Ancient Times
No one knows exactly how old the hospitality industry is. However, the history of hospitality takes us back many thousands of years, to when people began embarking on their first journeys. People changed their place of stay for various reasons: trade expeditions, conquests of new lands, pilgrimages to religious sites, social gatherings, and even tourist excursions. Travelers had to ensure they secured food, shelter, and rest, thus primitive forms of meeting these needs began to emerge. Historians speculate that the first lodging facilities were established along the trade routes of the Near East around 3000 BCE. Trade was the primary driver of economic development in ancient societies. Particularly, the Tigris and Euphrates river valley area stood out for the heightened activity of wandering merchants who traveled between various cities/settlements, selling and buying various goods. In order to guarantee frequent visits from merchants and caravans, the residents of these cities began to build accommodations to provide lodging and food for travelers, as well as shelter for goods and pack animals, always located close to sources of drinking water. Such roadside inns in ancient Persia, consisting only of four walls and a roof, were called "caravanserais" or "khans" and were usually one day's journey apart. They often served protective functions as well, providing shelter from the sun, sandstorms, or natural predators. Despite the primitive conditions by today's standards (shared accommodations for travelers, general dirtiness), the spirit of hospitality was particularly strong. This is illustrated by the ancient Eastern saying "I am never a servant -except to my guest."
Evidence of early guesthouses was also discovered in ancient Egypt. Inscriptions on stone found in the tombs of pharaohs, dated to around 1500 BCE, indicate that these establishments were operated by priests of the god Amun. Meanwhile, the earliest recorded legal norms relating to hospitality services were found in the Code of Hammurabi, which governed Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BCE. This code regulated the operation of taverns and inns, imposing obligations on the owners to report any guest who planned to commit a crime. It also prohibited the adulteration of drinks or the use of improper measures. The penalty for these abuses was death by drowning.
In ancient Greece, as early as the 4th century BCE, hostels owned by the city were built in the marketplaces called "stoa". Additionally, there were "pandokias", or guesthouses, offering lodging and meals. They were primarily established in places associated with religious cults, games, state ceremonies, or trade fairs (such as Athens, Delphi, Ephesus, Syracuse, Corinth, etc.). Examples of such establishments included the guesthouse in the temple of Hera in Plataea or in Olympia, where Zeus was worshipped. In Epidaurus, a spa known for its medicinal springs, there was an inn with around 100 beds. During the heyday of ancient Greece, guesthouses were also built outside the country's borders, intended for its traveling citizens. These were prestigious, extravagant establishments, showcasing Greece's high material culture.
It's also worth noting that in ancient Greece, there was an interesting origin story for the concept of hospitality. In the works of Homer – the Iliad and the Odyssey, two explanations for why people are expected to show hospitality to strangers can be found. Firstly, the Greeks felt it was necessary for their religious existence. Secondly, they were hospitable due to their own superstitious fears. This attitude likely stemmed from the belief that a stranger could either be a god or a representative of evil spirits, perhaps even the devil. These instances demonstrate that either religion or supernatural forces became the main motivator in the development of hospitality.
By conquering the Mediterranean basin and creating the Roman Empire, the Romans brought about the emergence of one vast economic area on a scale previously unknown to antiquity (from the North Sea to the Sahara and from the Atlantic coast to Mesopotamia). The incorporation of new provinces into the empire was accompanied by the massive construction of paved roads. These roads not only facilitated the rapid movement of troops but also streamlined imperial administration and improved trade. The local population began to travel more frequently and in greater numbers, leading to the establishment and growth of inns, taverns, and resting places where horses or wheels could be exchanged.
It is also widely accepted that Roman society initiated the development of typical tourism. Particularly wealthy citizens, curious about the world, traveled for pleasure and relaxation. They spent vacations in Mediterranean countries, visited exotic places and attractions of the time: Greek temples or pyramids in Egypt, and discovered the health benefits of bathing in warm mineral springs (e.g., Bath in England).
However, early Roman inns were of poor quality and did not enjoy a good reputation. They were run by people mainly from the lower classes of society, and they were also frequented by such individuals. Often, they were the haunt of fugitives and the site of shady dealings, partly due to the fact that wage labor was considered undignified for a free citizen at that time. The disdain for innkeeping in ancient Rome is also evident in the book "The Law of Innkeepers": "In ancient Rome, inns, taverns, and pubs were generally despised. Romans were a proud race and maintained that this was a lowly form of profession, hence the service of such establishments was usually entrusted to slaves." It is also known that innkeepers had limited rights – for example, they were not accepted into military service, could not bring lawsuits to court or give testimony, were not allowed to serve in the army or act as guardians for minor children, and an innkeeper's wife could not be punished for adultery. Roman chefs, on the other hand, had a very different attitude towards their profession. They considered themselves superior and bestowed upon themselves grand titles. During the reign of Hadrian (117-138 CE), chefs and cooks even established their own academy on the Palatine Hill in Rome.
Roman dignitaries rarely used inns; instead, they typically stayed in the homes of wealthy citizens. Representatives of foreign states arriving in Rome on official missions were accommodated in guesthouses – state buildings modeled after the residences of wealthy patricians. These facilities had bedrooms, dining halls, bathing and massage rooms, gardens with ponds and fountains. One such guesthouse was located in Rome on the Field of Mars (circa 435 BCE). Remnants of inns, which were located near the city gates, have also been found among the ruins of former resort and spa towns – such as Herculaneum or Pompeii. In Ostia, at the mouth of the Tiber, plans for an inn have been discovered, indicating that it was built in the shape of a horseshoe, with guest rooms on the wings and a dining hall in the center.
During the reign of Octavian (63 BCE to 14 CE), comfortable state-run inns called "mansiones" (inns for longer stays) and "stationes" (rest stops for shorter breaks) were already being built throughout the empire, spaced 15-30 miles apart. These establishments were established in cities and along major communication routes, where couriers and officials of the empire traveled. The inns of that time were equipped with baths, guest rooms, and laundries. They also offered services such as massages and shoe cleaning. These were thus the first deliberately organized systems of "hospitality establishments."
The extent of development of hospitality establishments in those times can be demonstrated by the legal regulation of their operation. Regulations were introduced regarding the responsibility of hospitality establishments for guests' belongings, the necessity of labeling them with a signboard and name, and the appointment of inspectors and "ediles" (public surveyors) to control the quality of services provided and the correctness of travel documents. Regular connections between cities were serviced by appropriate transportation networks and carried out based on tickets issued for specific routes – "diplomas" and tickets entitling to travel, meals, and lodging - known as "tractories" (equivalents of today's vouchers). Most of the current regulations governing these issues are based on those from Roman law from two thousand years ago.
The fall of the Roman Empire led to a decrease in travel, and consequently, the gradual decline of lodging facilities.