Even though we’re still in a global pandemic, the thought of travel is never far away. Most of us are itching to be able to start making plans for future vacations, and when it comes to trips, everyone is different in terms of accommodation.
There are some people who search for large chain hotels with the latest amenities, others who prefer quiet little b&bs, and still others who prefer some rustic charm or wealth of history to their travel accommodation.
Thanks to the Australia-based insurance company, Budget Direct, there is now a thorough list of the oldest hotels by country – all around the world!
While there is always an old hotel in every country that you visit, apparently the oldest hotel in the entire world is Hayakawa in Yamanashi, Japan. The Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan hot spring inn dates back to 705 CE, and has been owned by the same family over an impressive 52 generations.
As for the 10 oldest hotels, nine of them are all in Europe. There is the Gasthaus zum Roten Bären, or the Red Bear Inn, located in Germany’s Black Forest. Portions of the building are even older than the city, which was built 1120. However, it wasn’t until the 14th century that it became operational as an inn.
If you’re wondering what the oldest hotel in the US is, that would be Maine’s Seaside Inn. The hotel is said to have been built back in 1660, which means it was in operation even before the founding of the US itself!
The map that Budget Direct put together uses a color-coding system so that it is easier to tell what age each country’s hotel is. For example, purple indicates that the hotel was established before 1000 CE, while dark blue indicates it’s been around since between 1001 to 1300. Light blue lends itself to 1300 to 1500, green is 1501 to 1700, yellow is 1701 to 1900, and pink is 1901 to 2021.
Check out the full map below:
What do you think of the map? Which one would you want to visit? Let us know!