The Coconino weekly sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1896, 1895-11-21
BUSINESS FADs IN HOTELS.
Costly Innovations Forced by Competition
aud the Oamand of PatrOna.

| Va LhC ouoihCoc SS'AA
petition between local hotel men Is OF
friendly nature. it is gradually and
rapidly undergoing such change that
the profits will soon be reduced to
minimum. Every succeeding year
finds such alterations, improvements
and innovations necessary, that any
prog ressive boniface can i'll afford to
| ignore them. Just now a number OF
features are being forced on some OF
these caterers. through their introduce
ton by others in past seasons, and
while they can scarcely fail to attract
attention and meet with approval,
they are very expensive. One OF these
is the prevailing custom of having
daily concerts at hotels. In some OF
the larger houses, morning, afternoon
and evening concerts are given; at
others the programme Is confined to
lunch and dinner hours, but in the ma
jority OF them it has become nightly
feature only.
The popularity OF music in hotels is
evident from the rapidity Of the de-
mand for it. A few years ago it was
introduced by few standard hotels,
but it never became as popular as now,
and was comparatively unknown to
the majority of people. A few years
ago it was again brought forward at
one of the modern hotels, and every
succeeding season since Others have
followed the example. With the de-
mand for music there has also been an
| improvement in its style. There has
also been an improvement in the ma
ture of that given for the entertain
ment of guests. From the piano or
mandolin to full orchestra have been
the strides made, and now classic mu-
sic, as well as popular airs, add to the
attraction. The better the music, too,
1t is said, the greater the profit. as
many persons are attracted to the cafes,
dining-rooms and restaurants who have
for years been accustomed to dining
elsewhere.
At present the music at the leading
hotels is monopolized by Germans and
Hungarians. The latter were COM
paratively unknow here seven years
ago, but since them they have assumed
such a position as to make it an open
question as to which is the most popu-
lar. The Hungarian gypsies are, how
ever, crowding their Teuton rivals out
of this branch of business. At least
twelve hotels and restaurants have
orchestras made mp OF this class OF
musicians They are all under the
leadership Of DIR. Sommer, and are
formed into union for self-protection.
Every day this leader acts as the
unions walking delegate, as we'll as
its director, and visits every place
where his men are engaged. If there
is any complaint to be made or fault
to be found with any Of his men he
remedies it without delay. If a man is
taken sick substitute takes his place,
and the former, during his two weeks
illness, gets his full salary. The union
also insists upon a uniform scale of
prices and maintains it. The Hun
garians play light music, but whether
it is any better than that furnished by
the Germans is question of individual
taste.
Among the new hotels that have
adopted musical features this season
are the Stewart house, the Marlbo-
rough, the Brevoort, the Empire. the
st. Andrew and the Vendome. With
the introduction of music, most of the
hotels have found other changes neces-
sary. One of these is the establish
ment of table d'hote dinners and
lunches. These vary in price from
seventy-five cents to two dollars and
fifty cents each, with wine, the quail
ty of the latter being regulated by the
price of the meal. Half portions are
also served to those whose appetites
do not require the full supply. This
is practical economy, and is attracting
new class of trade to the houses
where it has been introduced.
The craze for things oriental has
also been developed to marked ex-
tent in hotels. Japanese or Turkish
coffee rooms, in which men accom-
panied by ladies smoke, are found in
most of the houses, especially those
who cater for family trade. This, like
the other features alluded to above,
has been the outcome of a growing de-
maud for something new and novel.
In the construction of oriental rooms
artistic taste is called into play, and
harmony Of colors in carpets. furni-
ture, decorations and drapery is neces-
sary, If the desired effects are to be
had. These new features are not well
coined by many of the hotel men, as
they are costly and do not allow a COR
responding increase of rates. This
year, nevertheless, the majority of
hotels are getting better prices for
their accommodations than they have
for several previous years. The in
crease in prices demanded by the new
uptown houses varies from ten to
twenty-five per cent. But this does
not seem to affect the patronage in the
least, as most of the hotels have better
prospects than ever before.-N. Y.
Telegram.