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
Sembawang Hot Spring horse races. That same year, the villagers urged the authorities to develop the area into a spa-like onsen tourist resort. However, F&N shelved the suggestion after geologists could not to trace the source of the spring water. In 1967, the proposal of the spa surfaced again, when F&N proposed plans for the development of a bathhouse, restaurants, a miniature golf course and even a nature reserve. However, the plans did not materialize, so the hot spring remained untouched and forgotten. In 1998, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) acquired the land containing the spring for the expansion of the nearby Sembawang