May 2012

The history of the hotel trade has a long tradition worldwide. Already in ancient Greece, travellers could stay overnight at inns called pandokias.

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To attract and impress the guests they were built on a grand scale and lavishly decorated to prove the dominance of the Greek culture. Also ancient Romans would spend their summers in spas in Ostia, Pompeii, Bagno di Luca and Herculaneum – benefiting from the therapeutic properties of thermal waters. The first officially recognized Polish hotel was the „Marywil Inn” built in 1691 in Warsaw. It was located in the place of today’s Grand Theatre.“Marywil Inn” was created on the initiative of Queen Marie Casimiere Sobieski and was open until 1825, and since it was visited mostly by merchants, it also played the role of a shopping centre. Today, the world’s best hotels definitely allude to the ancient Greek model. They are not only comfortable, but also beautiful. To attract the attention of customers, they offer them (apart from convenience and luxury) something much more intriguing – the access to the world’s famous works of art. To find out how they do it, read our article about art hotels, which may be your inspiration for another trip.

Marzena Mróz, Editor in Chief