The Outbounder – Issue 1

“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

The Odyssey can be thought of as a manual for a host on how to (and how not to) show hospitality to a guest and vice versa. It is a cultural document that embodies the values of the society that created it. Hospitality, also called “guest-friendship,” was a social ritual expected of men in the Greek world. The Greeks believed that Zeus protected travellers, and so offering hospitality was a sort of religious imperative to them. The Epic lays equal importance on being a good guest as being a good host.

Hospitality is as old as time itself. In the beginning, there was a fire at the hearth, a warm meal, and a roof over one‘s head. Thus begins the history of the hotel industry. People have been providing hospitality for as long as our ancestors have inhabited the earth. In the age of antiquity, spas and bathhouses were popular attractions for those seeking rest and relaxation. In medieval times, cloisters and abbeys provided travellers with accommodation. During this period inns and guesthouses opened on popular trade routes to provide food and lodging for travelling merchants and their horses.

Milestones of the Hotel Industry…

The oldest business in the world can be traced back to Japan – a Japanese hotel that began welcoming samurais to its hot springs in 705 AD.

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, Yamanashi, Japan. Onsen is cited in the Guinness World Records as the oldest hotel in the world (as well as the world’s oldest continuously-operating business), this ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn has been owned by 52 generations of the same family. The hotel itself has 37 rooms, all decorated in the traditional Japanese style.

Although the inn has undergone quite a bit of modernization and upkeep over the years, the main attractions, namely the soothing hot springs and gorgeous views, have remained at the centre for its appeal. Many people, from historical samurais to A-list celebrities and politicians, have come to the inn for its history and healing waters. The 46th emperor was also a guest here. And the rest is history…