The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-20
Hotels of England,

twenty-five years ago London had
PROBABLY the worst hotels OF any OF the
great capitals of the world. Today il has
some OF the best. The hotel habit has
oecome fashionable craze People now
live in hotels during the season instead
OF taking town houses. Those who still
nave London mansions on their hands
patronize the hotels for meals Not con-
cent with dining out, your smart woman
OI today must have her afternoon tea al
Claridge's her lunch in the Carlton. and
some ultra-smart people have been trying
even TO create craze for going out for
breakfast
sent capital of something like seven
MILLIONS sterling. During a busy month
1hey accommodate about S400 every
iight and find employment for 400 SER
wants. The Gordon hotels represent an
Investment of three and half millions
and secured a profit last year Of Gl56,-
90. The Cecil is run CO a scale greater
han the whole government of more than
one South American state.
The pioneers of the improved London
hoteis were undoubtedly the Gordon COM
pany snd their great houses, the Grand
the Victoria and the Metropole were reve-
lations TO London. But in recent wears
they have had very keen rivalry. The
Savoy brought luxury 10 the Thames EN-
bankment. The Frederick Syndicate has
fought them on their own ground by
building monster palaces in various parts
OF the country, palaces which count their
rooms almost by the thousand, and the
ground they cover by the acre Then in
1896 came that triumph OF barbaric splen-
dor, the Cecil, with its accommoda ton
for $50 people. Not satisfied with this,
the Cecil is now busy adding a couple of
hundred more bedrooms. Railway hotels
han rt,,ur n
the leaders of them being the Midland
Grand with 400 bedrooms. and the Great
Eastern with $50. Then Claridge's was
transformed, with suites for $50 visitors.
and the Carlton came to the fore with
accommodations for about 300 guests. The
Carlton is considered and rightly. the
last word in hotel luxury. It's manager,
Nj. Ritz, is the genius of the European
hotel world.
The hotel world of London, of course.
has it's romances. Some of the biggest
establishments have been created by
their propretors out of little or nothing
In one case the secretary OF a temper
ance society opened tiny house. This
became so crowded that he had to take
a second. House was added TO house.
servants were multiplied, accommodations
improved and If one. wishes to see the
outcome he need only go to Smiths big
hotel in Southampton row. In another
case a butler started a boarding house
I'm the West End His boarding house be-
came a hotel. Today 1t stands in the
front rank of the big London palaces. and
its owner Is a great country gentleman, a
justice OF the peace and the owner of fine
estates.
1t is strange how, in spite OF exterior
resemblances, each hotel has a distinct
character Of its own. The man who has
money 10 spend and wishes TO make a
show with IL naturally goes 10 the Cecil.
The quieter man seeks the Savoy. None
but the fashionable would penetrate
Clarldge's. And you should be at least a
senator or foreign prince If you wish
to stay at Browns. If you are a hasty
business man you go to the Midland
Grand or Charing Cross. If you are a
cosmopolitan and study your personal
comfort you will probably go to De Key
ser's on the Embankment. Colonials and
Americans have a fondness for the Cor
don hotels. The Frederick hotels, the
Russell and Great Central have hardly
yet had time to obtain a peculiar stamp.
Some very old hotels in West London.
untouched by modern invasion, still re-
tain their aristocratic connection. IL may
truly be said OF them that they provide
the least accommodation for the most
money. They are small, ramshackle.
without any up-to-date conveniences
toned cut. their furniture Is usually shah
by and out OF date while their prices Of
ten exceed those Of the best known re-
sorts. Yet their patrons are the very
best people. Old-fashioned country fami-
lies. who would regard even Claridge's >
with dlsdain go to these places like sheep.
They know the landlord and look on him
as a kind or family retainer.
In the modern hotel prices have gone
down alongside the Improvement OF ac-
commodation. The old. uncertain period
when YOU never knew what you were GO
ing TO pay unless you bargained and
chartered with the clerk beforehand. has
now passed right away In the up-to-
date hotel you can test every charge by
the tariff. and even the price Of your bed
room Is usually recorded on your room
ticket or marked on the walls OF your
room There Is n printed scale for every
thing. Wines are stlll ridiculously high
and we have yet 10 lpd the hotel keeper
who regards fruit as anything but n per
nicious luxury, for which you must pay
heavy extras. Even In the newest es-
| tablishments you may have dozen solid
dishes for your breakfast ~ you please