Hotel Online Special Report

advertisement
National Trust Historic Hotels Adds
18 Hotels from Across America
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2002 - National Trust Historic Hotels of America announces the addition of 18 members. This selection brings the total members in the program to 192 hotels, representing 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada.

"The collection of 18 hotels represents a variety of American experiences," said Thierry Roch, executive director of National Trust Historic Hotels of America. "Whether staying in great Western main street communities; a small Louisiana community combining a mix of French and Acadian culture; a Midwestern resort town; or a classic downtown hotel in Dallas, our member hotels provide a cross-section of Americana." 

A handful of the new hotels were built originally for another purpose, and were later converted to lodging, an example of adaptive use. Altering a building's function often allows it to remain in use as the economic needs of a community change.  The adapted properties include Winston-Salem's first factory; the Gulf Coast's premier wholesale dry goods concern in Galveston, Texas; a turn-of-the-last century store in San Antonio; a stately mansion in genteel Charleston, S.C.; a summer island family retreat in Wisconsin and a luxury apartment building in Baltimore. As the economy in these communities changed, so did the use of the building. In many cases, preservationists rallied to save the buildings and convert them into hotels. 

In addition, several of the new member hotels could be considered war veterans. Following the Battle of Selma during the Civil War, the 1837 St. James Hotel in Selma, Ala., was occupied by Union troops. During World War II the Navy used a number of these hotels. The Pierpont Inn in Ventura, Calif., was used for coastal defense; The Delta Queen, now based in New Orleans, was painted gray and ferried military personnel to ships in San Francisco Bay; and The Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, Va., was used as a radar training school.

A program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Hotels of America is a marketing association. To qualify for membership, hotels must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized locally as having historic significance. Established in 1989 with 32 original hotel members, Historic Hotels of America recognizes and promotes these hotels for their historic integrity, architectural quality and outstanding preservation efforts made by owners and managers.

National Trust Historic Historic Hotels of America
New Members 2003

St. James Hotel, Selma, Ala. - As the setting for several dramatic scenes in American history, Selma offers glimpses of the past at every turn. Anchoring the Water Street Historic District, the 1837 St. James Hotel overlooks the Alabama River and the Edmund Pettus Bridge made famous in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights march. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the building following the Battle of Selma and the hotel was managed by Benjamin Sterling Turner, who later won election from Alabama and became the first African-American to serve in the United States Congress. Frank and Jesse James reportedly spent time at the hotel 1881, but in 1892 the St. James shut its doors. The hotel remained closed for more than a century. Following a $6 million restoration, the hotel re-opened in 1997 and appears today much as it did
during the 1870s. (42 guest rooms and suites)

The Pierpont Inn, Ventura, Calif. - Josephine Pierpont commissioned construction of a California bungalow-style inn to provide a management career for her son, Austen. The inn, completed in 1910, overlooks the Pacific Ocean and was also intended to draw the growing breed of automobile drivers up and down the coast. Since 1928, this 11-acre destination resort has been owned and operated by members of the Vickers family. During World War II, the U.S. Navy billeted servicemen at the inn and placed guns, search lights and fortifications along the property for coastal defense. A three-year restoration and renovation-completed in 2002-showcases historic suites with authentic furnishings of the period in which they were built, including Arts & Crafts, Mid-century Modern, English Tudor and Spanish Revival. The inn's museum offers historic tours. (77rooms and suites)

New Sheridan Hotel, Telluride, Colo.- Gold and silver in the San Juan Mountains brought prospectors and miners to Telluride in the 1870s; in the 1970s, the mountains drew skiers to the town that had virtually shut down along with the mines twenty years before. In 1893, fire destroyed the original wooden Sheridan Hotel (1891), but the new three-story Sheridan, sensibly built in brick, opened in 1895. Set on Telluride's main street, the New Sheridan features guest rooms appointed in Victoria décor,many with stellar views of the surrounding 14,000-foot peaks.  The hotel is within walking distance to ski facilities. (26 guest rooms and suites)

The Bailey Hotel, Bunkie, La.- Like the surrounding area, Bunkie (founded in 1880 and home of Louisiana's annual Corn Festival) is rich with French and Acadian culture. The region is known for its eclectic mix of ethnic traditions, as well as its abundant fishing, hunting and scenic rural landscape. Bunkie has long been a regular stopping space for those traveling through central Louisiana. The Bailey Hotel opened in 1907, a distinctive two-story stone building that wrapped around a street corner. The hotel closed six decades later. Following a three-year restoration and renovation, the Bailey reopened in 2001. (34 guest rooms and seven suites)

Delta Queen, New Orleans, La.- In America's age of steamboating, more than 11,000 paddle wheelers plied the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, but just a handful has survived. The Delta Queen began her career in 1927, working a shuttle route on the Sacramento River. Commandeered by the U.S. Navy and painted gray, the boat ferried military personnel to ships in San Francisco Bay during World War II. The only steamboat to transit the Panama Canal, the Delta Queen passed through in 1947 on her way to Pittsburgh for refurbishing. The Delta Queen offers three-to-eleven night cruises through the Midwest and South. The Delta Queen is a National Historic Landmark. (87 suites and staterooms)

Peabody Court, a Clarion Hotel, Baltimore- Named for philanthropist and long-time Baltimore resident George Peabody (1795-1869), the Peabody Court began as a luxury apartment building in 1928 in the city's prominent Mt. Vernon neighborhood, Baltimore's educational and cultural center. The Peabody Court, with its Renaissance Revival façade, is a testament to the style of the Twenties with a six-foot Baccarat chandelier and George Peabody's paneled library gracing the well-appointed lobby. (102 guest rooms)

Stafford's Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Mich.- Located in Northwest Michigan, Stafford's Perry Hotel is Petoskey's only remaining 19th-century downtown hotel. When it was built in 1899, the Perry Hotel joined a roster of eleven other resort hotels at this popular Midwestern vacation area. Painted yellow and white, the three-story brick structure was billed as fireproof when it opened. Like much of the town, the Perry, located in the historic Gaslight District, is a Victorian gem in a realm of late 19th-century houses and hillside "gingerbread" cottages. The hotel overlooks Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay. A long veranda with wicker chairs offers sunset views. (80 guest rooms)

Brookstown Inn, Winston-Salem, N.C.- Built in 1837 as Winton-Salem's first factory, the three-story brick structure that is now the Brookstown Inn is a seminal reminder of the area's heritage and participation in the Industrial Revolution. Members of the local Moravian congregation constructed the building as a textile mill, and at various times it also found use as a four mill. In 1976, local preservationists saved the mill from being razed, and in 1984 it opened as the Brookstown Inn. Exposed brick walls, wooden beams, and especially the Graffiti Wall, were  young female factory workers left their mark, recall the building's original purpose. Furnished with antiques and reproductions, guest rooms are also outfitted with poster-style beds, hand-stitched quilts and upscale amenities. (71 guest rooms and suites)

Wentworth Mansion, Charleston, S.C.- The Gilded Age, the Second Empire style and the need to accommodate children and grandchildren all came together in Francis Silas Rodgers'  four-story private residence. Completed in 1886, Wentworth Mansion comprises nearly 24,000 square feet, a fine collection of antiques and sumptuous atmosphere accented with wrought iron ornamentation, hand carved plaster ceilings and tin ceilings, parquet floors, Tiffany stained glassed windows, and in nearly every room, a marble fireplace. Rodgers not only imported materials from Europe in constructing his house, he also brought over artisans and craftsman to create exquisite detailing in the carved mahogany woodwork and exterior stone. Beginning in 1920, the structure was used as office space. Following a $7 million renovation/restoration, the mansion began accepting guests in 1998 (21 guest rooms) 

LaSalle Hotel, Bryan, Texas- Members of Texas pioneer Stephen F. Austin's colony began settling in what would become Bryan in the 1820s and '30s. The small town, named for Austin's nephew, William Joel Bryan, flourished with the coming of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1866. The rural and ranching area was further enhanced with the establishment of  Texas A&M University in Bryan's twin city, a stop dubbed College Station by the railroad. By 1928, Bryan needed a major hotel and the seven-story brick La Salle was completed. Now owned by the city of Bryan, the hotel underwent a $6 million renovation and reopened in 2000. A main street-style hotel, the LaSalle boasts its original terrazzo lobby floor. (55 guest rooms and 12 suites)

The Stoneleigh Hotel, Dallas, Texas- Built in 1923, the Stoneleigh is a Dallas landmark that blends old-world charm with uptown style and offers the personalized service of a European-style hotel. A host to celebrity visitors past and present, the hotel features individually appointed guest rooms.The Luxury Level features 18th-century English mahogany furniture, fine wood trim, granite bathroom countertops and custom wood vanities. The Stoneleigh has never closed its doors, and the sign atop the hotel has been glowing since 1938. Located in the uptown Turtle Creek neighborhood, the hotel is in the midst of several art galleries and museums as well as upscale shopping and restaurants. (153 rooms)

The Tremont House, a Wyndham Historic Hotel, Galveston, Texas- Architecturally detailed, the block-long Tremont House was originally home to the Gulf Coast's premier wholesale dry goods concern. In 1985, this 1879 structure became the Tremont House, following in the path of its ancestors as a luxury hotel (the 1839 Tremont House burned down in 1865; the 1872 Tremont was razed in 1928). The hotel's Victorian-inspired décor reflects the Tremont's earlier days and most guest rooms have 14-foot high ceilings, huge windows, hardwood floors and marble baths with hand painted Italian tiles. In the four-story atrium, ironwork balconies and bridges, birdcage elevators, wicker chairs and an ebony marble stairway accentuate the sunny space. Located in Galveston's Historic Strand District. (119 guest rooms and suites)

Hotel Galvez, a Wyndham Historic Hotel, Galveston Island,Texas- Located across from the Gulf of Mexico, the renowned Queen of the Gulf offers magnificent architecture combined with the natural beauty of an ocean-side setting. Named after Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish colonial governor who first chartered the Texas Gulf Coast, the Hotel Galvez was constructed in 1911 and flourished as a hot spot during the Jazz Age and the Big Band Era. During World War II, the hotel operated as a U.S. Coast Guard training facility. (226 guest rooms)

Havana Riverwalk Inn, San Antonio, Texas- The 1914 Mediterranean-style, three-story Havana Riverwalk Inn was originally opened by a local entrepreneur to accommodate clients and purveyors of his thriving grocery and cigar business. Later, the building was used as a boarding house and apartments before being restored in 1997 with a mix of 1920s bohemian atmosphere and modern amenities. Boasting an eclectic selection of rooms-each artfully and whimsically done (the thermostats may be found behind a cowboy hat, or perhaps a fedora)-each guest room is individually appointed with European, Asian and American antiques, detailing and furnishings, large poster beds and equally large stone and tile baths. Located on the northern end of the San Antonio Riverwalk. (27 guest rooms)

Riverwalk Vista, San Antonio, Texas- Austrian immigrant George Dullnig, who would contribute much to the growth and prosperity of San Antonio, became the city's largest employer with the construction of his three-story mercantile store in 1883. Joined by his brothers Christian and John, George Dullnig managed 30 workers and a fleet of delivery wagons. The Dullnig Building featured several technical advancements and was the first in San Antonio equipped with a mechanical elevator, steam heat and a soda fountain. Over the years the building housed a number of businesses and was threatened with demolition in 1978 to make way for an Alamo Plaza parking lot. In 2001, the Riverwalk Vista opened on the second and third floors of the renovated building. Guest rooms are furnished with period antiques, quilts and upscale amenities. (14 guest rooms)

The Cavalier Hotel, Virginia Beach, Va.- The Cavalier opened in 1927, named after local residents chose the moniker in a newspaper contest. The original colonial-style hilltop structure overlooking the beach catered to well-to-do clientele arriving by Pullman car to the Cavalier's own rail stop. During World War II,  the U.S. Navy took the hotel over for use as a radar training school, herding sailors into cleaned out stables and conducting classes in the drained swimming pool. In 2002 the Cavalier completed a multi-million dollar restoration, and the hotel remains a landmark resort on the mid-Atlantic shore. The Cavalier is set on 18 landscaped acres of gardens and private beach with indoor and outdoor seasonal Olympic-size pools.(127 guest rooms in the historic building)

Stout's Island Lodge, Birchwood, Wis.- A decade after building a summer retreat for his family and friends in 1903, lumber businessman Frank D. Stout found that the log bark used for his wooden lodge and cabins was teeming with bugs. The discovery prompted him to tear down the structures and rebuild with cedar logs. A new Adirondack-style lodge and cabins were completed in 1915, and Stout and friends were able to enjoy his private 27-acre island (called "Island of Happy Days") in Red Cedar Lake. The remote wooded setting, accessible only by ferry, offers numerous recreation activities on the lake and about the island, and each day ends with a bonfire gathering.  The handsome rustic guest rooms have scenic views and are furnished with antique furnishings and reproductions. Open May through October. (42 guest rooms)

The Plains Hotel, Cheyenne, Wyo.- In the southeast corner of Wyoming, on a street corner in Cheyenne, is the cornerstone of the downtown historic district. The five-story Plains Hotel was designed by William Dubois, a prominent Wyoming architect with numerous buildings in Cheyenne. From the start, the hotel offered luxury, full-service accommodations welcoming everyone from cattle barons, oil tycoons and politicians to those venturing west to Yellowstone. There was nothing plain about the Plains; in the words of Dazee Bristol, an impressed guest at the hotel's grand opening in 1911, "Nearly all rooms have baths and ALL have telephones." A major renovation and restoration completed in 2002 returned the Plains to its original exterior appearance. The interior features Indian and Western motifs and artwork, furnishings and photography by Wyoming artists and craftsmen. (131 guest rooms)

Representing nearly 33,000 rooms, Historic Hotels of America ranks as the 16th largest consortia in the world, according to Hotels magazine (July 2002).

A directory of member hotels can be purchased by sending a $4.00 check or money order to National Trust Historic Hotels of America, P.O. Box 320, Washington, D.C. 20055-0320. 

###
Contact:
Mary Billingsley
Trust Historic Hotels of America
202-588-6061
[email protected]
http://historichotels.nationaltrust.org
Also See: National Trust Historic Hotels Adds 21 Hotels Reflecting Architectural History of America / Oct 2001
Historic Hotels of America Adds Four Historic Hotels that Reflect a Rich Legacy / April 2001
National Trust Historic Hotels of America Adds 21 Strategic Relationships to Boost Brand Visibility / Feb 2002
20 Historical and Architectural Significant Hotels Added to National Trust Historic Hotels of America / Oct 1999
Thierry Roch Named Executive Director of National Trust Historic Hotels of America / May 1999 

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search

Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.