Thank you for calling. Your call is important to us. Please hold. Dial 0 for the operator. These familiar expressions began 150 years ago when Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call in Boston. It didn't take long for luxury hotels to adopt the technology, and eventually the phone became a commonplace amenity used to request room service, wakeup calls, and extra towels. But behind the hotel's phone lines were the women running the switchboard... and keeping the secrets of their celebrity guests.

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"Mining by Moonlight" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

"analogic_dial_telephone" by trip_sound is licensed under CC-3.0.

"phone-pickup-click-22" by Adam_Joseph is licensed under CC 3.0.

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It's Christmas Eve, and we're taking you to divine lodgings, aka hotels in monasteries. Some of these hotels may not offer room service, wifi, or even bellhops (though some definitely do). Instead, they offer the chance to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims, stroll sacred hallways, spend time in quiet reflection, and contemplate life's big questions. From Mt. Sinai to Montserrat, you can sleep near the saints and dream of miracles.

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🎶 Music

"Church Bells at noon from the top of the Cathedral of Bern (Switzerland)" by felixblume is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

"Eternal Praise (Original Short)" by Pony Boy is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

"Agnus Dei X" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

“Gregorian Chant” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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NOFO Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, is making all the right moves. From interesting room design to curated activities for guests to a hip wine bar, this boutique hotel experience might just make Stockholm your next destination.

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"Backbay Lounge" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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Ah, the hotel bar—a traveler's best friend. Over the years, they've made a name for themselves outright and are sometimes more famous than the hotel that spawned them. We take you from Hollywood to New Orleans to Europe to tell the stories of some of the most iconic hotel bars in the world, where celebrities hide their misdeeds, writers look for inspiration, and a martini is always stirred.

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"Study and Relax" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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From having a hearty stew sent to your room in the local inn to scanning QR codes, room service has changed its form but never its allure—tasty fare with minimal effort. One hotel in particular made modern room service a necessity for luxury establishments, and others quickly followed suit. What are the most common and most bizarre room service orders? And how do some hotels elevate their offerings from more than a $20 club sandwich and $5 bottle of water?

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☕️ You can support Hotel History (and our caffeine addiction) here or on Patreon.

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"Lobby Time" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-3.0.

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Rob Hart's The Paradox Hotel is a genre-bending sci-fi thriller with an arsenal of mystery, action, heart, and, um, dinosaurs? We discuss our love/hate relationship with the main character, how a hotel dedicated to helping the uber wealthy time travel might run a little differently than a normal one, and the theory of time travel itself, naturally.

Pick up a copy of The Paradox Hotel here.*

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"The Complex" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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Footsteps in the hallway. Cold spots in your room. A child's laughter bouncing off the walls. And phone calls full of static. Learn about the hauntings in one of Denver's oldest luxury hotels, the Brown Palace, and a century-old double homicide that could account for some of the paranormal activity.

Read more about the Brown Palace murders here.*

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"Ghost Dance" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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As the veil between worlds thins, the ghosts come out to play. And the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, has so many, it's been named the most haunted hotel in America by a number of ghost hunters. From a hopeless romantic Victorian gentleman to the notorious "Doctor" Baker, you'll meet these ghosts and more in this aubergine castle in the Ozarks.

Read more about the hauntings at the Crescent Hotel here.*

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☕️ You can support Hotel History (and our caffeine addiction) here or on Patreon.

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"Evil Plan" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC-4.0.

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