hotels are more welcoming than others, some have better beds or better food, but being a guest in a hotel is almost always a treat. This book helped me relive childhood trips to Miami Beach, eating a glorious room service dinner during a blizzard Richmond, Va., and hightailing it to a Motel 6 in Carlsbad,California. It taught me about a valuable part of our history I had never thought about. And the pictures are fascinating. I’m giving Hotel: An American History to my traveling cousin for Christmas.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Less Privacy than a beehive, By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Hotel: An American History (Hardcover)
I’ll never hear the snoring, coughing, wheezing, televisioning, or humping in the hotel suite next to mine without thinking of this history of the American Hotel.We have come a long way since the time when overnight accomodations included sharing a bed with a stranger (unintentionally). The slamming of doors, the ker-chunk of the ice machine down the hall, and the rowdy late nights of party-goers become understandable (if not tolerable) after reading this rich and detailed history of the American hotel. Indeed, it explains why “American Hotel” is redundant. |
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February 2nd, 2012 at 03:36
The New Stardard,
While this comprehensive history of the American hotel surely will become required reading for students in hospitality programs, it is not the sort of history of hotel management and technology that one might expect of a text book in this field. Rather, this seems to be the “American Studies” genre, primarily concerned with viewing the hotel as a phenomenon in a larger cultural context of the place and times.
While more attention to management practices and technology might have enriched the book, it serves a sufficient purpose as cultural history. The author clearly has done much homework, searching local newspapers across the nation for anacdotes about hotels. Naturally, what was reported was not behind-the-scenes hotel operation, but what would interest the public–the “front of the house” events.
All of us who have favorite historic hotels and their histories will regret that much has been missed, but considering the vast scope of his subject, the author has done a superb job.
Was this review helpful to you?
|February 2nd, 2012 at 03:54
A Wonderful Book About the Rise of Hotels,
Lucky me. A friend gave me this wonderful book about the rise of hotels and the hospitality industry in the United States. What an eye-opener. The author, an academic, has done massive, serious research and has come to some extremely interesting conclusions. Who would have dreamed what an important part of our social history hotels are, or what they have meant to us economically (including the rise of the railroads). As someone who has traveled extensively, I can attest that some hotels are more welcoming than others, some have better beds or better food, but being a guest in a hotel is almost always a treat. This book helped me relive childhood trips to Miami Beach, eating a glorious room service dinner during a blizzard Richmond, Va., and hightailing it to a Motel 6 in Carlsbad,California. It taught me about a valuable part of our history I had never thought about. And the pictures are fascinating. I’m giving Hotel: An American History to my traveling cousin for Christmas.
Was this review helpful to you?
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