Hotel History

We're dreaming of blue waters, sandy beaches, and beautiful people, which means we're off to the French Riviera (figuratively). With the Cannes Film Festival happening this week, we're bringing you two episodes about its most historic (and luxurious) hotels, the Carlton and the Martinez, along with the iconic casino and members club, Palm Beach Cannes. We interview JQ Louise from the JQ List about...

The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is known for its Old World grandeur, its relaxed, Southern style, and its proximity to the most exciting two minutes in sports—it's just a couple miles away for Churchill Downs, the site each year of the Kentucky Derby. While its history isn't quite as old as the famed horse race that kicks off the Triple Crown, the Seelbach has still stacked up plenty o...

We explore the very real history of the Hotel Metropol in Moscow through the lens of Amor Towles' bestselling novel, A Gentleman in Moscow . The fictional Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is a member of the aristocracy at a very inconvenient time—the Bolshevik Revolution. Saved by a twist of fate, instead of an execution, he faces house arrest at the Metropol for the rest of his days. Over the next f...

We return to NYC for the iconic Empire Hotel. Perhaps best known these days as a recurring setting in the hit TV series Gossip Girl , it has more than 100 years of history on 63rd and Broadway. Its famous neon sign overlooks the popular rooftop bar and sweeping views of the city. Follow us: TikTok | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube 👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 Want to collaborate ? 📰 Sign up for our free newslett...

The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., has seen some incredible history. We finish up their centennial series with JFK and Jackie O through Russiagate, and then learn what's next for this stately Grand Dame.. Thanks again to Katherine Orr of Historic Hotels of America for your insightful answers on the past and future of historic hotels. Learn more about the Mayflower and its famous guests here...

We continue celebrating the Mayflower Hotel's centennial with part 2 of her incredible history. This episode takes us on a mid 20th century roller coaster ride, including the New Deal, World War II, and the Truman and Eisenhower presidencies. We also continue our interview with Katherine Orr of Historic Hotels of America. Learn more about the Mayflower and its famous guests here .* Follow us: TikT...

The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, is an icon, and she's turning 100 this month! Known as the Grande Dame of Washington, the Hotel of Presidents, and Washington's Second Best Address, we're digging into the history behind this storied landmark. We also interview Katherine Orr of Historic Hotels of America for her take on the significance and impact of the Mayflower and historic hotels like it....

The Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel and Spa in Cascais, Portugal, has been named Europe's most romantic destination of 2025. Sweeping seaside views, a Roman bath-inspired spa, and serene ocean- or garden-side suites will provide the romantic getaway you've been searching for. But behind all the amore is the story of the May King, the rise and fall of Italian fascism, and the end of the Italian mona...

Travelers looking for hotels that speak to the heart of a destination should immediately check out Hotels Above Par, a curated guide to the coolest boutique hotels and travel experiences. What began as a fun social media project during the COVID-19 Pandemic by founder Brandon Berkson has become a full-fledged media company covering the best of boutique hotels, restaurants, and destinations around...

We sat down with Michelle Heston to talk about a Berkeley, CA, gem—the Claremont Hotel. Any hotel that starts out as a castle built on the American Dream is a guaranteed Hotel History destination! Read more about the hotel here .* Follow us: TikTok | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube 👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 Want to collaborate ? 📰 Sign up for our free newsletter, The CHECK-IN . 📖 Join our free book club here...

Picture it: Sicily, 1922 BCE. You're traveling on an errand for your local city-state. Where will you find lodging for the night? Or will you have to camp and fall prey to bandits on the road? We explore ancient hospitality covering Ancient Greece, Persia, and the Roman Empire, including a notorious inn that had no room for a Jewish family traveling to Bethlehem. Follow us: TikTok | Instagram | Pi...

Hotels and their predecessors have been around for thousands of years. So what were they like back in the medieval period? Were they full of knights, adventurers, drunkards, bandits, and a wench or two? Turns out, just like today, you had a choice of accommodations based on the coin in your pocket, so where would you have stayed? To learn more about the history of women in the alcohol industry, in...

We needed a hotel that was somehow cozy but also grand and preferably built in miniature, so we turned to the king of aesthetics and whimsy, Wes Anderson. His Grand Budapest Hotel delivers on multiple levels for hotel lovers (and great movie lovers). We explore the inspiration, architecture, and fictional history behind the made-up but eerily familiar world of Zubrowka and its famed resort in the...

It's election season in America, but instead of watching cable news around the clock, we're distracting ourselves with an episode about hotels where major events in American history have taken place. We have the scandal that made Watergate a household name, a hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. left his mark on the eve of the March on Washington, and the "safest hotel in DC" where an attempt was ma...

The Suicide. Hotel Death. Where Dreams Go To Die. LA's Most Haunted Hotel. These are a few of the nicknames given to the infamous Cecil Hotel. In our second book club episode, we discuss Amy Price's book Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel and dive into the many mysteries and tragedies the Cecil has seen over the years. Pick up a copy of Behind the Door here .*...

Before the first leaf even hits the ground, you can hear thousands of people shouting, "Sweatah weathah!" in their best (or worst) New York accents. Yes, the autumnal equinox has finally passed, and we are able to share some top tier choices for hotels near glorious fall foliage, including the oldest resort in the country and a few paying homage to their Victorian roots. Follow us: TikTok | Instag...

It's our first book club episode! We're talking about Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany, a fun cozy mystery that takes place at a Catskills resort in the 1950s. Don't worry, no spoilers. Join us for our next read here and check out our bookshop here (we earn a small commission at no expense to you, and the site supports independent bookstores!). Pick up a copy of Deadly Summer Nights here .* 📖...

As the summer wanes, we would be remiss if we didn't pay homage to another summer resort of bygone days. This time we're headed across the pond to the seaside town of Bournemouth in England, where British Jews created their own Borscht Belt of sorts to spend their summers and holy days feted with kosher delights. Read more about Bournemouth here .* Follow us: TikTok | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTu...

Usually the whole point of a hotel is that you don't have to sleep outside, but these special "rooms" take you into some of the best spaces Mother Nature has to offer. Take your pick from staying in a treehouse, underwater in a lagoon, in a star bed with arguably the best view of the night sky on the planet, and more. Most of them can also be enjoyed by the less outdoors-inclined, and some of them...

We continue our exploration of literary hotels with the OG: The Algonquin Hotel in New York City. Known as a magnet for writers of every ilk, it was the home of the most well-known literary circle in America, perhaps the world. Variously known as the Algonquin Round Table, the Vicious Circle, and the Board, they dabbled in word play and cut each other down every day at lunch, then went home to wri...

Fitzgerald and the Plaza. Oscar Wilde and the Savoy. Allen Ginsburg and the Chelsea. The literary world and hotels have always walked arm in arm, but the hotels featured in this episode have taken it a step further, asking you to completely immerse yourself in literature. And we are more than happy to oblige! Listen on if you've ever wanted to curl up inside a bookshelf (you can – in Japan!) or if...

As we rewatched Sex and the City for the bajillionth time (recently released on Netflix!), we couldn't help but wonder – is there a hotel that matches the personality of each of our beloved fabulous foursome? A few martinis and bad renditions of the theme song later, and just like that, we had a list of hotels that scream Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte (and Big, Aidan, Steve, and Stanfor...

Society is saturated with superstition, so of course hotels are no different! We can't guarantee it, but these superstitions just might make you feel a little more comfortable on your travels – and keep the resident spirits at bay. ☕️ You can support Hotel History (and our caffeine addiction) here or on Patreon . 📰 Sign up for our free newsletter, The CHECK-IN . 📖 Join our book club here . 📚 S...

We've covered some of the most expensive and luxurious hotels in the world, but what about the accommodations that get less-than-stellar reviews? From the annals of the internet, we bring you horror stories (alleged, of course) of filthy rooms, antagonistic staff, and wayward... monkeys? ☕️ You can support Hotel History (and our caffeine addiction) here or on Patreon . 📰 Sign up for our free new...

Love is in the air! Or is that sex? There's room for both at our collection of hotels for lovers ... and sinners. From a romantic trip to Charleston, SC, a la The Notebook to the Belle Epoque-inspired labyrinth of a former Paris brothel cum (ahem) hotel, we've got the foremost places to spend a little one-on-one time with your pleasure partner. 💋 ☕️ You can support Hotel History (and our caffein...