The oldest hotel in the world

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest hotel even now in operation is the Hoshi Ryokan, in Komatsu,  Japan which you would not imagine but opened as early as in 718. The hotel has been managed by the exact same family for  over forty generations.

The roots of Houshi, the most ancient inn all over the world are genuinely divine. According to legend in 717 a famous priest Taicho hiked  high up Mt Hakusan, a saint and separated mountain. While Taicho was asleep one night after beginning his tough training exercises, the God of Hakusan appeared while sleeping.

He ordered him to go to a village known as Awazu as there was an underground hot spring with amazing powers. The people of the village did not know of the good fortune. After dreaming Taicho made his way down to the village and revealed the gem which laid beneath the earth's surface. Afterwards the priest requested his pupil to build and run a spa at the site.

Generation after generation, Houshi owners got the name Zengoro Houshi. The first Zengoro guided Taicho Daishi to the top of Mt. Hakusan. A lot of people undergoing illnesses stayed at the spa constructed. People began to make donations. He then used these funds tobroaden the services he offered.

Today the hotel offers dozens of rooms and can comfort up to 450 guests. Guests are received with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. For relaxation, guests can stroll through the traditional Japanese gardens or wear a kimono,  provided for their use after plunging in either the indoor or outdoor hot springs.

The rooms of the hotel have been rented by Imperial Family members and are used repeatedly for movies and television shows.

If you want to encounter Japanese conventional and historical hospitality, then Hoshi Ryokan is the place to be and go through more interesting posts in our Siofok hotel blog.