Surrounded by glorious mountain scenery in a pretty, Alpine town, Hotel Interlaken officially started its journey into hospitality in 1491, after the building had been renovated and approved by local government. But the site held an inn before this, shown by local records that mention a guest house in 1323. In this early incarnation, a courtroom on the hotel’s first floor was used to sentence those found guilty of crimes. Thankfully, these areas have been downgraded to conference rooms today.