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The American Style Hotel 1820 -1830
During the 1820s and 1830s travelers, transients and other cash rich Americans on the move became the clientele for a new type of accommodation. The American style Hotel was born with the Boston Exchange Hotel. Here 300 rooms and eight stories provided lodging, food and drinks in a grande style. Soon every commercial center in the country followed suit and provided "first class" accommodations. The democratic mingling of people of all kinds caused foreigners to view these hotels as true reflections of American society. The patrons of these hotels were mostly traveling salesmen, ambitious young men pursuing economic opportunities, politicians and wealthy couples. Hotel management shocked European aristocrats by failing to enforce social distinctions. Under the American system everybody had to pay for their meals, and ate such in a common dining room. The same table was being used for the the Earl from England and the shoe-shine-operator from America. The hotel life also reflected the emergence of democratic politics. Professional politicians of a new breed, looking for the votes of a mass electorate , spent much of their time in hotels. In fact when Andrew Jackson arrived in Washington to prepare for his administration in 1829, he took residence at the new National Hotel. These hotels were much more than just a public and democratic gathering place; they were also haven for rising men in politics and business. They provided rest and privacy in the rooms but also a place to meet people with similar interests in lobbies, salons and dining areas. o
o Read about the Landdrost Hotel in Johannesburg 1976 01/09/09 |
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