Hotel hospitality to travellers have been a feature of the earliest civilizations. In Greco-Roman culture and ancient Persia, hospitals for recuperation and rest were built at thermal baths. Japan's Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, founded in 705, was officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest hotel in the world. During the Middle Ages, various religious orders at monasteries and abbeys would offer accommodation for travellers on the road. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe, possibly dating back to the rule of Ancient Rome. These would provide for the needs of travellers, including food and
Zhiben Hot Spring Zhiben Hot Spring The Zhiben Hot Spring () is a hot spring in Beinan, Taitung County, Taiwan. It is one of the most famous Taiwanese hot springs. The Puyuma people, which inhabited in the area, learned that the Zhiben Hot Spring was healthy to the human body. During the Japanese rule era, the government set up public baths using water from the hot spring. On 8 August 2009 Zhiben was one of many places in Taiwan to be badly hit by Typhoon Morakot (2009) and made international news headlines when an eyewitness filmed the collapse of a riverside hotel undermined