In point of fact, thegarçon is much above the English waiter in his aims. He voluntarily undergoes a kind of curriculum of education, by passing from thehôtels of one country to those of another, and does not consider himself proficient till he speaks German, French, Italian, and English; at the very least, if of German birth, speaking French with fluency. Some good and capacioushôtels, built distinctly as such, have lately been established at the principal railway termini in London, also at Dover and a few other places. With these exceptions, thehôtels of England are far behind the new high-classhôtels of the continent; nor do we know of any Englishhôtel which approaches in grandeur or extent to theHôtel de Louvre in Paris, theMetropole at Geneva, or to some of the magnificenthôtels at Hamburg. But while we now write (1862), projects are on foot to build severalhôtels in London worthy of the place, and corresponding to the vastness of modern demands. / In England, thehôtel system of living is simply that of paying for what is called for, with the addition of a certain charge per diem for the rooms which are occupied; in France and other continental countries, this plan is so far modified by the plan of dining at a table d’hôte, which lessens the general expenses. Both in England and continentalhôtels, the charge for attendance is now made explicitly in the bill, a very grateful improvement. The ordinaryhôtels in all parts of the United Kingdom are licensed by magistrates to sell wines, spirits, and other excisable liquors, and therefore come under the category of public-houses open to the supervision of the police. In the higher-classhôtels, however, the supply of liquors is confined to the resident guests; and it is only in the others that drink is sold as in taverns.[…] Throughout the United States of America, the system ofhôtels has taken a peculiar turn. Thehôtels are built for the purpose, and usually very large; with few exceptions they are conducted as boarding-houses on the plan of charging so much per diem, everything included excepting liquor, which is obtainable in a large drinking-room called the bar.[…] Elegant in their architecture, and spacious and commodious in their interior arrangements, the Americanhôtels are got up at great expense, as may be judged from their extensive accommodation, which ranges from 180 to 800 rooms.[…] The system of Americanhôtels is generally followed in the British colonies.
