The number of travellers from Europe to Turkey, and especially Istanbul, increased dramatically as travel conditions improved pursuant to the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. However, the capital city of the Ottoman Empire was not equipped with adequate accommodations to host these visitors. Therefore, they had to take some measures to deal with this problem. This study gives an account of the Ottoman Imperial Court's first attempt to establish modern hotels to meet the needs to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Istanbul. This study provides the first examination of the imperial edict authorizing the establishment of the Ottoman Imperial Hotel Company and the construction of a hotel, the earliest documents related to this issue.