What Travelers Couldn’t Do In Pennsylvania Hotels 70 Years Ago

Stepping into a Pennsylvania hotel today looks vastly different than it did in the 1950s. Back then, hotels operated under strict rules that reflected the social norms and legal frameworks of post-war America. From racial segregation to rigid dress codes, travelers faced numerous restrictions that would seem shocking to modern guests. Let’s explore what hotel stays were like during this transformative period in American history.

1. Check In If You Were Black

Racial segregation was legal and widely practiced in Pennsylvania hotels until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. African American travelers faced humiliating rejection at most mainstream establishments, regardless of their social status or ability to pay.

Many Black travelers relied on the Green Book, a guide that listed safe accommodations for African Americans. In cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, only a small number of hotels served Black guests, often in less desirable locations with inferior amenities.

Even famous Black entertainers performing in Pennsylvania venues frequently couldn’t stay in the same hotels where they performed. This shameful practice forced many to seek lodging in private homes or travel long distances to find accommodations.

2. Wear Casual Clothes In Public Areas

Pennsylvania hotels of the 1950s enforced strict dress codes that would seem oppressive by today’s standards. Men were required to wear suits or sport coats in lobbies, restaurants, and other public spaces, regardless of the weather or time of day. Ties were mandatory for dinner service in hotel restaurants.

Women faced even more rigid expectations, with dresses or skirts required in all public areas. Pants were considered inappropriate for women in formal settings, and hotel staff might refuse service to female guests not adhering to these gendered clothing norms.

Many establishments posted dress code requirements directly on their doors and in elevators. Violators could be asked to change clothes or even leave the premises, as maintaining a “proper atmosphere” was considered essential for upscale accommodations.

3. Enjoy Air Conditioning Throughout The Building

Climate control in 1950s Pennsylvania hotels was rudimentary at best. While luxury establishments in major cities like Philadelphia might advertise “refrigerated air” in lobbies and dining rooms, most hotels offered no cooling beyond open windows and electric fans during sweltering summer months.

Even in prestigious hotels, air conditioning was typically limited to public spaces rather than individual rooms. Travelers paid premium rates for the few available “air-cooled” rooms, which often featured noisy window units that dripped condensation and struggled against Pennsylvania’s humid summers.

Winter accommodations weren’t much better, with uneven heating systems that left some rooms frigid while overheating others. Guests commonly requested extra blankets and wore layers indoors, especially in older establishments where radiator systems couldn’t maintain consistent temperatures throughout the building.

4. Bring Your Pet Along

The notion of pet-friendly accommodations was virtually nonexistent in Pennsylvania hotels during the 1950s. Most establishments maintained strict no-pet policies with zero exceptions, viewing animals as unsanitary and disruptive to other guests.

Service animals hadn’t yet gained legal recognition or protection, creating significant barriers for travelers with disabilities. Those with seeing-eye dogs often faced rejection at check-in desks, forcing them to seek alternative arrangements or abandon travel plans altogether.

For families traveling with beloved pets, options were severely limited to roadside motels or boarding kennels near their destination. The concept of pets as family members hadn’t yet permeated mainstream culture, and accommodations reflected this utilitarian attitude toward animals as merely possessions rather than companions worthy of consideration.

5. Book A Room Without Your Husband’s Permission

Married women faced significant obstacles when attempting to secure hotel accommodations independently in 1950s Pennsylvania. Most establishments required a husband’s written permission or presence for a woman to check in, reflecting the era’s patriarchal views on female independence.

Single women faced even greater scrutiny. Hotel staff commonly questioned their morals and motives, often requiring additional identification or references to prove their “respectability.” Some hotels outright refused service to women traveling alone, fearing they might be engaged in unlawful activities.

Female business travelers encountered particular difficulties, as business travel was predominantly male-oriented. Many hotels maintained unwritten policies of relegating solo female guests to specific floors or less desirable rooms for “propriety’s sake.”

6. Make Phone Calls From Your Room

Hotel telecommunications in 1950s Pennsylvania were centralized and closely monitored. Most establishments featured a single telephone at the front desk, where guests would request connections and often conduct their conversations within earshot of staff and other travelers.

Wealthier hotels might offer telephone service through operators who manually connected calls from a switchboard. These operators frequently listened in on conversations, both for quality control and to ensure calls ended promptly, as long-distance charges were substantial and carefully tracked.

Privacy was virtually nonexistent in this system. Business travelers often struggled to conduct confidential negotiations, while personal calls lacked intimacy. For urgent communications, guests typically used public phone booths located in lobbies or hallways, inserting coins and speaking quickly to avoid additional charges that could easily exceed the cost of the room itself.

7. Pay With A Credit Card

Financial transactions at Pennsylvania hotels in the 1950s required physical currency or traveler’s checks, as credit cards were in their infancy. The Diners Club card, introduced in 1950, was the first widely recognized charge card, but its acceptance remained limited to high-end establishments in major cities.

Most travelers carried substantial amounts of cash, creating security concerns during their journeys. Hotels typically required payment in advance, especially from guests without established reputations or local references. This cash-based system particularly disadvantaged women travelers, who were often viewed with suspicion when presenting large sums of money.

For extended stays, guests might arrange to have funds wired to the hotel or establish accounts with local banks. The absence of electronic payment systems meant check-out procedures were lengthy, involving manual calculation of room charges, telephone calls, meals, and incidentals.

8. Watch Television In Your Room

Television sets were rare luxuries in Pennsylvania hotel rooms of the 1950s. While television technology was rapidly growing in American homes, hotels lagged behind in adopting this expensive amenity. Most establishments offered a single television in the lobby or lounge where guests gathered to watch popular programs.

By the mid-1950s, premium hotels in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia began advertising rooms with television as a special upgrade, charging substantially more for these coveted accommodations. These early sets were small, offered limited channels with poor reception, and frequently broke down, requiring maintenance staff trained in the new technology.

Rural Pennsylvania hotels were even slower to adopt in-room entertainment, with many establishments not installing televisions until the 1960s. For travelers accustomed to nightly television at home, this absence represented a significant adjustment to their routines during hotel stays.

9. Stay Without Adhering To Curfew Rules

Curfew policies were standard features of Pennsylvania hotel operations in the 1950s. Most establishments locked their front doors by 10 PM, requiring late-returning guests to arrange special access or risk being locked out for the night. These practices reflected concerns about security and the era’s more structured approach to daily schedules.

Young travelers faced particularly strict monitoring. College students and unmarried adults under 25 were often subject to special curfew requirements, with violations potentially resulting in immediate eviction without refund. Women guests typically faced earlier curfews than men, regardless of age or status.

Hotels employed night clerks who monitored comings and goings after hours, maintaining logs of guest movements. This surveillance extended to visitors, who were generally prohibited after evening hours. The expectation that respectable people would be in their rooms by a reasonable hour reflected the more conservative social norms of 1950s Pennsylvania.

10. Book Accommodations As An Unmarried Couple

Moral standards in 1950s Pennsylvania hotels were strictly enforced through policies prohibiting unmarried couples from sharing rooms. Front desk clerks commonly requested marriage certificates or scrutinized last names on identification documents before providing accommodations to couples.

These “morality policies” were particularly rigid in small towns and rural areas where hotel staff often knew local residents. Travelers with different last names requesting a single room faced interrogation or outright rejection. Some couples resorted to wearing fake wedding rings or fabricating stories about lost marriage certificates to circumvent these restrictions.

Even legally married couples with different surnames encountered suspicion and sometimes denial of service. The hotel industry operated as an unofficial enforcer of social norms, with staff trained to watch for “suspicious behavior” that might indicate unmarried relationships. These practices reflected Pennsylvania’s conservative religious influences and the era’s restrictive views.