Kiwi Curated
The Hidden History of Hotels
by Darren DunneFrom rowdy rock stars letting off a little steam to the birth of a secret agent, every hotel has a story to tell. While most of us never give this a second thought when picking somewhere to stay, this history is often fascinating and worth taking a closer look at. We’ve blown the cobwebs off our history books to examine 9 of the most interesting stories behind Kiwi Collection hotels.
The Hidden History of Hotels
Andaz West Hollywood
The 1970s were the golden era of rock ’n’ roll excess, and many of the legendary tales from that time took place at the former Continental Hyatt House. The hotel affectionately earned the nickname “Riot House” due to the debauchery that took place there, and it’s rightly earned a place in music folklore as a result. Led Zeppelin were regular visitors, renting out as many as six floors for their entourage. The Rolling Stones also treated Riot House as their L.A. home base, and Keith Richards famously threw a TV out the window of room 1015 during a particularly torrid evening. The raucous atmosphere may have departed, but the hotel’s recent overhaul and Sunset Boulevard location make it worth checking out.
The Hidden History of Hotels
The Stafford London
During the Second World War, scores of American and Canadian officers found themselves in London with downtime to fill. The Stafford Club served as their home, providing both a social setting to relax in, and a place of refuge to hunker down in during The Blitz. While ownership of the site has changed hands a number of times through the years, the wine cellars have maintained an informal ’museum’ of artifacts left behind from war times. There’s also the small matter of the 8,000 bottles of fine wine kept there.
The Hidden History of Hotels
Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai
Depending on whom you believe, there are two equally interesting stories surrounding the construction of The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It’s widely believed Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata decided to build the hotel after suffering the ignominy of refusal to Watson’s Hotel. In the alternate version, Tata doesn’t proceed as a result of a snub; instead it’s at the urging of the editor of The Times of India, who felt a hotel “worthy of Bombay” was badly needed. No matter the reason, this iconic structure still impresses to this day, recently counting Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as guests.
The Hidden History of Hotels
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
Pirates have known this for hundreds of years: if you’re going to ply your trade on the high seas, having a suitable name is a must. The Ottoman Admiral Hayrettin Barbarossa also knew this, adopting the name Red Beard before cutting a swathe across the Mediterranean with his fleet. These ships were docked at the site where Shangri-La Bosphorus currently stands, alongside Barbarossa’s mausoleum and statue. In recent times, the site housed a tobacco factory (one of Turkey’s first industrial structures), which was transformed via lavish renovation into a luxury hotel.
The Hidden History of Hotels
Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
Few hotels are as intrinsically linked to their city as Sofitel Legend is to Amsterdam. The building dates back to the 15th century, when it was constructed as a convent for women who wanted to atone for their lives of debauchery. The Reformation and introduction of Protestantism saw the convent handed over to the city, which used it as a hotel for visiting heads of state. After entertaining dignitaries like the Princes of Orange and the French royal family, the hotel was transformed into Amsterdam’s City Hall, as the booming city needed a suitable administrative center. This role continued through hundreds of years and two world wars, before being deemed unsuitable in the 1980s. A new city hall was built on Dam Square, while The Grand Amsterdam opened its doors to guests in 1992.
The Hidden History of Hotels
The Cliff above the Bay of Palma is a scenic locale for a hotel, but in times past, the setting was all the more suitable for a large military fortress. In the 19th century, Spain was beginning to feel a little skittish at America’s military push into Cuba and the Philippines, desiring some beefy reinforcement along the southern coast. Thus, a giant fortress was constructed across 88-acres that’s invisible from both land and sea. The spartan living arrangements and regimented structure of military life have long since departed, but some remnants of the site’s former life persist. A working drawbridge still welcomes arrivals, while ramparts, turrets and key fobs crafted from bullets provide a charming throwback.
The Hidden History of Hotels
GoldenEye
While much of James Bond’s life is clouded in mystery, one thing is certain: 007 was born at GoldenEye. It was here, upon completion of his tour of duty in the British Navy, Ian Fleming decided to escape civilization and put pen to paper on Casino Royale. Fleming didn’t think much of his debut effort, deeming it a “dreadful oafish opus.” However, it sold exceedingly well and 12 further Bond novels followed before Fleming succumbed to heart disease in 1964. The founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, purchased GoldenEye from the Fleming estate in 1976, and has grown it into the magnificent retreat it is today.
The Hidden History of Hotels
Villa Orsula Dubrovnik
Originally built as a private residence in the 1930s, Villa Orsula has nonetheless enjoyed quite the history. This lavishly decorated villa was a regular haunt of Prince Edward and his controversial wife Wallis Simpson during their many jaunts through Europe following his abdication. Royalty of a different era visited in later years with Elizabeth Taylor enjoying the city’s laid-back pace of life during a stay. In the early 1990s, Dubrovnik found itself under siege for seven months by the Yugoslav and Montenegrin armies. Despite daily bombardment, the villa suffered no damage and a refurbishment in 2012 renewed much of the early Art Deco splendor of the property.
The Hidden History of Hotels
the Quin
Housed inside a stunning Beaux-Arts style building designed by Emery Roth, the former site of The Buckingham Hotel has long been a place of great cultural and artistic import. From 1929-1941, Ignacy Paderewski, composer, pianist and the first Prime Minister of a free Poland, lived here during his exile from Europe. Given its close proximity to Carnegie Hall, New York Opera and Broadway, artistic types flocked to the hotel over the coming years. Famously, Georgia O’Keefe and Marc Chagall even kept private quarters. Nowadays, this tradition lives on at the Quin with regular art displays and performances.
Andaz West Hollywood
The 1970s were the golden era of rock ’n’ roll excess, and many of the legendary tales from that time took place at the former Continental Hyatt House. The hotel affectionately earned the nickname “Riot House” due to the debauchery that took place there, and it’s rightly earned a place in music folklore as a result. Led Zeppelin were regular visitors, renting out as many as six floors for their entourage. The Rolling Stones also treated Riot House as their L.A. home base, and Keith Richards famously threw a TV out the window of room 1015 during a particularly torrid evening. The raucous atmosphere may have departed, but the hotel’s recent overhaul and Sunset Boulevard location make it worth checking out.
The Stafford London
During the Second World War, scores of American and Canadian officers found themselves in London with downtime to fill. The Stafford Club served as their home, providing both a social setting to relax in, and a place of refuge to hunker down in during The Blitz. While ownership of the site has changed hands a number of times through the years, the wine cellars have maintained an informal ’museum’ of artifacts left behind from war times. There’s also the small matter of the 8,000 bottles of fine wine kept there.
Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai
Depending on whom you believe, there are two equally interesting stories surrounding the construction of The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It’s widely believed Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata decided to build the hotel after suffering the ignominy of refusal to Watson’s Hotel. In the alternate version, Tata doesn’t proceed as a result of a snub; instead it’s at the urging of the editor of The Times of India, who felt a hotel “worthy of Bombay” was badly needed. No matter the reason, this iconic structure still impresses to this day, recently counting Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as guests.
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
Pirates have known this for hundreds of years: if you’re going to ply your trade on the high seas, having a suitable name is a must. The Ottoman Admiral Hayrettin Barbarossa also knew this, adopting the name Red Beard before cutting a swathe across the Mediterranean with his fleet. These ships were docked at the site where Shangri-La Bosphorus currently stands, alongside Barbarossa’s mausoleum and statue. In recent times, the site housed a tobacco factory (one of Turkey’s first industrial structures), which was transformed via lavish renovation into a luxury hotel.
Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
Few hotels are as intrinsically linked to their city as Sofitel Legend is to Amsterdam. The building dates back to the 15th century, when it was constructed as a convent for women who wanted to atone for their lives of debauchery. The Reformation and introduction of Protestantism saw the convent handed over to the city, which used it as a hotel for visiting heads of state. After entertaining dignitaries like the Princes of Orange and the French royal family, the hotel was transformed into Amsterdam’s City Hall, as the booming city needed a suitable administrative center. This role continued through hundreds of years and two world wars, before being deemed unsuitable in the 1980s. A new city hall was built on Dam Square, while The Grand Amsterdam opened its doors to guests in 1992.
The Cliff above the Bay of Palma is a scenic locale for a hotel, but in times past, the setting was all the more suitable for a large military fortress. In the 19th century, Spain was beginning to feel a little skittish at America’s military push into Cuba and the Philippines, desiring some beefy reinforcement along the southern coast. Thus, a giant fortress was constructed across 88-acres that’s invisible from both land and sea. The spartan living arrangements and regimented structure of military life have long since departed, but some remnants of the site’s former life persist. A working drawbridge still welcomes arrivals, while ramparts, turrets and key fobs crafted from bullets provide a charming throwback.
GoldenEye
While much of James Bond’s life is clouded in mystery, one thing is certain: 007 was born at GoldenEye. It was here, upon completion of his tour of duty in the British Navy, Ian Fleming decided to escape civilization and put pen to paper on Casino Royale. Fleming didn’t think much of his debut effort, deeming it a “dreadful oafish opus.” However, it sold exceedingly well and 12 further Bond novels followed before Fleming succumbed to heart disease in 1964. The founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, purchased GoldenEye from the Fleming estate in 1976, and has grown it into the magnificent retreat it is today.
Villa Orsula Dubrovnik
Originally built as a private residence in the 1930s, Villa Orsula has nonetheless enjoyed quite the history. This lavishly decorated villa was a regular haunt of Prince Edward and his controversial wife Wallis Simpson during their many jaunts through Europe following his abdication. Royalty of a different era visited in later years with Elizabeth Taylor enjoying the city’s laid-back pace of life during a stay. In the early 1990s, Dubrovnik found itself under siege for seven months by the Yugoslav and Montenegrin armies. Despite daily bombardment, the villa suffered no damage and a refurbishment in 2012 renewed much of the early Art Deco splendor of the property.
the Quin
Housed inside a stunning Beaux-Arts style building designed by Emery Roth, the former site of The Buckingham Hotel has long been a place of great cultural and artistic import. From 1929-1941, Ignacy Paderewski, composer, pianist and the first Prime Minister of a free Poland, lived here during his exile from Europe. Given its close proximity to Carnegie Hall, New York Opera and Broadway, artistic types flocked to the hotel over the coming years. Famously, Georgia O’Keefe and Marc Chagall even kept private quarters. Nowadays, this tradition lives on at the Quin with regular art displays and performances.