"The Oldest Profession"
A guest on the threshold means happiness in the house. Such proverbs exist not only in our culture. The traditions of hospitality are as ancient as human civilization itself; they have existed for centuries among all peoples. A guest was considered not only a relative or acquaintance who dropped by for a visit, but also any wanderer or traveler seeking shelter. It is known that even in Babylon there were taverns and inns, which are mentioned in the laws of Hammurabi. Ancient "hotels" reached a particular peak during the Roman Empire, when travelers, officials, couriers, and civil servants stayed in them. And imagine what was happening on the roads of medieval Europe! It seems that the entire population was constantly moving from place to place: wandering knights and apprentices, pilgrims and preachers, schoolchildren and peasants going to fairs, jugglers and musicians, and simply idlers... And the terror of the people of that time - bandits - for obvious reasons did not stay put either. They moved slowly, on foot or on horseback, a journey from one city to another could stretch over many days, and everyone - if not people, then certainly horses - needed a break. So running inns gradually became a thriving business. Travelers, unaccustomed to comfort and tired from the road, were happy with even the most modest living conditions - as long as there was a roof over their heads and a warm place by the hearth. But owners, in order to attract guests, constantly raised the level of service, which kept getting better.
Guilds of hotel owners began to appear, and rules were established for both owners and guests. Innkeepers and their families no longer had enough hands to serve guests; they had to hire workers and assistants. In America of the 18th and early 19th centuries, inns also became favorite places for city dwellers to relax, kind of like clubs. Hotel owners were wealthy and respected people. Interestingly, both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln ran taverns before becoming American presidents who went down in history.
Large hotels first appeared in the New World. The world's first skyscraper (all of six floors!) was built in the USA specifically as a hotel. According to hospitality historian J.R. Walker, by the mid-19th century most American hotels "were architectural masterpieces - with spacious lobbies, ballrooms, wonders of plumbing, and in some cases with such unheard-of amenities in Europe at the time as elevators." But in Europe too, simple taverns were gradually replaced by comfortable, multi-room luxury hotels that could meet the growing needs of travelers.
It is clear that maintaining such "palaces" required a whole staff, not only cleaners and laundresses, but also qualified employees, managers, and directors. Where did they come from? From the same workers and assistants who, after climbing several rungs of the career ladder, acquired the necessary knowledge and skills. This is how the great Swiss hotelier César Ritz learned, whose name today is associated with luxury and glamour, and who began his career as a messenger boy at the Voisin hotel in Paris.
And the world's first specialized hotel management school appeared in 1893 in Switzerland, a country long renowned for its traditions of hospitality. This is the Lausanne Hotel Management School, which exists to this day and is considered one of the most prestigious in Europe.
Hospitality as an Exact Science