The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-21


c The U0RC JOuj7di says: II j. gratifying (,
+ see that public attention is being directed t,
5 the cNorbitant rates charged at English. anC
:. especially London hotels. An American
writes to the L0HdOA Times upon the subject
the "Thunderer' devotes "A leading article t,
!, it, and now the topic is being very generalI,
discussed in both hcmisphcreS there isa pos
sibiity that the matter will, in Il measure, a
least be remeded Nearly two years ago tn,
UOme JOura0L gave the matter attention, anG
stated that Americans made hurried visits t,
London partly on account of the poor hOtc
accommodation afforded, and the outrageous
prices charged.
Victim" writing to the Times, remarks
with truth "AmeriCanS, rs ii rule turn their
backs upon London, with II thorough dislike
for it, chiefly because they are so outrageous
ly imposed upon. II they are charged high
prices in Paris, they get something like the
value of their money. Here they are not
The hotels are ruinouSly eXtravagant, and yet
the accommodation they afford is such as no
decent hotel.kceper in New York or Boston,
or any other great city, would venture to offer
to his guests" To which the Times says ditto,
and more avowing that "in London, i'll the
midst OF the best market of the world you
| find yourself stinted if not absolutely starry,
| ng;' and adds, 1T would be something if
the prime cost of the article; but it is hard to
| pay like millionaire, while you are living
| like an anchoritc"
Mr.. Smalley English correspondent of the
Tribune, chose this theme for n. letter, saying
1T is the custom to charge half Il dollar a
day per head for attendance, as much more
| for lights, twice as much for fire in private
parlor and eight shillings for bottle of
wine worth threc-or probably not worth
! three or any other sum, the vintage being
what it is - and the court journal, biased as
I it IN favor of everything English, is forced to
remark English hotels are too apt to scare
Englishmen away by the prices put upon the
accommodation they supply; while the Lon
don correspondent Of the lVOrid, in the same
strain, goes on to say: "Avoid the hotels ;
live in apartments; and bring your cook
with you. Ifyou don't you'll be sorry for it,
You will be starved, frozen, cheated on every
hand, and generally miserable
Reviewing an opinion expressed in the
Home JoU,9M on London hotels and their
prices. the London Cosmopolitan, edited by our
clever countryman, Col Fuller is bold
enough to say: There is no doubt but the
Langham hotel Iondon) would make more
money at reduced tariff OF prices The
rooms are not excessively dear, but one shil,
ling and siXpcnce day for service, two Shil
IlHHS lDI II cup vi CbIlct anu lltNt ~ ~! GU
and butter, three shillings for cut from the
joint two shillings and siXpcnce for Il bath,
and five Shillings for an ordinary bottle Of st.
Julien Bordeaux is altogether too much.
More money would be made at onc-halt these
rates, and instead of there being Two hundred
and seventy guests in the hotel to-day, with
two hundred and fifty servants, there would
be four hundred and fifty guests with no addi
tional servants"
But the Longham, although generally sup
posed to be, is not in reality, an American hotel.
1t is owned and managed by Englishmen,
conducted on the English plan with all the
petty annoyance of extra charges, and is
largely patronizcd by the wealthy English
classes. We heard Mr.. Henry Blackburn,
formerly editor of L0adoa S0cjetNicXprcss the
opinion that fortune awaited any one who
has the courage and the capital to establish
in London an American hotel. The building
Mr.. Blackburn says, should be located in Pic
cadilly, overlooking Hyde Park.